Batman-uary 2026 - Adam West of Zur-En-Arrh

BATMAN-UARY 2026:
Adam West of Zur-En-Arrh

Na-na-na-na-na-nah... Batman-uary!  And, yeah, it's the same line I used a couple weeks ago, but this time it is fitting.

I always meant to do something with the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, but between Grant Morrison's and Chip Zdarsky's use of the character, it seems a little bit overused of late (wait, what the--?  Grant Morrison's run was almost 20 years ago?  That can't be right...).  And, yeah, there was even a gesture toward the Adam West version in a Multiverse part of the storyline, but, what the heck, I wanted to do this anyways.  And here it is.  With his Bat-Radia and everything!

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Here is a panel from "Batman #133" featuring Tlano/Batman of Zur-En-Arrh.

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STEP ONE:  Here are the scrawled, digital pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8.

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STEP TWO: And here is the finished digital work, using mostly digital Watercolor/Gouache brushes and a digital Airbrush.

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Done digitally in Rebelle.

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Batman-uary 2026 - Batman #113 (1940) Cover Recreation

 BATMAN-UARY 2026:
Batman #113 (1940)

Batman-uary Returns!  This time it's a cover recreation of "Batman" #113 (1940)--a peculiarly significant issue in that it introduced the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh and his Bat-Radia.  It's a fun story with a goofy charm (the best charm there is, IMHO!).  Batman is compelled to go out on for a midnight fly in his Bat-Plane, only to be teleported by Tlano, the Batman of Zurr-En-Arrh.  On Zur-En-Arrh, Batman (our Earth Batman, that is) discovers he has the power of Superman on the alien world and uses them to help Tlano fight off an alien invasion and their giant robots.

I sorta wanted to do more with both Batman and the aliens on the cover, as they looked fun (and the fireballs from their lasers have an almost flower-like look to them which was intriguing) but, to be honest, the whole thing turned out better in my head than on the page.  Ah, well, that's the way it always goes, I'm sure.  Still, it wasn't a complete failure and is marginally OK.  Onward to the next one!

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Here is the original cover to "Batman" #113 (1940).

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STEP ONE:  Here's the briefly scribbled digital pencils, done on a 2,000px x 3,000px @ 300dip canvas in Clip Studio Paint.

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STEP TWO:  And the digital inks.

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STEP THREE: For the colors, the were mostly flat colors and for the building I used the Noise Filter to add some texture and the airbrush tool to add some shadows on a separate layer.  While it was modestly improved, I was mostly not too satisfied with the effect.  However, when I changed the shadow's Layer Property to "Hue", it resulted in an interesting, almost alien, color scheme that I wouldn't have chosen, but seemed fitting, methinks.

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Done digitally in Clip Studio Paint.

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Batman-uary 2026 - Luminous Uniform

BATMAN-UARY 2026:
Luminous Uniform

Na-na-na-na-na-nah... Batman-uary!  It's the Luminous Unoform, mentioned on the cover and one panel in "Detective Comics" #165 while fighting, um, I think it was Dr. Radium?  Anyhoo, I figured I'd do it up as a parody/pastiche for Alex Ross's cover to "Batman" #676, which seemed to lend itself to a glowing Batman costume.

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Here is the original cover to "Detective Comics" #165.

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And it was done as a parody/homage to Alex Ross's cover to "Batman 676"

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And here's the Batman-uary Logo.  Feel free to use it as you please...

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STEP ONE:  Here's a brief peek behind the curtain: I did up some quickly scrawled thumbnails done in Rebelle 8.  It was a choice of the Alex Ross cover, the Norm Breyfogle cover to "Detective Comics" #587, or a general looking Batman standing in front of the Moon while glowing.

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STEP TWO:  Here are the scrawled, digital pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8.

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STEP THREE: And here is the finished digital work, using mostly digital Watercolor brushes and a digital Airbrush.  There was some digital trickery involving a couple Overlay layers to give that glow on the Bat symbol.

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Done digitally in Rebelle.

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Batman-uary 2025 - Jungle Batman (Part 2)

BATMAN-UARY 2025:
Jungle Batman (Part 2)

Just under the wire, it's Batman-uary: Jungle Batman: Part II.  I had this idea halfway through doing the last post with Jungle Batman and it amused me (not that it takes much to amuse me, of course).

There was an all too brief fad of drawing male characters in the pose of various female poses on covers and pin-ups with predictably ridiculous (and amusing) results.  So, continuing that tradition... here it is!

