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After the originalcrossover ofBatman / Fortnite : Zero Pointsent thespian of one of the mankind ’s biggest video games rushing to their local comic shops in record numbers , it was only a question ofwhenthe crossover would return for a young chapter . ButBatman / Fortnite : Foundation # 1isn’t just bringing one of the game ’s most mysterious figure into the DC Universe , it will also be throw away new hints about his backstory … allow he survives his skirmish with Batman .
A sequel was a foregone ending based on sales alone , but the actualtwist ending ofBatman / Fortniteshowed exactly what malign scheme was taking property behind the view . That ’s where the account picks up when theBatman / Fortnite : Foundationone - shot come October 26 , as Lex Luthor and the Batman Who Laughs guide DC ’s villains into their next phase of the charge . But as some scrap to cross into the world ofFortnite , the armored shielder known as The Foundation is shake off into the DC Universe from his own . Coming fount to face with Batman means The Foundation has a new deputation on his hand – and gratefully , Batman / Fortnitewriter Christos Gage is giving Screen Rant an exclusive partitioning of the next chapter in this cross - media enigma .
Gage is once again co - write with Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard , but is also impart Scott Snyder ( Lord of the include Batman Who Laughs ) along for the ride , with artistic production from Joshua Hixson , Roman Stevens , and AndWorld Design . As was the case with the original mini - series , theFoundationone - shot includes a redeemable codification granting owners a Batman Who Laughs Outfit , the Robin ’s Perch Back Bling , and Dark Days Loading Screen . But for the traditional knowledge at study in this novel narrative , and the tale of how the Foundation became Batman ’s new quarry , read our full consultation with Christos Gage ( preview pages include ) embedded below .
Screen Rant : Just how quickly did you know that you were go to be making a follow - up to Batman / Fortnite : Zero Point ? That this was not going to be a one - and - done ; this was going to be something you ’re working on for the near future ?
Christos Gage : I think we were already talking about it when we did the abstract for the miniseries . The conclusion with showing Luthor and Batman Who Laughs talking to Dr. Slone was already design , so I think the idea was always the promise that this would extend to further thing . The only way we were n’t going to is if it did n’t sell well , and people did n’t care it . But fortunately , it was quite the antonym .
I suppose that we fail into it hop and wait that that would be the cause . But if you ’re demand how shortly did I know that it was going to be specifically this one - guesswork ? Probably before long after we wrapped the miniseries , because I opine that we fairly rapidly started talking . It was around the time the Foundation was usher in in the secret plan and people were really activated about him , and Donald [ Mustard ] say , " I ’d make love to bring the Foundation into something , " and we thought that was really cool .
Because obviously in the first one we had Batman go to Fortnite Island , and in this one we have Foundation coming from the Fortnite existence into the DC universe . That was a complete fit .
SR : Can you verbalize a turn more about that conversation ; about the Foundation , specifically ? The first mini - series approximation trade itself and made sense immediately , you ’re shifting to a type like the Foundation who is inherently mysterious . I feel like players would need to cognise absolutely everything that was said to you about them .
CG : So just to recapitulation , Donald has said many times that it ’s crucial to him and to the folk at Epic that the game be player - labour . So that if player require to take part in the events that go on , and if they want to just go in there and contend Battle Royales , they can do that too .
When it comes to things like fleshing out a character like the Foundation , or even just break people more of him , Donald feel the well topographic point to do it is in something like a comic volume . He was like , " have ’s do this , " and it was also a dandy way to do the Pisces out of weewee thing in turnaround . This time it ’s not Batman who ’s in a strange creation , it ’s the Foundation . Plus , there was considerable sports fan excitation about the character .
I do n’t want to make it sound like we ’re go to be revealing dead everything about the Foundation ; it ’s really more that there will be some tantalizing jot , and we ’ll get to see what the Foundation is like , his attack to thing in world-wide , and some backstory . But it ’s not plump to be throwing unfastened the door and revealing everything , because there ’s more of that to come in other surface area .
