Becoming a better storyteller: Batman artist David Finch

MANILA, Philippines - Canadian comic book artist David Finch was in town the previous weekend for a series of signings and talks, brought in by Fully Booked for his first trip to the Philippines. The popular superhero artist, currently handling DC Comics’ Batman: The Dark Knight series, arrives fresh from the conclusion of the first story arc of his book as part of the major relaunch of the entire DC Universe late last year. While originally the writer of the series, the demands of his schedule have meant he’s had to relieve himself of those duties and hand over the writer’s bulk of the work to incoming collaborator Gregg Hurwitz, a bestselling crime novelist who’s taken to writing comics in the last several years.

Finch spoke about the first two stories he wrote for the Bat-book, and how he begins stories in general. “I always think in terms of a visual mood. I have a picture in my head and it’s a clear picture but it’s not a story, so then I end up trying to build a story around that picture. I end up researching, and then when I have a semblance of where I want to go, I break down [the plot] by issue.”

He talked about getting to use some characters he was very fond of visually: people like lesser-known anti-hero Ragman and The Demon, a ‘70s creation of legend Jack Kirby (he consulted with established writer Keith Giffen on how best to tackle the character). He also got to draw one of his childhood favorites, The Flash, in a recent issue. While most writer-artists work in a looser style when it comes to writing, Finch prefers using a full script so that he knows exactly what happens in any given panel. “[Batman]’s not exactly the most emotive character in the business,” he says with a laugh, “and if I don’t actually know what he’s saying it gets even worse.”

Finch’s iconic, moody depictions of Batman have seen his book go through multiple sell-outs, continually going back to press.

“The hardest thing about working on Batman is there’s so much history.” Finch mentions this as he talks about working on a new, creator-owned property, one he’s currently developing with Gino Gesuale. With a new character, there isn’t so much research that needs to be done as to what’s come before and making sure the character’s personality is consistent across several titles, so there’s that particular freedom. Still, he’s wanted to draw Batman since he was a kid so there’s no knocking his current dream job.

His move to DC was a shock to some people, since he became a star among superhero comics fans at DC’s main rival, Marvel Comics. His work with Brian Bendis on books like Ultimate X-Men and New Avengers raised his profile, and he was given the art reins on big “event” books like Ultimatum. “Moving to DC was the hardest decision of my life,” he remarks, recalling how the important thing for him was to ensure that his close relationships with collaborators at Marvel remained intact, and that he was going into some good working relationships as well at his new employer.

Probably the most striking thing about Finch (aside from being tall, muscular, and bald) is how honest and candid he was when talking about his own work. While his book Batman: The Dark Knight is selling very well and looks fantastic, not all critics were fans of the writing. Finch feels things will turn around with Hurwitz joining the team.

“With Gregg coming on I feel like the book’s actually starting to have the direction that I’d like it to have. I’m pretty confident, he’s such a strong writer.” Regarding the early issues maybe shifting in tones and direction, he opines, “It’s really a result of me just taking on more than I was really ready to take on with writing.” There is a renewed enthusiasm in his voice, an eagerness to get back to work and an excitement for new issues to be seen by the readers. “I’m ready for this book to rise to meet some higher expectations,” he says.