Dark Night: A True Batman Story

Last updated
Dark Night: A True Batman Story
Dark Night A True Batman Story cover.jpg
Cover of Dark Night: A True Batman Story.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics (as Vertigo)
Format One-shot
Genre
Publication dateJune 15, 2016
No. of issues1
Main character(s) Paul Dini
Batman
Robin
Joker
Dream
Death
Creative team
Created byPaul Dini
Eduardo Risso
Written byPaul Dini
Artist(s) Eduardo Risso
Collected editions
Hardcover ISBN   1401241433
Trade Paperback ISBN   1401271367

Dark Night: A True Batman Story is an American graphic novel written by Paul Dini, illustrated by Eduardo Risso, and published by DC Comics under its mature-readers Vertigo imprint. Featuring the superhero Batman, it is based upon a true incident from 1993, in which Dini was mugged and nearly killed. The book was released on June 15, 2016, and received widespread critical acclaim from reviewers, who praised its emotional story, artwork, and powerful message. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

The story is told by Paul Dini at a stage, watched by an unseen and disinterested audience. He mentions his story about the assault done to him and the scars left afterwards is not a story he is known for, which are normally science fiction or fantasy, but it does involve one superhero: Batman. It begins when Dini explains how he was as a kid; invisible, attracting bullies whom he wishes he would fight back, but always escaping to the realms of his imagination that would be "with him" during the day. But one character stood out: Batman, thanks to the comics and the 1960s TV series. Dini's imagination got to the point where his school work suffered, leading to the question of what job can someone who loves cartoons and draws get, leading to his employment at Warner Bros Animation 25 years later. After the success of Tim Burton's Batman , and influenced by the Fleischer Superman cartoons, Dini is hired to work on what will come to be the award-winning Batman: The Animated Series with Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett.

At the time working on what would become Batman: Mask of the Phantasm , Dini goes on an unsuccessful date with an actress. She offers to drive him home, but Dini decides to walk home. On his way, he is approached by two thugs who decide to assault him violently, rob him, and leave him bloodied and left for dead. But Dini gets up, and in shock, returns home despite the massive pain. He reports the assault to the police, who unlike Batman, do not test a receipt pulled by the muggers for fingerprints; and when he tells them about his work, the cops laugh saying he wished Batman saved him. Dini takes a bath in hopes of healing the bruises, where he imagines Batman in the Batcave, who chastises Dini for not fighting back, despite Batman himself being skilled and a drawing. The next morning, still in great pain, Dini imagines Two-Face judging his actions, suggesting it was all because he wanted to look good toward his date. Friend and Harley Quinn voice actress Arleen Sorkin visits Dini, forcing him to go to the hospital. The damage is more severe than Dini thought: swollen face thanks to a shattered zygomatic arch, surgery is set to happen the next day. Because of the incident, Dini is not interested in writing about Batman, a man who fights crime, when a crime happened to him. Batman reappears again and Dini argues with his imagination when he points out that Dini knew what would happen to him, but ignore it and went ahead because of his fear of being judged. Moments before the surgery, Dini imagines being with Batman's Rogues Gallery, to which Poison Ivy criticizes Dini over the women he tries to set himself with, with one example last year who passed on going with him to the Emmy Awards. A night where Dini questioned why she did not like him that he cut himself with his award.

The surgery goes well, but Dini has made up his mind: he is not writing Batman anymore. Back at his apartment, Dini does not want to write any scenes for Mask of the Phantasm. His imagination of the Joker appears, enjoying how low Dini has gotten, until Batman reappears and punches Joker away, demanding Dini to get back to work and stop being sorry for himself. This only gets Dini into wanting to buy a gun, until he remembers Nevada when he was a kid: his rifle nearly pointed at his brother's head when he tried to pull the trigger, vowing himself not to use guns, just like Batman. Dini starts drinking during cold nights, which leads to him getting pneumonia. Dini still decides to stay home, which leads to another conflict between and the imaginations of Batman and Joker, to which Dini realizes he is that invisible boy again when he was eight. Scaring himself, he asks Batman for help, to which he tells him only he can get himself out. Taking baby steps, Dini resumes work on Batman Animated and goes out shopping, sees a therapist (with Harley Quinn appearing along her too). This all begins to help Dini, and by doing things he loves, it helps him cope with the trauma from the mugging.

The audience is revealed to be Batman's Rogues Gallery. All of whom taking his story and morals of it apart, but Dini deflects all of them, winning the arguments they bring up. Explaining living in fear and wanting revenge was not the life he wanted to live after the incident. The villains go away, and using an old idea from Batman Beyond , Joker is "walled up" in the Batcave. Ending his story, he thanks Batman for saving the day by telling him to stand up. He leaves his office at WB, but before he does, he bumps into Harley Quinn.

