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In this exclusive interview we chat with artist Aaron S Bailey about his upcoming project, Night of the Batman.
The internet has been abuzz with the announcement that Mr. Bailey is working on a film inspired by Ben Affleck’s Batman. Bailey’s been keeping DC fans in the loop over Twitter sharing images of the project and there’s been a great deal of support and positive sentiment towards it. We were privileged to get an insight into his work, what inspired the idea, and we also have an exclusive image further down of the Dark Knight himself.
DCN (DC Comics News) Tell us a bit about you, your background and your journey so far.
A.S.B (Aaron S Bailey) First of all, thank you for letting me talk about this project! I’m Aaron, a freelance artist and photographer. I’ve had a passion for storytelling and film making most of my life and eventually that led me to making art of my favourite movies and tv shows. I started VERY rough and taught myself photoshop and various 3D software skills. That’s what eventually gave me the idea to use these skills to tell a story about (in my opinion) the greatest on-screen Batman.
DCN For those fans who are not across the news, you’re creating a realistic comic set ‘Night of the Batman’ an original take on the stand alone Ben Affleck Batman movie. It’s going to be set in the Snyderverse. Why did you take on the project? What were the triggers to get it off the ground?
A.S.B The same as many people, I was disappointed we never got the Batman film that Ben Affleck was working on. I did like Matt Reeves take very much but part of me still wanted back story or a fleshing out on the DCEU version of the character.I’ve also been a part of the ‘Snyderverse’ movement since 2017 and in that time I’ve made some amazing friends, made memories and eventually that got me to meet Zack himself. That was a huge push for me to pursue this project and give not only me but all of Affleck’s Batman fans something special.
DCN What’s your approach to the story? Are you extending on what Snyder has created?
A.S.B Absolutely, I’m taking the framework Zack started and using that to tell a story set before BVS about a particularly dark time for this version of Batman. I didn’t want to use the idea or outline involving Deathstroke (I still have hope for that film to be made) but rather to tell my own story at a different time.
The Batman, in #NightOfTheBatman
DCN Are there any other sources of inspiration you’re drawing on separate from Snyder’s work?
A.S.B I think a huge inspiration for me from Zack is Watchmen. That film so perfectly captured the less than glamorous side of being a Superhero, it’s a tragedy told in a hyper stylized world.
That is very much where we find Bruce in my story, on a path that will lead to where we find his character in BVS.
DCN How much of an influence to produce the story were the fans?
A.S.B Massive. That’s why I’m pulling in people from the community to help, I want different perspectives and ideas to shine through in the final product.
DCN Can you share any insights into the story that you already haven’t shared online that will get the fans excited?
A.S.B The scope and story has definitely changed since announcing this so I’m currently revising my script to match the huge interaction from the community. One aspect that I haven’t revealed is that we will in fact see Dick Grayson in this story. I’ll save ‘the how’ for later but as you can imagine it’s probably not in a happy way.
DCN How have you gone about the selection process for the cast? What attributes are you looking for?
A.S.B I’m currently only casting a few select roles right now due to availability but my main goal is to match voices fairly closely with established characters.
DCN Can you share any artwork with us that the fans haven’t seen yet – we will feature these in the article for the fans to see.
DCN What can the fans expect with the story, will all four parts be released at once or over a time line?
A.S.B The release will be over a period of time (the time frame is TBA) and will be fully voiced and scored motion panels!
Leave a comment below on your thoughts on the upcoming project. Be sure to follow Mr. Bailey on Twitter here
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