But this is his bounteous debut in other media , and a chance for people to read a story that ’s sort of like , " What is he all about ? " We got a taste in find out him interact with Agent Jones , but now this is become to be a little chip more involved .
SR : From the selling for the book , people know there ’s more of the Justice League involved this clock time around . But it ’s still Batman ’s name on the account book , so is this still a Batman story .
CG : Because he ’s the one who ’s been to the Fortnite Island . I ’m survive to get into slight spoiler dominion for the one - shot , so the people that do n’t want to know should skip this part , but I think it ’s decipherable from the preview images that you ’ve got two front going on when we open our news report .
The Justice League is trying to keep an ground forces of villains from getting into the severance that we saw open in the sky above Metropolis at the end of the Zero Point miniseries . And Batman is in Gotham , but he ’s race to join them when he observe some energy signature tune that he recognise as being alone to Fortnite Island . He ’s like , " Hang on , I ’ve bugger off to ensure this out . " And it ’s the Foundation , who is at the bottom of Gotham Harbor .
In the plot , there was an brio where we saw he was inside Zero Point . He had built this social system , the Spire , to protect it . And then there was an attack by these spaceships , and in the attack the Spire was blasted , and the Foundation was blown into this obscure place where he dip into some water . It turns out that was Gotham Harbor .
He and Batman face off , and – I think this is also not really spoiler district – they’re gon na press , and we will go from there . But it was a lot of fun to to put that together . In some ways , it ’s the classic hero team - up structure of meet , fight , team up . But there ’s a intellect that ’s classic , you know what I ’m saying ?
SR : What was it about the Foundation that assume a chord with you , or that you desire to get across ( aside from his killer innovation ) ?
CG : Well , I kind of wanted to get across his personality , and hint at his backstory without revealing too much . It reminded me a little minute of the early day of the new X - Men when Wolverine was this cryptic persona . When I first started scan X - Men funnies , he was just a mystery . He was this fop who would just leave the X Mansion and go do his thing , and you did n’t really know anything about him . You sort of clung to every small reveal , like when he and Nightcrawler went to Canada and met Alpha Flight and so forth .
That ’s the sort of thing that was fun about this . Literally everything the Foundation says , like what he use as an saying . Wonder Woman says , " Great Hera . " Well , what would the Foundation say ? There was some thought devote to that . And what are his priorities ? When he comes out of the harbor , and there ’s this guy in a chiropteran suit abide there saying , " This is my city . What are you doing here ? " How would he react ? It ’s kind of fun , because you ’re build the … deplorable about this , the foundation of who the fictional character is .
Donald and I have talked extensively about this . Donald knows exactly who he is , but there ’s the question of , " How much do you want to reveal now ? How much do you want to reveal after ? And what do you need to hint at ? " It was a flock of merriment . It ’s an interesting reconciliation act between produce a new character – which obviously I did n’t , this is Donald and the sept at Epic – and compose a pre - existing character that ’s well plant .
SR : You spoke about Donald giving you more freedom with the first serial publication than an foreigner might seize with a dimension like Fortnite . Was that the lawsuit here as well , or was it different when you ’re plow with a character reference like the Foundation ?
CG : Donald and I , at this decimal point , are sort of quondam tatter team partners . Working together , along with Katie [ Kubert ] just feels very natural . I do n’t want to say things like Lennon and McCartney , which makes it sound like we reckon very highly of ourselves . We do n’t think we ’re the Beatles , but …
I also have to name Scott Snyder , who work with us on this , because Scott , with Greg Capullo , created the Batman Who Laughs , who we saw at the end of the Zero Point miniseries . But when we know we want to have Batman Who Laughs be a part of this , it made sentience to have Scott take . He had also said to us that he would really have intercourse to be involved because he and his kids are big Fortnite fans and play it a flock . He essentially was like , " sour on Fortnite would make me the cool dad of all time . " It ’s singular , because people who are wide look up to often say , " Yeah , I ca n’t impress my kids , " but this actually impresses his kids . He wanted to be involved , and we were thrilled to have him , so he was part of the mix as well .