Background and creation

In 1993, Paul Dini was walking on La Peer Drive in Los Angeles, California, when two men approached him. They proceeded to brutally beat Dini, shattering his zygomatic arch and, according to his doctors, parts of his skull "powdered on impact". [4] The event forever altered Dini's life, and became the basis for Dark Night: A True Batman Story. In the novel, Batman and many of his adversaries appear in the form of separate parts of Dini's conscience. [5] Dini cited a scene in the film Play It Again, Sam (1972) as inspiration, in which a film critic is assisted by Humphrey Bogart's character. [4]

Dini described the writing process as traumatic, claiming to have cried several times when going to sleep. He was horrified upon seeing Eduardo Risso's rendition of the attack in artwork, recalling "I burst into tears. I couldn't look at them". [4] Upon completion, Dini stated that he felt a burden he carried about the attack had been lifted. [4]

English version by Vertigo

Reception

Dark Night: A True Batman Story received widespread critical acclaim. On the review aggregator ComicBookRoundUp, the book holds a score of 9/10, based on 15 reviews. [8]

The story's recounting of Dini's ordeal was widely praised. Writing for IGN , Jesse Schedeen praised its frank, undramatized, and open manner, and called it "an emotionally powerful read". [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison Ivy (character)</span> Comic book character

Poison Ivy, also known simply as Ivy, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in Batman stories. She was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, and first appeared in Batman #181.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joker (character)</span> Fictional character in the DC Universe

The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book Batman on April 25, 1940. Credit for the Joker's creation is disputed; Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for the Joker's design while acknowledging Finger's writing contribution. Although the Joker was planned to be killed off during his initial appearance, he was spared by editorial intervention, allowing the character to endure as the archenemy of the superhero Batman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkham Asylum</span> Fictional psychiatric hospital/prison by DC Comics

The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital/prison, named after the city of Arkham which appeared first in the stories of H. P. Lovecraft, and later appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in stories featuring the superhero Batman. It first appeared in Batman #258, written by Dennis O'Neil with art by Irv Novick. The asylum serves as a (forensic) psychiatric hospital for the Gotham City area, housing patients who are criminally insane, as well as select prisoners with unusual medical requirements that are beyond a conventional prison's ability to accommodate. Its high-profile patients are often members of Batman's rogues gallery.

<i>Batman: Mask of the Phantasm</i> 1993 animated superhero film directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 American animated romantic superhero film featuring the DC Comics character Batman. It was directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, and written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reaves. The film is based on Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) and is the first original theatrical film produced by Warner Bros. Animation before eventually establishing the additional Warner Bros. Feature Animation division for theatrical productions afterwards. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Bob Hastings and Robert Costanzo reprise their voice roles from Batman: The Animated Series, joined by Dana Delany, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach Jr., Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller and John P. Ryan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harley Quinn</span> Comic book character

Harley Quinn is a character appearing in American comic books produced by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series as a henchwoman for the supervillain Joker, debuting in its 8th episode, "Joker's Favor", on September 11, 1992. While intended to appear in one episode, Quinn became a recurring character within the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) as the Joker's sidekick and love interest, and was adapted into DC Comics' canon seven years later, beginning with the one-shot Batman: Harley Quinn #1. Quinn's origin story features her as a former psychologist at Gotham City's Arkham Asylum who was manipulated by and fell in love with the Joker, her patient, eventually becoming his accomplice and lover. The character's alias is a play on the stock character Harlequin from the 16th-century Italian theater commedia dell'arte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riddler</span> Comic book supervillain

The Riddler is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in Detective Comics #140 in October 1948. He has become one of the most enduring enemies of the superhero Batman and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Timm</span> American artist, character designer, animator

Bruce Walter Timm is an American artist, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known for contributing to building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, most notably as the head producer behind Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000), The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999), Batman Beyond (1999–2001), Justice League (2001–2004), and Justice League Unlimited (2004–2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Dini</span> American writer and comic creator

Paul McClaran Dini is an American screenwriter and comic creator. He has been a producer and writer for several Warner Bros. Animation/DC Comics animated series, most notably Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), and the subsequent DC Animated Universe. Dini and Bruce Timm co-created the characters Harley Quinn and Terry McGinnis.

<i>The Batman Adventures: Mad Love</i> 1993 comic book by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm

The Batman Adventures: Mad Love is a one-shot comic book written by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. Set in the continuity of Batman: The Animated Series, Mad Love expands on the supervillain Joker's henchwoman Harley Quinn, featuring her origin story as the Joker's former psychologist at Arkham Asylum who fell in love with her criminal patient. It won the Eisner Award for Best Single Issue and the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story in 1994. It was later adapted as an episode of the animated series The New Batman Adventures, and incorporated in the video games Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham Origins. In 2018, Titan Books released a novelization of Mad Love written by Dini and Pat Cadigan, which expanded upon the original comic book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almost Got 'Im</span> 35th episode of the 1st season of Batman: The Animated Series

"Almost Got 'Im" is the thirty-fifth episode of the Warner Bros. television program Batman: The Animated Series, which first aired on November 10, 1992, and was written by Paul Dini and directed by Eric Radomski. This episode features seven villains of Batman's rogues gallery, with five of them telling their respective stories of the times they each came closest to killing the Dark Knight, and the ending leading to a singular plot twist.

