Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime is an adorable, strange beast. Written by Derek Fridolfs and illustrated by Dustin Nguyen, the middle grade graphic novel combines classic fairy tales with DC Comics characters to much hilarity and success. Ahead of release, ComicBook.com had the opportunity to pick the brains of Fridolfs and Nguyen about the new endeavor, and we even have an exclusive preview of a very special fairy tale combo!
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More specifically, the preview is taken from a section of the book that tackles “The Princess and the Pea” fairy tale with the use of one Harley Quinn, among others. Given the nature of the graphic novel, we asked Fridolfs and Nguyen about combining the two disparate parts into one whole, whether they’d do more, and what got left on the cutting room floor, if anything.
You can check out the interview, conducted via email, below!
ComicBook.com: With the premise of taking DC characters and applying the lens of classic fairy tales, how did you choose which characters to focus on?
Derek Fridolfs: I really let the stories dictate it. Once we figured out which fairy tales we wanted to do, then the characters naturally presented themselves.
For the short story “Waynocchio,” Damian wanting to be a real Boy Wonder, or really become the next Batman, fit well with Pinocchio wanting to become a real boy. “The Princess & The Pea” tale originally was going to focus on Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, especially with the green pea coming from Ivy, but then it seemed like a missed opportunity not to include more characters. So, it ultimately became a real Rogues Gallery story with all of the villains in there.
For “Alfred in Wonderland,” there’s already a Mad Hatter and his themed accomplices in the comics, so I thought it might be more fun if that tale was retold with Alfred replacing Alice or Batman. And “The Snow Queen” story is currently one of the most popular fairy tales out there, with the recent films. With its winter setting, “The Snow Queen” is already a nod towards which characters it’s about.
Dustin Nguyen: I felt like most of the characters Derek put into the stories were meant to be there from the start. I just had to make their looks work with the fairytale settings!
Fairy tales can get a bit dark, at times. Was there any difficulty combining the subject matter of the two in terms of what you could convey on the page, both in terms of words and art?
Fridolfs: You’re right. A lot of the original stories have some dark themes and ideas presented. But knowing that these books would be aimed at a younger audience helped keep the focus on making these tales more lighthearted and fun. Our approach was using an assortment of puns, jokes, and sight gags, while staying true to what makes the original fairy tales and the Batman characters compelling.
Nguyen: Look wise, I felt like the style of Batman: Li’l Gotham fit well with the dark world of Gotham. Since that combination had already worked for us previously, I felt confident bringing in the dark side of fairytales. If anything, the whimsy and wonder of a storybook setting made it easier to combine subject matter than leaving it in Gotham!
Was there anything you’d have liked to include in the book that didn’t make the cut?
Fridolfs: Even with as many Gotham characters that we could fit in, I’m sure there are more that got unintentionally left out or forgotten along the way. At the moment, nothing springs to mind though.
Nguyen: More Jerry the Turkey would have been great, but until next time!
Would you be up for even more stories in this vein in the future, should that come to pass?
Fridolfs: Absolutely! There are so many fairy tales out there that could be adapted for many more volumes. And we’d like to do other types of stories as well. We’re both hopeful and excited to see what comes next.
Nguyen: Oh of course! Derek and I are always coming up with new stories to tell.
What’s your favorite part (a particular story or panel) in Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime?
Fridolfs: I really enjoyed getting a chance to showcase Montoya, Harvey, and Commissioner Gordon in our “The Princess & The Pea” tale. The idea of using the whole story to interrogate all the villains, as they each tell their own version of the story, was a lot of fun. Also, Bat-Mite! Having not one, but two “Jiminys” represented in the “Waynocchio” story made for a fun rivalry over Damian.
Nguyen: “The Snow Queen” is my favorite story, and my favorite panel is the one where the crow sits on Batman’s shoulder. That really stuck with me.
*****
Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime is set to release on February 11th for $9.99. You can check out all of our previous coverage of DC Comics right here.
Keep reading to check out an exclusive preview of a very special story from Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime!
Cover
The Princess & the Pea pg. 1
The Princess & the Pea pg. 2
The Princess & the Pea pg. 3
The Princess & the Pea pg. 4
The Princess & the Pea pg. 5
The Princess & the Pea pg. 6