But at this point , it ’s really a creative squad effort , where we just go back and forth , kick around ideas - and whatever work best , that ’s what we go with . And it ’s really great , because there ’s none of this , " Okay , we ’ve come up with something we like , and now we have to hightail it it through eight layers of approvals . " If Donald likes it , it ’s in . The end .
SR : Could you speak a bit more on that collaboration ? Scott Snyder does n’t seem like someone who only dunk a toe into something that he ’s interested in working on .
CG : I talked to him about Batman Who Laughs in general , and I manifestly read the Death Metal poppycock , which was outstanding . It was just so nuts in the well potential way . It kind of cue me of when you would read 70s Jack Kirby comic , and there would just be one softheaded idea after another - like the Fourth World , " Here ’s Darkseid , and here ’s the New Gods . And here ’s the Forever People and here ’s this , " and you ’re like , " Holy moo-cow ! " That ’s what Death Metal is like .
So , we talked a muckle about Batman Who Laughs and what he ’s all about ; how he would oppose in this situation or that place . I ca n’t say too much because it would cosset thing that go on in the book of account , but it made a huge divergence to have Scott there ; to literally hear it from the co - creator of Batman Who Laughs and for him to put words in Batman Who Laughs ' lip . That was just a great service and great fun .
SR : You had a blood line in the first miniseries with Batman say , " There ’s only so many people that could be pull the string here , and they are all sorry . " Did that alinement of drawstring - pull villains number together promptly ?
CG : Luthor was advise by Donald , and that was always a majuscule convulsion . Then I believe Batman Who Laughs was suggest by Katie , and what was interesting about that is in the yesteryear , the two of them have been foe . I thought that was really coolheaded , because if you see them together , your immediate question is , " What is so important and worthful that they would put aside past conflicts and want to crop with the Imagined Order and Dr. Slone ? " And that ’s something we ’ll be getting into .
At that point , we knew that the one - guess was going to involve Batman Who Laughs , and that ’s why we had that in there . In fact , I think there may be – I ca n’t recall if it stay in or not – a air at the end of Zero power point where Batman Who Laughs makes a snide citation to his and Luthor ’s past conflict . A " water under the bridge " case of thing . That was fun .
SR : You were slightly of a Fortnite fledgling when this started . Now that you are a Fortnite lore creator , have you felt that shift from outside to at bottom ?
CG : To a degree . I love the lore , and I ’m very much immersed in it . I imagine it ’s groovy . What has n’t changed is that I ’m still dreadful at the game , and when I playact it , I straightaway get my butt kicked by someone who is much younger than me . I just feel like an amateur .
But once I won a Victory Royale simply by not occupy in the fight at all and just stay nigh to the center of the storm . I think the last combatants were oppose closely to the bound of the tempest and just got killed by the storm . I was the last one because I had hide out for the entire fight , and that is pretty much my glide slope to Fortnite the secret plan in a nutshell . If I can just conceal and research the cool areas by myself , that ’s the only direction I last more than 10 seconds .
SR : So the Lex Luthor approach .
CG : If Lex Luthor was incompetent and sad . But I have hair ; I have a full head of hair . Ha - ha , Lex Luthor .
SR : Donald is obviously a comical book sports fan , and this story continues to mature from a great theme to incentivize citizenry to bribe comics , to something that feels like it could last . Is this a partnership that will continue as long as both parties are have as much fun ?
CG : Well , I ’m not calling the scene . But yeah , as long as they want to do this ? I ’m on board , because it ’s just so much fun to do . Really , the sky ’s the boundary . I stand for , you’re able to do almost everything . I have intercourse the wild concepts .
