← DC High Volume: Batman
DC High Volume: Batman
Interviews with Sofia Falcone actor Cristina Rosato and DC Comics Editor Arianna Turturro
00:55:42
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- [00:00]
A
I'm NFL linebacker TJ Watt and this is my personal best. YPB by Abercrombie is the activewear I'm always wearing. That's why I reached out to co design their latest drop. I worked with designers to create high performance activewear that holds up to my toughest workouts. Shop YPB by Abercrombie in store, online and in the app because your personal best is greater than any Lowes knows. Tough jobs call for tougher tools. The new DeWalt Elite Series power tool accessories are built to last for the pro who doesn't stop with precision, fitment, durability and impact resistance. Finishing jobs faster has never been easier. Shop the new DeWalt Elite Series at an everyday low price exclusively at Lowe's. We help you save hi, I'm Koi Jondreau and welcome to DC High Volume Batman. In this monthly companion series, we sit down with the cast and crew of DC High Volume Batman and Beyond. Where we last left off in the series, we had that huge two face moment, that even bigger Catwoman moment, and the ongoing looming presence of Sofia Falcone. Accordingly, we're going to be sitting down with our Sophia Falcone cross Christina Rosado to talk all about that character. Very excited to hear her take and honestly, it's a very tricky character that I can't wait to get into the psychology of. So very excited to have that conversation. We're also going to be sitting down with Ariana Turo, one of the editors over at dc, the editor of a lot of Batman books that I adore, including Poison Ivy, including Dark Patterns. I'm going to give you guys some comic recommendations at the end of this episode. So I'm really excited to break these comics down with her. But but first let's bring out Sofia Falcone. Please join me in welcoming Christina Rosado. She is our Sofia Falcone. You might know her from Assassin's Creed, from Bad Santa 2, from Turner and Hooch, from one of my favorite City on a Hill. How are you?
- [02:07]
B
I'm great, thanks. How are you?
- [02:08]
A
I am so excited to talk about this character. I'm so in love with your portrayal of her. She is such a nuanced, layered character that I love is written with such reverence and I felt that reverence in your work. So I've got to know, going to the beginning, the background that led to this character. We talked a little before we started rolling, but what led to this role in the business side and also what made you feel that connection where you're like Oh, I know who this woman is.
- [02:35]
B
Oh, yeah. I mean, first of all, thank you, because, yeah, I had so much fun voicing Sophia. She's such a nuanced, dark, interesting person that, you know, sometimes when you do voice work, you just don't get to play these types of dark characters. It was really fun. What led me to her was a lifetime of working and auditioning the reality of the Hustle. But, no, when my manager sent me this audition for this character in this project, I was very excited because anything in the D.C. world is just so cool. So I definitely wanted in on it. And then I knew, obviously, about Sofia Falcone, but I delved into the research a little bit more when I had this audition and just learning about her and that she was Carmine Falcone's daughter and just what her evolution is, that was all the research I had to do, because growing up as an Italian Montrealer, I mean, I knew a lot of shady people, let's just say. And so I just knew these people inside and out. I felt very connected to her on that level.
- [03:47]
A
And this role being so iconic, I have to know that feeling as an actress. Like, who do you call when you find out you're going to Gotham City? Like, what's that impulse of, like, oh, it's happening?
- [03:56]
B
I mean, to be quite honest, I called one of my best friends because he is obsessed with Batman and all things Gotham. And so he was the first person I called after my partner, of course. But, yeah, people who love Batman, I have a lot of. A lot of friends who are very into the Gotham world. So that was. That was an easy one to share.
- [04:16]
A
And this character, we already spoken about her nuance and her darkness and the layers and the perception versus the reality of what's underneath her.
- [04:23]
B
Yeah.
- [04:23]
A
In developing that, like, where do you find those equalizers to play? I love that you have the familiarity of certain elements built in. What do you want to add to that character as you make her your own? Were there any distinct elements or voices or certain characteristics you felt important?
- [04:39]
B
Well, I think a lot of those things kind of happen for me subconsciously with Sophia. I think as we started the sessions with the creators and the directors, I started sort of grounding. She feels, to me very grounded. I felt every time I would step in to voice her, I would really try to picture my feet on the ground and just. I would really feel like I wanted my voice to come from the floor. I really want. Wanted her to feel powerful without pushing and just knowing that you have that power that you Grew up in that power. I felt like I just didn't want to push at all for her. That was sort of, I think, the. The thing that resonated throughout recording for her.
