Newsarama continue their 20 Q&A with Dan Didio in regards to Batman's (Dick Grayson) introduction into the DCU and JLA... Read below to see what's happening and a Worlds Finest Mini-Series.

1. Dan, let’s start with the biggest news that you can now talk about opening – the conclusion of Batman: Battle for the Cowl, and the new Batman and Robin. When was the choice of Dick and Damian made, and was there every any back and forth over it, or has this all been in the works in Grant’s long view for Batman?

Dan DiDio: It’s funny – we were trying to lock down the actual date when we first came to the decision. It feels like this has been in play since the beginning of Grant’s run on Batman. We knew we were going to move to a change, we knew Grant had the “R.I.P.” storyline in mind, and we saw it as the perfect opportunity to revisit the idea of who’s operating underneath the cowl. In my mind, it was always going to be Dick Grayson, even though there were some discussions about it. This really was, in some ways, an extension of the generational aspect of the DC Universe as it applies to Batman. If you’re looking at it in that sense, there was only one logical choice to be the next Batman, and that was Dick Grayson.

NRAMA: That works for Dick, but what about Damian as Robin? I think a lot of people saw it coming for a while, but it’s still a relatively controversial move, given how Damian’s been portrayed over the last couple of years...

DD: It is and it isn’t. I understand that it could be seen as a controversial choice because of what people see Damian as right now – especially in his role as Talia’s son and confronting the Bat-Family in the way that he has, but again, we can go back to the start of Grant’s run on Batman, and I think Grant always had it in his mind, and was even providing clues that Damian would be the new Robin.

The fun part about Damian is that he thinks he should be the new Batman – without a doubt and regardless of his age.

I still remember when Grant pitched this to me – it was one of those light bulb moments when he described it – Dick and Damian are the reverse of Bruce and Dick as Batman and Robin. Bruce was grim and Dick kept him light and centered, now we have something that is a complete reversal. Batman is the lighter one, and the one who’s enjoying what he does, and now he is the one who has to lighten this grim and gritty kid, and make him more understanding of the role of a hero. It gives us incredible potential for story.

2. It’s not ruining any big surprise to say that Dick’s run as Batman is a timed affair which will allow you to explore certain things, but speaking as a fan – how does Dick work out as Batman for you? You mention that he’s lighter than Bruce, which is a given, but yet, part of what made Batman “Batman” and allowed for his control of Gotham was that he was grim and dark...

DD: Dick’s going to be a different Batman, and that’s what’s fun. You really can’t compare apples to apples with Bruce and Dick. Even though Dick was trained by Bruce, Dick has a different center, a different sensibility than Bruce had. He’s going to approach everything from a different light, which will help him in some cases and hurt him in others. One of the things that we did not want to do is have Dick Grayson act lock-step in regards to how Bruce Wayne acted in that role, because if we did that, why make the change in the first place? The whole purpose of making a change like this is to expand the story opportunities and potential of the characters, and the only way that will work is by finding somebody who takes that same thing but twists it, and allows us to look at it with a fresh set of eyes.

What’s interesting about Dick Grayson is that he’s been by Bruce’s side, fighting all of these villains – Joker, Two-Face, Black Mask – he’s done all these things beside Bruce, and now he’s doing them as Batman, and yet it all feels brand new. That’s what’s fun about it.

3. The Batman books will be going through their expansion in June and July, which will pretty well cover the Batman Family in Gotham, and with Red Robin, around the world. But what about in regards to the rest of the DC Universe? When and where will we see Dick interacting with the rest of the DC Universe as Batman? When you’re talking about story potential, it seems that there’s tremendous potential the first time Batman walks into the JLA’s meeting room, and everyone’s left wondering for a minute as to who this guy in the cape and ears is…

DD: There’s a good chance that Dick Grayson as Batman will be appearing in Justice League towards the latter part of the year, which will be a fun moment, especially with the changes that are in store for the League as the year progresses. On top of that, we’re also doing a four-part miniseries for the back half of the year called World’s Finest where the changes in Batman’s world meet up with all the changes in Superman’s world. It won’t be a head-to-head Superman/Batman meeting, but everything that’s happening in those books right now will meet up.

19. And finally in our creator roundup – where might we see Tony Daniel now that Battle for the Cowl is completed?

DD: He did so well with the Bat group, I’d hate to see him leave it.

20. Last one for this time – a reader asked how the Bat-office and DC sees the future Grant laid out for Batman in Batman #666? With his work on Batman seemingly taking steps toward it, should we be seeing that as a strongly possible future for Batman that things will be moving towards for the next little bit, such as Kingdom Come and Dark Knight influenced the characters for a time?

DD: It’s just one of the many possible futures of the DC Universe and it is something that stays prevalent in Grant Morrison’s mind as he’s continuing to tell his stories of Batman.

To read all the Q&A click here...

(Source Newsarama)