Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...

When I first started writing comics, there were four established properties I wanted to work on to appease my inner kid. As a child of the 80s and 90s, I grew up on a steady diet of Batman, Spider-Man, ThunderCats, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Over the years, I've had the chance to write both Batman and Spidey, and now I can officially cross another comic off Childhood Matt's To-Do List.

Coming out this September is my first story for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a back-up tale in issue # 15 of the New Animated Adventures title. It stars Ice Cream Kitty, a mutant cat made up entirely of Ice Cream. Obviously, this is very, very serious stuff here.

Here's an image of the cover:

I'll have some more Turtles-related news to post in the near future, but in the meantime, someone offer me a ThunderCats job already. Childhood Matt won't stop talking about it.

Heroes Con...

For anyone around the Charlotte area this weekend (June 20-22nd), I'll be a guest at Heroes Con. This is my first year at the show, and I've heard nothing but great things. I'll be bringing copies of The Superman Files, Beware the Batman, and plenty of my other past projects, so be sure to stop by and say hello. I'm at table AA-1114.

For more info, visit the Heroes Convention website here. See you at the show!

Meanwhile in Gotham City...

It's Batman's 75th anniversary, and to celebrate, DC Comics is releasing plenty of new projects to pay tribute to the legendary Dark Knight Detective. I've been lucky enough to work on quite a few Batman-related books recently, most of which are now up for pre-order. So if you're a fan of the Caped Crusader, here are a couple things to keep an eye out for:

First up is the project that's been occupying the bulk of my time since I finished writing The Superman Files for Andrews McMeel Publishing. It's a massive 352-page hardcover history of the Dark Knight from DK Publishing entitled Batman Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle. If the book sounds familiar, it might be because I co-wrote the similar Spider-Man Chronicle a few years ago, and have worked on both DC Comics: Year by Year and Marvel: Year by Year for DK as well.

Batman: Year by Year essentially tells the history of the character, his villains and his supporting cast in a month-by-month format from May of 1939 until the most recent events of this year. It was quite an intense project, but a labor of love for a lifelong Batman fan like myself. The book includes additional writing by Matt Forbeck (who wrote about the 1960s), and an introduction by one of my childhood heroes, Frank Miller. It's available on September 15th, but you can preorder it now on Amazon. I'll post a picture as soon as the cover art is available.

Next is The World According to the Joker from Insight Editions. I wrote this 64-page hardcover entirely in the voice of the Joker, as a sort of book of wisdom from the absolute worst person in the world to take advice from. I've always enjoyed writing the Joker, and this project was a great chance to see the world through his twisted eyes. It includes plenty of fun removable items and lots of great new illustrations. Look for it on October 7th.

Also from Insight Editions are the Batman Hardcover Ruled Journal and The Joker Hardcover Ruled Journal. These mostly blank journals include a story handwritten by each book's title character. The idea is for Batman and the Joker to have each been writing a journal entry when their books are misplaced and wind up in the reader's hands. These were extremely fun little stories to write, and I'm very happy with the result. I'll be sure to post pictures of the covers for these as we get closer to their release date of September 9th.

On August 1st, make sure to check out Catwoman's Nine Lives, my newest chapter book in Stone Arch Book's selection of DC Comics readers. Set in the world of Batman: The Animated Series, it's a fun little caper story that's my seventh contribution to this great line for young readers. I'll post more about this book when it's released.

And finally, while not available for pre-order quite yet, my two issues of Beware the Batman are being collected into a trade paperback from DC Comics due to hit stores on January 27, 2015. This collection includes all six issues of the series, featuring stories also written by Ivan Cohen, Scott Beatty, and the legendary creator of Katana, Mike W. Barr. It features art by Luciano Vecchio and Dario Brizuela. You can find out a bit more about the book here, as well as a preview of my point of view story from issue # 6.

Be sure to be the first kid on your block to collect all six books. Thanks for reading!

Scooby-Doo and the Island of Misfit Parents...

Last week I was in New York City attending the wedding of my old friend Mike Zagari to his new wife (and fellow comic book enthusiast) Janna O'Shea, so I didn't get a chance to post about my newest comic to hit the stands. That issue is Scooby-Doo!: Where Are You? # 44, an issue set on a small island named Fripp in South Carolina that is seemingly haunted by the legendary creatures known as Jabberwockies. (My parents also happen to live on that particular island, but that's a horror story for a different day.)

Each issue of Scooby features two stories, and mine was pencilled by Robert Pope with inks by Scott McRae. The second tale in the issue features the work of longtime DC writer Paul Kupperberg, with pencils by Roberto Barrios and inks by Horacio Ottolini.