One of my preferent comic book ever is Kamandi , where you had all these bizarre talking animate being hybrids . In this one , you ’ve got guy with elephantine tomatoes for heads ; you ’ve got walk humanoid banana . This is what comics is all about . To me , if it can be done as an instalment of Masterpiece Theater , why are you doing it as a comic book ? I was just talking to somebody about how the best thing mirthful books do are things you ca n’t really do anywhere else , or it would cost an absolute destiny . And I think this is something like that .
you could also do it in video game , of course . But the type of stories we ’re order , you may only really do in funnies . Yes , as long as they ’ll have me , I will be here . They ’re gon na have to pull me out with one of those big hooks that they used to have on vaudeville shows .
SR : The last time we talk only two return were out , and we discussed the former response you ’d been seeing . How has the response evolved as more of the story was told ?
Because what comic books have meant to my life story is passably much incalculable . I remember how I felt when I first discovered comedian and I was like , " I ’m reading this amusing book and getting this thrill out of it - and wait , there ’s a whole cosmos of them out there . " To be part of bringing that feeling to anyone else is really special . And just to land families together and make the great unwashed well-chosen means a lot to me . It ’s really powerful and positive and make a motion . I would say things are the same but more of it ; more of it and better .
SR : No spoilers , obviously , but Foundation is decidedly following up the plot of ground screw thread of Zero Point . Are there any arch over question or orphic frame in the Fortnite traditional knowledge that you would be in person interested in digging into a minute more ?
CG : This is a little unearthly , but every meter I see individual character in Fortnite , I want to make out more about their macrocosm . It was in reality Reilly Brown who articulated this and got me thinking about it . He ’s our artist on Zero Point , though he ’s not doing the one - shot . Josh Hickson is , who is grotesque … It ’s a beautiful - looking book .
But I remember Reilly said , " Does Peely fall from a public of all humanoid vegetables and fruits ? Is it all type of food for thought ? " That ’s kind of awesome and interesting to think about . And then he was like , " Does everyone on Cuddle Team Leader ’s world dress and pretend like that ? Or is Cuddle Team Leader that world ’s Batman ; someone who has a unequaled set of skills and uses them this path ? " I ’m always really fascinated by what reality these people number from , and I ’m always wanting to fulfill out material like that .
In my drumhead , I come up with stuff . And every now and then , like when we were yield the Fortnite characters to their domicile humankind with Zero Point , I got to be like , " I think Magnus would be on this world that was kind of like the Vikings , or a Led Zeppelin song come to sprightliness . " And Bonehead was from a world where basically , they wipe out and drink energy , and stuff like that . It was just a plenty of fun to be able to suppose about and brainstorm all these different man , but there ’s also a luck on the Island itself and thing that find .
One of the things that we ’ve divulge is that , if you remember at the remainder of Zero Point , Batman and Catwoman run across these snapshots of themselves that have stayed on the island . What happens is if you ’re on Fortnite Island long enough in the loop , a snapshot of you appear which is like a extra . As Batman and Catwoman were off escape , try out to cypher out how to get out the island , these snapshots were continuing on and creating these armour and preserve to fight . And that is really interesting to me too .
Are these like just like illusions ? Are they clones ? Are they freestanding beings with their own beingness and thoughts and dreams and hopes ? Because the agency we did it in Zero Point , it was just a bit of a jarring thing for the real Batman and Catwoman to be like , " await , there ’s duplicate of us here . They ’re still together and oppose , but they seem felicitous . Are we doing something wrong by going back to where we came from ? " Anything that make raw story and character theory really excites me .
SR : I ’ll now be crossing my fingers for a Batman Fortnite collection to break down all the dissimilar world .
Christos Gage : Yeah , remember the DC Who ’s Who ? Who ’s Who in the Fortnite Universe , I would love that so much .
Batman / Fortnite : institution # 1will be available wherever comical books are physically or digitally sold October 26 , 2021 .
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