I will admit that I cheated a little bit on this one, as I had done a GIANT (20" x 30") recreation of the "Sheena: Queen of the Jungle" cover for a friend, so I already had some pencils of the cover I could digitally ink over in Clip Studio Paint.

Once again, here is the original cover to "Batman #72" (1952) with Jungle Batman.

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It was done as a parody/homage of Dave Steven's "Sheena: Queen of the Jungle #1" (1985).

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STEP ONE:  Here are the scrawled, digital pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi.  I quickly scrawled over my pencils for the recreation of the cover I did earlier for Dave Stevens' "Sheena: Queen of the Jungle #1" (1985).

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STEP TWO:  And here are the digital inks, mostly done with a 10pt brush.  Luckily, I was able to save a few steps by just inking over my pencils/inks from the cover recreation.

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STEP THREE: Here is the finished digital work, done using a series of layers for each color, and a very slight paper texture over top.

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Done digitally in Clip Studio Paint.

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Batman-uary 2025 - Jungle Batman

BATMAN-UARY 2025:
Jungle Batman

It's Batman-uary: Part II.  This time it's Jungle Batman from 1952's "Batman #72".  The story involves...  Well, now that I think about it, I'm not entirely sure, nor am I sure I want to find out.  I believe it involves a shipwreck on a desert island of some sort.  Maybe they find Gilligan and the rest?

Here is the original cover to "Batman #72" (1952).

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And it was done as a parody/homage to Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns #3".

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STEP ONE:  Here are the scrawled, digital pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi.

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STEP TWO:  And here are the digital inks, mostly done with a 10pt brush.

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STEP THREE: Here is the finished digital work, done using a series of layers for each color, and a paper texture over top.

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Done digitally in Clip Studio Paint.

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Batman-uary 2025 - Mummy Batman

BATMAN-UARY 2025:
Mummy Batman

Once again, it's Batman-uary... and my 600th Post!  To kick it off this year, it's Batman's costume from 1963's "Detective Comics" #320, featuring Mummy Batman.  Apparently, Batman and Robin are exposed to some sort of alien substance which turns their skin green.  In order to make sure people don't guess that the suddenly green Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson suspiciously have the same complexion as Batman and Robin, they wrap themselves up as Mummies.  It was the 60's, what can I say about Mummy Batman other than it worked and was completely logical, of course. 

Originally, I thought about doing something more horror-related and a realistic, decayed Batman Mummy--and may still in the future.  But, what could be more fun than mashing up that Mummy costume Batman with one of many classic Frank Miller panels from "The Dark Knight Returns"?  I immediately knew I had to do it that way, instead.

Here is the original cover to "Detective Comics #320".

And it was done as a parody/homage to Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns #3".

And here's the Batman-uary Logo.  Feel free to use it as you please...

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STEP ONE:  Here are the scrawled, digital pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi.

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STEP TWO:  And here are the digital inks, mostly done with a 10pt brush.

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STEP THREE: Here is the finished digital work, done using a series of layers for each color.

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Done digitally in Clip Studio Paint.

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Batman-uary 2024 - Interplanetary Batman

BATMAN-UARY 2024:
Interplanetary Batman

Just in time for the end of the month, it's another Batman-uary post!  This time it's Batman's costume from "Detective Comics" #165, featuring Interplanetary Batman.  Next year I think I'll do up the rest of 'em from the cover.  Although, I thought it would be mildly amusing to do Batman's Camouflage Costume of the North Pole just an outline of his white eyes on a blank piece of paper--that'd be a great bit of camouflage, one step up from a drawing of a polar bear in a snowstorm!

And it was done as a parody/homage to Steranko's cover to "Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." #6.

NOTE: Because I'm a numbskull, I just realized that I had a copy/paste error the first post for "Batman-uary 2023" as the Title for most of January 2024.  I just got around to fixing that just in time.  I'd hate to look quite the fool!  Sigh...

We'll do more Batman-uary next year: Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel!

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Done digitally in Rebelle.

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Happy New Year! 2024 - Batman-uary! - Knightfall

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Batman-uary - Knightfall

HAPPY (belated) NEW YEAR!

OK, it's a two-fer--both my first post to celebrate the New Year (sure, the first month is over half over, but let's not bring up the past), and something Batman-uary related.  It's based on the Knightfall series cover, "Batman" #497 by Kelly Jones.

