Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Batman, dc comics, ghost-maker

Ghost-Maker As A Hedonist, Bisexual Psychopath, by James Tynion IV

Writing on his Substack, James Tynion IV shared with his subscribers some of his initial notes to DC Comics, his editors, and collaborators on the Batman line, which he has just finished writing.

When I picture Ghost-Maker, I picture three characters – Storm Shadow. Fantomex. Nemesis. Obviously, I don't want to retread anything that's been done. But roughly the idea is that Ghost-Maker is a Batman-like vigilante from a kind of Madripoor-like Island Nation in the South Pacific. Ghost-Maker and Batman were both traveling the world training around the same time as teenager, under the same masters. They quickly became rivals.

Ghost-Maker sees Bruce as a spoiled rich brat. Bruce sees Ghost-Maker as a cruel, selfish, and wildly self-important. He is more hedonistic than Batman. He is bisexual, sleeping with anyone that catches his attention. He drinks. He does drugs. He enjoys all the selfish pursuits of life. He is a PSYCHOPATH. He does not experience empathy for other people. He says that that is his strength over Bruce. Ghost-Maker is a vigilante because he enjoys being the best he is at what he does. He is like Sherlock Holmes, caring more about the art of the mystery than the victims of the crime. Ghost-Maker is most concerned with perfecting his craft. Batman is trying to fill an emotional void, and that is why Ghost-Maker sees him destined to fail.

For years, there has been a tacit agreement that Ghost-Maker will not come to Gotham City, and Batman will not go to his South Island Nation. They have a begrudging respect for each other, and they drive each other absolutely crazy. Which is why I want to make him a recurring character in the book. In the last story of 2020, Ghost-Maker will arrive in Gotham to tell Batman that he's failed and that he is going to replace Batman and fix up his city. Batman and him will come to an understanding by the end of the story, at which point Ghost-Maker buys the townhouse next to Bruce in his neighborhood. He's not going to replace Batman, he's going to help make him better.

As well as addressing Jorge Jimenez directly, saying;

If we did a cover with Batman, Harley, and Ghost-Maker standing back-to•back, what would be the coolest possible look for each of them. We want them to look so cool that they HAVE to build a statue of the three of them, kicking ass together.

Any chance, DC Direct? Todd McFarlane? Anyone?

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