- [05:29]
A
And in Long Halloween, when she is there, it's almost like a shark. It cuts into a scene, it causes the shakeup. There's a. There's a disturbance. And then when she comes back in Dark Victory, it's like this re. Emergence. What was it like rediscovering her in the Long Halloween versus rediscovering her in Dark Victory? Those different flavors.
- [05:48]
B
Oh, man. I. I didn't know Dark Victory until I got the graphic novel before for prepping for.
- [05:56]
A
For.
- [05:56]
B
For recording it. And I just couldn't believe it. I thought this was so cool. Yeah, it was really interesting to see her take over and how she would. And just how she manipulated her everything and how smart she is. I was very impressed. And I mean, you kind of let the writing do the work. It's like it's all there on the page, you know? But I did find it very inspiring when you're asking, like, what I use as inspiration. What. Looking at the graphic novel, which I know a lot of the other actors also found very helpful when you're recording it. But I did have the graphic novel open next to me when we were recording, just to get the visual of it. I found it really helpful.
- [06:37]
A
Yeah, I've always found the art so stunning, and I've mentioned this a few times. There's a. There's almost a. Like a visual element when listening that naturally happens. There's this really cool synesthesia that happens when you're listening. When you started hearing the finished products, when you're hearing it all polished, how is it like living that moment from the booth again, but with all the production and that whole experience?
- [06:59]
B
I mean, it was. It was thrilling because I recorded it at home, you know, in my makeshift studio closet and my daughter, like, outside, you know, it's just the reality of the world that is unglamorous. But hearing it so polished and put together with all the sound design and the work and other actors also. I didn't get to do it with other actors. Right. You're just kind of recording your lines. So it was beyond what I could have imagined. Even though I imagined it would be. It would sound good, it sounded so effing cool. I don't know if I can swear on this. I'll have to watch my mouth. I have a bit of a trucker now.
- [07:39]
A
The Sophia comes out by default.
- [07:41]
B
Yeah, yeah. I just can't help it.
- [07:45]
A
Well, you spoke to the relationship with the actors who can't be in the room. By the nature of the work. That's not how that medium allows for relationships form. But the connection felt like it was there, which is really a testament to the work you all did. Like, it feels like conversations and dialogue, not monologues. But that also comes from a place of relationships with family. And I love that her relationships, their family, are so ingrained in who she is. How did you imagine that in your mind's eye while performing? Building those relationships fictionally to make them feel so nonfictional?
- [08:16]
B
Oh, man. I mean, I just pictured very specific people. Like, for Carmine, for her brothers. Her, like, annoying brothers, and just everybody. I just had a very. People that I know or the ways that I've felt, I just always pick someone specific. So it just reads the same way all the way through for the relationship. I find that really helpful.
- [08:38]
A
So you've got, like a. Not placeholder, but you've got a mind's eye, like a person that becomes that feeling.
- [08:43]
B
Oh, that's fun.
- [08:44]
C
I love it.
- [08:44]
B
Sometimes it's not even someone in my life, but sometimes it is. And I. I don't make necessarily decisions consciously, but I think as I'm working on the character and speaking to somebody, I'm like, oh, like, what is this moment? Like, what. What is she saying? Really? I know what she's saying, but, like, what is she really saying in this moment? And. And how would she say it? It's like, is it like she's talking to, like, someone she loves? Is it like she's talking to someone she thinks is really stupid? Which is most of the time. That was the answer for Sophia. I was like, she thinks they're very dumb. So I would. Except for her father, obviously, you know, But I thought that was. I found that helpful, especially because in. When you're acting in front of a camera, I don't feel the need to do that as much because you're really working off another actor who's just in the room with you. But when you kind of have to create and bring your imagination to it to have it alive, I feel that it was helpful to have specific relationships picked out for all the role.
- [09:46]
A
And I felt that because it is a character of text and subtext, like, she's got a lot going on.
- [09:53]
B
Yeah. And you have to. To make it, I think, interesting. And that's what's cool about all the actors. I feel everyone did that in this. It doesn't Feel like, you know, surfacey, for lack of a better explanation.
- [10:07]
A
But it definitely resonates and I think that's really impressive in a medium where it is so much of your. The audience is your co host, like your co star. We're with you.
- [10:16]
B
Yeah. Yeah, that's cool.
- [10:18]
A
One of the things I really love about this character is that to comic fans, we've known this character for 30 years plus it's a ride or die Batman lore. But a lot of mainstream audiences are discovering her through D.C. high volume or through the Penguin and. And the Penguin. This timing of Sofia being, in my opinion, a co lead like that was as much Cristo Milioti's show as Colin Farrell's. What was it like discovering that take while having so much of the weight you've the grounding in yourself. Was it interesting to watch someone else do a take on her?