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!  Out with the old and in with the new!

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STEP ONE:  Here are the quick pencils.  I did them quickly using the Symmetry Tool in Clip Studio Paint (as much as I like Rebelle 7, it doesn't have a Symmetry Tool as of yet), exported it as a .png with a clear background, and imported it into Rebelle as a rough guide.

At first I was gonna just leave it as Bane breaking 2024, but decided to add in the Penny and T-Rex from the cover and make it a more close parody of the cover.  Also, I originally was going to follow Jone's way over-the-top back to Bane, but it starting looking weird as I painted it, so I tried to make it... well, "Realistic" isn't quite the right word when describing Bane.

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STEP TWO:  After a lot of back-and-forth here's the finished digital painting.  I did each element on their own layer (Background, Penny, T-Rex, Bane, 2024, and one extra for Bane's hands on a top layer).  Because I was not paying attention and accidentally deleted the layer, I only have the pencils and finished picture rather than something at a halfway point.  One of these days, I'll learn...

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Done digitally in Clip Studio Paint and Rebelle 7

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Batman-uary 2023 - Alien Batman

BATMAN-UARY 2023:
Alien Batman

Just in time for the end of the month--It's BATMAN-UARY!  The year has just started and I'm already running behind.  Sigh...

This is one of the rare times when the story delivers what the cover shows for the most part: Batman and Robin are on an alien world, and in the ensuing few days the atmosphere transforms them into aliens and acquire strange powers (telekinesis).  It's just that simple!  They manage to get back to Earth, but remain aliens until the effects of the atmosphere begin to wear off (don't worry, they get better).  Until that time, they fight one of the greatest of their rogues gallery: The Yellow Sweater Gang...  

Oh, 50's and 60's Batman, don't ever change!

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STEP ONE:  Here are the digital scribbles for the outline of the cover redo.

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STEP TWO:  And here are the digital inks, for what they're worth.  I did cheat and trace the lettering for the logos and such.  I also found a reference picture of some sort of fishing village for the background.

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STEP THREE:  The colors were flatted and then gone over with the airbrush tool.  After it was done, I thought I should add a little texture to the overall drawing and imported a paper texture I got from RetroSupply Co. to overlay the image, giving it a more newsprint feel.  

OK, I also admit I relied a little too much on the Airbrush tool for this one--something I normally don't use all that often (and it shows).

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Done Digitally in Clip Studio Paint.

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Batman-uary #3 - Rainbow Batman

BATMAN-UARY
Rainbow Batman

One last Batman-uary entry, just under the wire.  This time, it's the "Rainbow Batman" from Batman #241, with the original cover drawn by Sheldon Moldoff.  Sure, Robin calls him out for wearing the Red Costume, but most of the time the cover shows more of a pink Bat-Suit.  I decided to carry on that tradition by amping it up to HOT pink.

It amused me to do a Silver-Age cover with the anachronistic armored Batman from "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice", and keeping Robin more on model with Shelly Moldoff's drawing rather than try to modernize him for the cover redux.

The basics of the story involve Batman using the different colored Bat-Costumes to distract everyone from Robin's injured arm and keep people from noticing Dick Grayson had an identical injury to his arm, too.  Ah, simpler times!

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STEP ONE:  Here are the scribbled pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px @ 300dpi canvas in Clip Studio Paint.  

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STEP TWO:  And here are the inks.  I will admit to cheating a bit when it comes to the lettering, as I just traced it--including the logos.  I considered just importing it into one of the various vector drawing programs, but then went with the hand-traced look.  Although, it may have inspired me to do future digital hand-lettering, rather than my usual generic comic book font.  Maybe.  Also, I obviously drew out one of the background armored suits and just copy/pasted 'em to get the consistent, Rainbow Batman costumes in the background.

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STEP THREE:  And here are the added colors.  I went back-and-forth as to whether to do shading, or keep everything closer to color flats; shading won out.

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STEP FOUR:  As a final touch, I ran it through the "Pixelate" filter in Photoshop to give it more of a BenDay Dot/Silver-Age feel.  I did the filter as a 10% opacity on its own layer, as to keep the effect subtle and to not have the moire pattern overwhelm everything.  In fact, it's so subtle, you probably wouldn't have even noticed it too much if I hadn't pointed it out.  Oh, well...

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Done digitally in Clip Studio Paint with an assist from Photoshop.

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