<i>Batman Black and White</i> Comic book limited series published by DC Comics

Batman Black and White refers to the comic book limited series published by DC Comics featuring 8-page black and white Batman stories. Volumes 1, 4 and 5 of the series feature all-new stories, while Vol. 2 and 3 contain stories from the back-up feature of the Batman: Gotham Knights comic book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duela Dent</span> Fictional character in the DC Universe

Duela Dent is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She is a former member of the Suicide Squad, the Teen Titans and its counterpart, Titans East. Introduced under the alias of the Joker's Daughter, she has also used aliases: Catgirl the Catwoman's Daughter, Scarecrone the Scarecrow's Daughter, the Riddler's Daughter, the Penguin's Daughter, the Card Queen, and the Harlequin. She first appeared in Batman Family #6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Beaumont</span> Comics character

Andrea Beaumont, also known as the Phantasm, is a fictional DC Entertainment supervillain and antiheroine created by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini, and designed by Bruce Timm. Beaumont first appeared as the main antagonist in the 1993 DC Animated Universe (DCAU) film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, where she was established as the girlfriend-then-ex-fiancée of Bruce Wayne/Batman prior to and around the time he first began his vigilante career. Dana Delany provided the voice work for Andrea and Stacy Keach provided the electronically modified voice of her "Phantasm" alter ego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joker in other media</span> Adaptation of DC character Joker in media

The Joker, a supervillain in DC Comics and archenemy of the superhero Batman, has appeared in various media. WorldCat records over 250 productions featuring the Joker as a subject, including films, television series, books, and video games. Live-action films featuring the character are typically the most successful.

<i>Batman: Battle for the Cowl</i> 2009 Batman comic book story arc

"Batman: Battle for the Cowl" is a 2009 comic book storyline published by DC comics, consisting of an eponymous, three-issue miniseries written and penciled by Tony Daniel, as well as a number of tie-in books. The central story details the chaos in Gotham City following the "Batman R.I.P." and "Final Crisis" story arcs, due to Batman's absence. His disappearance is caused by the character's apparent death at the hands of Darkseid in Final Crisis, which causes dissension in the ranks of his allies and enemies who fight for the right to become the new Batman.

<i>Batman: Streets of Gotham</i>

Batman: Streets of Gotham is an American comic book written by Paul Dini, with art by Dustin Nguyen. The series stars Dick Grayson as the new Batman and ties into Grant Morrison's overarching "Batman: Reborn" story and the new Gotham City Sirens monthly. The series ran for 21 issues, from 2009 to 2011.

<i>Gotham City Sirens</i> American comic book series published by DC Comics

Gotham City Sirens is an American comic book series that was written by Paul Dini with art by Guillem March and published by DC Comics. The term Gotham City Sirens refers to three of the most popular female villains inhabiting Gotham City: Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy.

<i>Batman: Curse of the White Knight</i> Limited comic book series by Sean Murphy

Batman: Curse of the White Knight is an American comic book published by DC Comics under its Black Label imprint. The eight-issue limited series, written and illustrated by Sean Murphy, began publication on July 24, 2019 and concluded on March 25, 2020. It is the sequel to Batman: White Knight and is the second installment in the Murphyverse's White Knight series, which takes place within a self-contained alternate reality that is different from and unrelated to the main DC Universe.

<i>Batman: The Adventures Continue</i>

Batman: The Adventures Continue is a DC Comics comic book series starring Batman set in the world of the DC Animated Universe. It is a continuation of Batman: The Animated Series and its follow-up The New Batman Adventures. The book is co-written by Paul Dini and Alan Burnett, producers of the original animated television series, and illustrated by Ty Templeton, who also worked on previous comics inspired by Batman: TAS. The limited series was initially released as a "digital first" comic, beginning in April 2020. The first print issue, which collects the first two digital chapters, reached stores on June 10, 2020. The miniseries was extended from six to seven print issues, and later to eight. In March 2021, DC announced Season II of the series, with Issue 1 published in June 2021. As of June 2021, DC has planned seven issues for Season II. Season III, the final season of the comic, began publication on January 10, 2023.

"The Joker War" is a comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics in late 2020, featuring Batman and his family. Primarily written by James Tynion IV, the arc is his first major arc on Batman in DC Rebirth. The main story was from Batman #95–100, while 16 other issues were tie-ins.

References

  1. ↑ Young, Bryan (6 August 2016). "A Review of "Dark Night: A True Batman Story"". HuffPost. Oath Inc. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  2. ↑ Hughes, Mark. "'Dark Night: A True Batman Story' Delivers Powerful Story With Healing Message". Forbes. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  3. ↑ Rich, Jamie. "Ten Moments that Mattered: Paul Dini's Dark Night: A True Batman Story". DC Comics. DC Entertainment. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Kit, Borys (December 2015). "Paul Dini Revisits His Traumatic Past With 'Dark Night: A True Batman Story' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  5. 1 2 Shedeen, Jesse (16 June 2016). "Graphic Novel Review: Dark Night: A True Batman Story". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  6. ↑ DARK NIGHT: A TRUE BATMAN STORY
  7. ↑ DARK NIGHT: A TRUE BATMAN STORY
  8. ↑ "Dark Night: A True Batman Story #1". ComicBookRoundUp. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.