Writer/Artist Lee Bermejo Talks About 'Batman: Noel'

Lee Bermejo is a writer/artist who has worked for DC and Marvel Comics. He won an IGN Comics Award for Best Graphic Novel in 2008 for the graphic novel "Joker." I had the pleasure of interviewing him about his latest project, "Batman: Noel."

What led you to do a "Batman" version of "A Christmas Carol"?

I finished "Joker" with Brian Azzarello. It was dark, violent, and a serious piece of work. I had a great time doing it. Afterwards I wanted to challenge myself and do something that went off toward the other end of the spectrum. The initial idea was to write some kind of children's book or something in that format. At the same time, I was talking with a French publisher about possibly adapting a piece of classic literature. The story that came to mind immediately was "A Christmas Carol."

I didn't want to do a strict adaptation of it. I wanted to modernize it. I'm a big Batman fan. I started comparing the similarities between Batman and the character of Scrooge. I knew right away that Robin would make a great Jacob Marley. I knew who the ghosts would be. It just seemed to make sense. At the same time, it was a cool way to comment on the character of Batman and where he is at [mentally during] this particular time in his history.

Who were your influences artistically for "Batman: Noel"?

I would say Norman Rockwell is at the top of that list. I think that his style of illustration is something that was very suited for this kind of story. There are other classic illustrators like J. C. Leyendecker and even Arthur Rackham in there. I felt like that would work if I were doing something more storybook in terms of format. I knew it was pointless to try to do Dickens in terms of writing. I wanted to be more lyrical but more spoken word. I wanted it to be more like a told story. Tom Waits became a big influence in the language and the way I wanted to use it. Those are probably the biggest influences in the book overall.

Did you have control over the coloring of "Batman: Noel"?

[Colorist] Barbara [Ciardo] did such a wonderful job with the coloring! We had worked together already on Wednesday Comics so she already had a good idea of what I liked. She was able to stretch a bit more with "Noel." We sat down with the first 30 or so pages and just played until we found the overall look we wanted. After that, it was just about letting Barbara loose to do what she does best. My work can be very hard and sculptural. She brings a certain softness and femininity to the pages that seem to be the missing ingredient.

What were your influences for Batman's costume in "Noel"?

I like a very "urban warfare" look for my Batman. I suppose it comes from my overall need to ground things in as much reality as possible. I like to approach all design from the inside out, trying to figure out what fabrics could be used to make the thing IF it were really being constructed. I wanted there to be a point to Batman having this more modern, utilitarian look. It fit in well with what I wanted to do in the story. I wanted to have Batman's change in look from the spandex, satin Adam West costume to the leathery, armored one reflect Scrooge's change from optimistic, youthful innocence to the hardened, bitter old man we all know and love.

More articles from Eric Shirey:

'Batman: The Brave and the Bold Season Two Part One' DVD Review

Batman Beyond: The Complete Series (Limited Edition)

Superman / Batman: Apocalypse Blu-ray and DVD Review

Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.