Peter Tomasi Goes Alpha After Omega

by Vince Brusio

You can’t keep a good man down, and that’s where writer Peter Tomasi is now with his new charge to bring back the Boy Wonder for more jaw-busting stories of Batman & Robin. Tomasi is super-charged about his new gig on Robin Rises: Alpha #1 (OCT140306), and in this PREVIEWS Exclusive interview he talks about what goes into this year’s recipe for dynamic duo adventure.

Robin Rises: Alpha #1 (OCT140306) is in comic shops December 24th.

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PREVIEWSworld: For those who may not be up to speed on what you’re doing with Robin Rises: Alpha (OCT140306), what could you tell us about the storyline?

Peter Tomasi: Pure and simple, this recent storyline has been all about Batman trying to resurrect Robin after his death at the hands of the Heretic and showing the extremes to which Batman will go to achieve that end. And when I say "extremes", I mean outta Gotham and fighting Darkseid on Apokolips fer crissakes! Robin Rises - Alpha is the final chapter in our story arc, as the 'Alpha' in the title signifies a new beginning, a new road for Batman and Robin. 

PREVIEWSworld:  What did you bring to the table for this project? What was your original vision, and were there any revisions that were made as part of the creative process?

Peter Tomasi: I brought the ever-lovin brown-eyed over-enthusiastic Pete Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, and Andy Kubert to the party who all wanted to swing for the fences and get a Robin back at Batman's side in a big, yet emotional way.

I'd say my original vision is pretty damn close to what's been published, and I'm really awed by the work that everyone's produced on the books. There's always a few story elements and bits that fall by the roadside on a story this big -- some I can't mention at this juncture since the final issues haven't come out yet as of this writing — but it's been a great ride and I hope the readers enjoy what we've got coming up.

PREVIEWSworld: New readers may want to know if there are any previous storylines they should brush up on before taking on this new book. What previous stories/collected editions would you say can help new readers put Robin Rises: Alpha #1 into perspective with current continuity?

Peter Tomasi: Right off the bat (no pun intended), I'd say if you're just coming to the party you can start with Robin Rises - Omega, the first part of our story drawn by the awesome Andy Kubert which only just came out back in July and opens with a seven-page sequence that was purposefully written with new readers in mind to help get them quickly up to speed and plugged into the story emotionally without having to read a chunk of back issues. On the other hand, you can't go wrong if you also pick up the last four volumes of Batman And Robin (Born to Kill, Pearl, Death of the Family, and Requiem) written by me and drawn by the astonishing Patrick Gleason that we feel really peels back the heart and emotional core of the dynamic duo and their father/son relationship, along with plenty of ass-kicking that when read all together with the Robin Rises issues will hopefully feel like one massive uber story!

PREVIEWSworld: Without giving anything away that would act as a spoiler, what would you say is one of the pinnacle moments in this story that would make you “geek out” and blog/Tweet?

Peter Tomasi: Where do I start? There's a helluva lot of cool moments in Robin Rises - Alpha all amazingly realized by the great Andy Kubert, and asking me to try to single out just one spot is tough without blowing up the story, but I will say Batcow makes an important appearance that changes the tide of battle!

PREVIEWSworld: If fans can contact you on social media, which site(s) would you mention?

I'm on Twitter, and my handle is @PeterJTomasi if ya wanna talk all things Batman and Robin and whatever else crosses your mind! And by the way, I'll be a guest at the NYCC in October so stop by Artists Alley and say hello!