With any luck, there should be a copy or two left at your local comic shop or news stand,  so why not see what the ol' Mystery Inc. Gang is up to? (Scooby Snacks sold separately.)

Beware the Batman # 6...

Out today is Beware the Batman # 6, the final issue of the short-lived tie-in series to the equally short-lived cartoon of the same name. This is my second issue of the series, and the one I was most excited to write, so I'm very happy to have gotten it in under the wire.

This issue also marks the first time a Batman comic has been told entirely from the point of view of a single character. Similar to the perspective you might see if you were playing a first-person shooter video game, this comic puts you in Alfred Pennyworth's shoes as he follows a trail of clues in an attempt to rescue the missing Dark Knight.

I'm very proud of this issue, and I think Luciano Vecchio did an incredible job with a script that was certainly a challenge to draw. Check it out the next time you visit a comic store and see if our little experiment actually worked.

God-in-a-Can

A few years ago, I collaborated with the brilliant M.K. Perker on a short comic called "One Bedroom, Spacious Bath, and God-in-a-Can." Circumstances left the story unpublished in the United States, although it did see print in a comic magazine in Holland and Belgium. It was even adapted into a short film at one point.

Not too long ago, I discovered it on my hard drive and thought it was a shame not to get the comic out where people can read it. I submitted the story to Simon Fraser over at Act-i-Vate Comix, and now they're generously hosting it on their site.

It's a short ten-page comic, and you can read it free from the beginning by clicking here.

Feel free to leave comments either on this site or at Act-i-Vate. I'd love to hear what you guys think.

A little something for everyone...

I've been a bit swamped with the new book I'm currently writing, so I've fallen behind on posting about some of my other upcoming projects.

Time to fix that:

First up, is Beware the Batman # 6. Sadly, it looks like this might be the final issue of this particular series. With Cartoon Network not currently airing the cartoon, it seems the comic isn't destined to fare much better. Either way, I'm glad I got the chance to get this issue in under the wire.

Shot entirely from Alfred's point of view, similar to a first-person shooter video game, this comic was a very fun experiment that I'm happy to say worked out even better than I expected. I've seen all of Luciano Vecchio's art for the issue, and the POV format combined with his fluid artwork and the energy he adds to every panel really works to heighten the tension. The end result is a comic book truly different from any other Batman issue, and one I'm very proud to have been a part of.

So if you're a Batman fan, or just a fan of unique comics, please do check this issue out when it's released on March 26th.

Next up is my newest book, The World According to Wolverine. Published by Insight Editions, this 64-page volume is written in Wolverine's voice, as if he's advising the next generation of mutants on how to best use their fantastic abilities.

Here's the publisher's synopsis:

In The World According to Wolverine, Marvel Comics’ favorite stoic loner finally opens up on a range of topics that are close to his mutant heart. With helpful tips on everything from clawed combat to outdoor survival and dealing with the agony of adamantium implantation, this book will delight fans who want to learn how to be just like the grizzled hero. Also featuring Logan’s ruminations on an extremely long and checkered life, his global travels, and the art of picking the perfect dive bar, The World According to Wolverine will offer unparalleled insight into one of the most fascinating and mysterious characters in the Marvel Comics universe. The book will also come with a number of removable items, including classified Weapon X paperwork, a report on Wolverine from Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Mutants, war memorabilia, beer mats from Wolverine’s favorite bars, travel mementos, James Howlett’s birth certificate, and much, much more.

Check your local book store for The World According to Wolverine on April 15th.

Next, is my second magazine for Eaglemoss. This offers a pretty thorough look at Doomsday, the monster that killer Superman, and comes alongside a great collectible chess piece as well. Expect to find it in comic book stores this April, or pre-order it here.

And finally, Scooby-Doo: Where Are You? # 44, from DC Comics. This was my first time writing for the famous Mystery Inc. Gang, and let me tell you, it's near impossible to not hear the Scooby background music when you're trying to script these guys. Here's what DC has to say about the issue:

The gang is trying to take a nice, peaceful vacation at an island resort, but the Jabberwocky infestation at the nature preserve next door isn’t making that easy! Shaggy and Scooby could be scared off by red-eyed monsters with lion-like paws, unless Velma’s keen eye for clues puts an end to the mysterious beasts!

Scooby-Doo: Where Are You? # 44 hits stores on April 9th.

Okay, that's all. Thanks for reading. Now let's all get back to work.