Paul Cornell talks Knight & Squire – A Batman Inc. spin-off?

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Now, I must, I am enjoying Paul Cornell’s Action Comics so this mini-series seems promising. I’m fairly certain that the Club of Heroes will be a big part of Batman Inc. That means more Knight and Squire outside of this mini-series. :) For people that complain about the lack of diversity in the DC Universe, it seems we’ll have global Batmen in Batman Inc. And, the journey starts in England, not America, and I guess that’s a step in the right direction diversity-wise with the Knight and Squire mini-series?

Paul sat down to talk the new mini around the time of the San Diego Comic Con 2010. Here are some select quotes:

It’s a very British book in a very different way to [Marvel’s] Captain Britain. On the Marvel book, I was trying to correct some of the whimsicality, and the fact that, whenever any of the major characters came to Great Britain, it was always a rather whimsical, jolly, rather strange and surreal place.

Following Grant’s lead, this is exactly the opposite. It’s that whimsicality and strangeness turned up to 20, but with, I think, a genuinely British ethos behind it. It’s me following his lead and adding a bit of British stuff myself. And following lots of trends of British humor. There’s an awful lot of Carry On and Around the Horne and The Goodies in this….

….They are the central, iconic British hero and his young, girl sidekick. They are legacy heroes. He took over the title of Knight, having been the Squire previously.

The Knight is a member of the international corps of Batman. He’s very stoic. He’s very blunt and straightforward. And he has a companion who does the subtlety for him, because she’s a communications expert who can sift her way through complex issues and present him with some possible solutions. So they work very well together….

….Knight and Squire are part of an ever-expanding universe of British DC characters that Grant developed. One of his rules is that every time he appears, he will add something to their universe.

So I’ve done the same. I’m aiming to create at least 100 new characters by the end of the six issues.

Two of my favorites of something like 50 characters I created in the first issue are a duo called Double Entendre, a pair of French supervillains whose only joy in life is to make double entendres….

Paul also reveals details about how the mini-series is structured.

Sounds interesting and accessible:

It’s actually six one-issue stories that all build to something when put together. So you can pick up one and have a completed experience.

The first issue is about the Pub, where all the British superheroes and supervillains meet on the first Thursday of every month, and how that works, and what the legacy of that pub is, and who these vast numbers of new characters are and how they interact. And we go from there, really.

One of the more interesting characters, I think, is the British Joker. Back in the day, there were sort of “rubbish” cover versions of American superheroes and supervillains in Britain. And he’s an elderly British chap who tried to be the Joker in his youth and has sort of kept it going, but doesn’t really have the heart to hurt anybody.

The second issue is about the Morris Men, who are a pack of very British folk dancing/fighting/drinking ninjas.

The third issue is about a diabolical plan to bring back some of the worst kings and queens of Britain, through cloning.

You can see what the stories are like. If you like the idea of a milkman fighting a dinosaur dressed in a suit, then this is the title for you. It’s packed with that sort of stuff.

Source: Newsarama

John is a long-time pop culture fan, comics historian, and blogger. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Comics Nexus. Prior to being EIC he has produced several column series including DEMYTHIFY, NEAR MINT MEMORIES and the ONE FAN'S TRIALS at the Nexus plus a stint at Bleeding Cool producing the COMICS REALISM column. As BabosScribe, John is active on his twitter account, his facebook page, his instagram feed and welcomes any and all feedback. Bring it on!