Sitting down with Steve Englehart

There's a short list of creators universally hailed as "essential" when it comes to the Dark Knight,and Steve Englehart is one of them. In a relatively short time, and with the stellar art team of penciller Marshall Rogers and inker Terry Austin on Detective Comics, Englehart left an indelible stamp on Batman. And fans will get another dose of the Englehart/Rogers/Austin magic with the upcoming Dark Detective mini-series from DC. I sat down with Englehart to chat about the series and his past work. Join us for a bit.

ALEX SEGURA JR.: What is it about Batman the character that made you want to come back? Some creators have trouble taking second go-rounds with characters they're so closely tied to.

STEVE ENGLEHART: I just think he's a great character. I'm nowhere close to running out of things to explore with him, and I have hopes of continuing.

SEGURA: What have you been up to the past few years, writing-wise?

ENGLEHART: I wrote the scenario for the TRON 2.0 computer game at Disney, developed an animated series for Coyote at Disney that didn't pan out, and wrote episodes of "Team Atlantis" for Disney. I don't only work for the Mouse, but most of my time has been with electronic media of one sort or another.

SEGURA: Did you feel there were some loose ends in your initial Detective Comics run with Marshall Rogers that needed to be tied up, or was this more of a right place, right time deal?

ENGLEHART: Well, if that first run had been all there was, it could have stood on its own - but obviously, the relationships between Bruce and Silver, and between the Batman and the Joker - and between Silver and the Joker - could be developed further, and that's what we've done.

SEGURA: As someone who's written comics consistently for the past three decades, how has the industry changed? Has it changed for the better? Where would you like to see it go?

ENGLEHART: Oh man, I'm not going there.

SEGURA: Ha! Understandable. Some fans bemoaned the fact that some of your classic Bat stories, or elements from those stories, were "retconned" by Crisis. Specifically, Silver St. Cloud, Hugo Strange's personality, Rupert Thorne, etc. Did you feel that was the case?

ENGLEHART: With so many different takes on the Batman out there, there are bound to be things like that, but our Dark Detective runs are internally consistent, and as consistent as possible with overall continuity, and that's all I can do.

SEGURA: Are there any other characters you'd like a crack at writing?

ENGLEHART: Well, I'm old school in that I find whatever's interesting in whatever character I work on, so assuming there's something there to work with, I can get into anybody. Naturally, a title that's already popular is more lucrative, but I like the challenges in making a title popular. Therefore, I'm not panting after anyone in particular; I'd just want a character with a lot of potential.

SEGURA: What's it like working with Marshall Rogers? Was it easy sliding back into a collaborative role with him?

ENGLEHART: Absolutely. In addition to Dark Detective, we've done Coyote, Scorpio Rose, Silver Surfer and his Foozle, so we've got the partnership thing down pretty good by now.

And although Terry Austin and I have only done Batman and a one-shot story for Vampirella (magazine, not character), we're just as compatible. All three of us are not only on the same page, but on the same paragraph, when it comes to the Batman.

SEGURA: Tell me a little bit about the Big Town mini-series you did for Marvel. Did that pan out as you thought it would? What worked/didn't?

ENGLEHART: That was an almost complete disaster. I sold it to one editor, who had to hand it to a complete newbie. He didn't know how to edit, and his bosses didn't understand the concept in the first place, so in the end, the series was undercut at every turn. It had some of the dumbest editorial meddling I've ever seen, and I've been around for a while. There are things done to that series that no one can explain. My "favorite": in #4, the Silver Surfer comes flying in from the sky, and nobody's been underground - and they added a caption saying "From the center of the earth." I mean, if one can say this in this forum - WTF?

SEGURA: What makes a great Batman story? What do most writers miss about the character?

ENGLEHART: The main thing missing from many stories is Bruce Wayne - the man who is the Batman. The identity he took on is wonderful, but it's the whole package that we need to know.

SEGURA: I've found that you're very skilled at balancing the human and vigilante aspects of Batman. Do you think people relate best with Batman when he's a touch more human and less robotic creature of the night?

ENGLEHART: Well, that's a good part of why our run's been so influential for nearly 30 years. People may be awed and thrilled by a costume or an attitude, but people relate to people.

SEGURA: Tell us a little bit about Dark Detective. Can someone that isn't familiar with your original run with Marshall jump right in?

ENGLEHART: Definitely. I provided two quick flashbacks in the first issue to bring new readers up to speed, but once there, everybody can take the ride. I know as well as anybody that the first run was both essential and a while ago, so I took care to make things clear and to make them easy. The story itself does put Bruce and Silver back together after some amount of time - enough for each to have put the other out of their lives completely - and throws the Joker, Two-Face, the Scarecrow, and Dr Double X on top of them, all at the same time. It's clear, easy...and very dense.

SEGURA: Do you see yourself doing more comic book writing in the coming years?

ENGLEHART: I certainly hope so. I've been reminded a lot these past six months that I've entertained a lot of people doing comics, and I enjoy doing that.

SEGURA: Anything else you'd like to share?

ENGLEHART: Just - pick up the comics and enjoy the summer. Don't wait for the collection because there won't be one if you don't have the fun here and now.