The following is an interview with The Folio Society’s James Rose (Head of Editorial) regarding the recent release of the anniversary Batman collection, DC: Batman. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Rose about what readers can anticipate with the hardcover collection, the shared creative process of highlighting 85 years of the Dark Knight’s history in comics, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: The Folio Society is once again returning to the DC comics universe with the incredible anniversary collection, DC: Batman. What can you share with us about the decision to highlight 85 years of the Dark Knight’s history, and what can readers anticipate with the hardcover?
James Rose: Following on from our DC: The Golden Age, we really wanted to pick just one amazing DC character to shine a spotlight on, and Batman was absolutely our first choice. He is a favourite character of mine, of Jenette Khan (who made the selection and wrote the introduction), and of his readers, so we knew we wanted to showcase some of his most incredible stories. Our only problem was having enough room to fit it all in – too many great stories in 85 years to cover in one volume – so we end our selection neatly at the turn of the millennium.
BD: Your publishing program has incredible production standards that guarantee a high-quality experience for the reader. What can you tell us about the shared creative process of working with DC’s archival records to bring the stories to vibrant life once again?
JR: We always knew that we wanted to bring people a new look at the original printed pages – the way the comics appeared when they first hit the newsstands – and with that in mind the DC team scanned each original copy from their library to our specifications. The hardest part was probably producing the replica of Batman #1 – every page had to be perfect, and we’ve even matched the paper quality. It had to have just the right feel.
BD: Are there any other projects that The Folio Society has slated for 2024 that you’re able to share with our readers?
JR: Gosh, we’ve got so much coming up. There’s some amazing fantasy and sci-fi books, as well as an anniversary edition of one of the most famous novels of the twentieth century. Not to mention some great non-fiction books, a Marvel tome, and, of course, we’ll be working on a follow-up with another incredible DC character.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about The Folio Society and DC: Batman?
JR: The Folio Society has been around almost as long as the Caped Crusader himself, and we’re dedicated to bringing out the best, most-beloved literature there is. That’s why Batman made our publishing list! He’s one of the all-time top comics creations and has rightly become a cultural and literary icon. We publish illustrated fiction and non-fiction, from Homer to Becky Chambers, and what better match of illustration and text could there be than one of the most famous comic characters in the world.
