DC Comics releases Batman: Death by Design next Wednesday, May 30. In this over-sized hardback, Batman must piece together a sting of seemingly unrelated accidents in the midst of one of Gotham City’s largest construction booms. Earlier in the week, I had the chance to speak with the graphic novel’s author, Chip Kidd, to discuss the importance of architecture to Batman’s world, the origins and evolution of the story, and the awesomeness of all those wonderful toys.
Masters: Why choose architecture as the theme for Batman: Death by Design? What’s the allure for you?
Kidd: It’s a key element of Batman’s mythology. Gotham is as vital of a character as Batman and Bruce Wayne. I wanted to focus on building a building and what it takes to get a building made. It’s a fantasy, but it’s based in reality.
More: Author Interview and Exclusive Preview: Batman: Death by Design
