It's been a good week for IGN Comics.com, earlier today they scooped an exclusive with writer Fabian Nicieza, and now they've sat down with Batman: Battle for the Cowl, concept writer and artist Tony Daniel before anyone else to discuss his career and high profile job as the mastermind behind DC's first major storyline of 2009. It's a can't miss conversation for any Bat-fan, and the first in-depth look into the highly anticipated Battle for the Cowl mini-series.

IGN Comics: When I spoke with Mike Marts, he mentioned that you were writing full scripts, and then working off of those with your art. To me, that implies you're basically putting on your writing hat, and then taking it off and replacing it with your artist hat. Still, there have to be some inherent differences between drawing someone else's script and drawing your own. How has your experience working on Battle for the Cowl differed from your experiences drawing someone else's script?

Daniel: I think I'm a visual person, obviously, so when I'm writing a script, I see it in my head. I'm not consciously doing it, but just naturally I'm writing only scenes and character moments that I think will be interesting visually. But I'm writing it the same way I'd write if someone else is drawing it. Not just so DC can see it clearly but also so that I remember the spontaneity of the moment when I was writing.

IGN Comics: As a writer, you're up against a pretty monumental task in two regards: the first is that you're the writer tasked with following up directly on Grant's RIP story, and the second is that because you drew RIP, it'll be even easier for fans to compare the two works. How are you going about continuing Grant's Batman saga while making sure to bring your own strengths and sensibilities to the work?

Daniel: Well I'll be bringing my own strengths mainly because it's a different kind of story. Whereas Grant's story was a very long mystery, and he had room – two years – to develop plot points that he could begin one issue and then five issues later have a pay off. My story is a lot more straightforward and happens over a shorter amount of time. Of course there's some mystery, but not on the same level as RIP. Fans, I hope, shouldn't expect too much of what Grant did to have rubbed off on me, even though I learned a lot while working with him. But he and I were very much in synch after the initial few issues. He's a very unique writer with his own voice.

Again IGN have hit the interview on the head and given Bat-Fan an awesome insight into the much anticipated world of Batman...

For the entire interview, click here...

(Source - IGN Comics.com)