- [10:52]
B
Yeah, I made sure not to watch anything until we finished recording this because I really did not want anybody else's interpretation to influence anything I was going to do. And even though I wouldn't necessarily want to do that, things steepen into, you know, and then you think you have an idea, but it's like not your idea or. I mean, that's part of just what it is to be inspired. But I wanted to be inspired by what I was originally inspired by and not watch. I think she's fantastic. To answer your question though, I mean. But yeah, it was a trip and they felt like different people to me.
- [11:32]
A
I agree. And I love that the show did a dark, victory esque journey. Like we saw familiar beats and you did a comic, very literal journey and they felt like they were both authentic, but so different. Beautifully so different.
- [11:47]
B
Yeah. And that's what I think is amazing about art in general is you can just kind of interpret it how you want and every person brings their own flavor to it, which is the cool part. But it was so hard not to watch it while I was. And the recording went over like a good span of time. We recorded the beginning and then so I was like, I can't watch it. I can't watch it until we're done. I refused to watch it until we were done.
- [12:10]
A
And it was such an it show too. Everybody's like the thing to watch this season. You're like, not for me.
- [12:15]
B
Oh no, no, no, no, no. Or like a trailer will come on and be like, no, no, no, no.
- [12:19]
A
You spoke of the differences. I love that, as you said, these characters are so rich and well wr. Is. Is there anything that would surprise you. That someone might interpret about Sophia or anything that you see in Sophia that people might be surprised by, like some undercurrent or an element that you felt was so essential to her that isn't as linear on the text.
- [12:41]
B
I really felt a huge vulnerability in her in. And I. And she maybe. I think we showed it, like, in a couple of moments now. I can't remember thinking back, but I think there were definitely a couple of moments. But I really think that Sophia really wanted her father's approval. And just everything she did was sort of with that in mind of also being the female and wanting to show that she can be strong, that she can be tough. And growing up in a man's world, and that's such a topic, I feel that is so universal anyways. But I do feel that she had that sort of motor going at all times.
- [13:27]
A
This is so unique in its formatting. I love the audio medium for a story this rich and. And with this many visual elements and how it's navigated. And you've worked in so many mediums. Like, we talked about Assassin's Creed, sitting on a hill, like.
- [13:41]
B
Yeah.
- [13:41]
A
Is there a difficulty for performing something that has such energy, knowing you're in a booth at home with your kid outside? And are there any difficulties with the audio medium you found specifically at Sophia?
- [13:55]
B
I. I'm not going to call them difficulties. It's really. It just feels like a different thing completely. You know, when I'm. When you're acting in front of a camera or on a stage or whatever, it may be like they're all so different. And audio is so unique in that all you have is your voice. You know, when you're used to expressing with your eyes or your hands. I'm Italian. I use my hands all the time. I don't have any of those things to lean on. Not that they're crutches, they're just. They're just being a person. And when you can only rely on your voice and words that someone else has written, you really have to imbue everything with, like. I think every moment has to be rich with subtext, if you can.
- [14:46]
A
As someone who talks with their hand as well, I. I've definitely encountered moments where I've heard something back and been like, I thought that was huge. And then like. But in. Without the element, it is a different thing.
- [14:56]
B
Yeah. Also, if there is a recording of me in the booth, there's a lot of gesticulation going on. It's not like I wasn't using my hands, but you know, it is what it is.
- [15:07]
A
I love that everyone we've talked to, all the actors have different elements that feel like their character they've mentioned doing in the booth. They've all felt like the character to me, because I don't. I'm just meeting you. So it's really funny. Like, I see Sophia, like, very expressive. And then right on cue, you're like. And of course, in the booth, like, it's very much.
- [15:25]
B
Yeah, yeah.
- [15:27]
A
Now, the visual element you talked about, using the comic frames as cues and how that really helped inform your performance. Do you remember any certain moments where you felt a connection or an aha or something that you were like, ah, this is exactly how I perceive this moment.
- [15:41]
C
Any.
- [15:41]
A
Any visual cue that really helped you?
- [15:44]
B
That's a good question. I can't really. I can't really remember, to be honest. Maybe. Yeah, that it was. There was so much going on. But I do remember just how big she is in the graphic novel. I found that, like, her imposing figure and her just her menacing vibe was definitely inspiring. I felt that that was unique in that way. And I was like, oh, it's. If I was this tall and looked like this. And it just informs a lot of what you're doing, you know, it changes everything.
- [16:17]
A
Oh, yeah. And it really. It enhances an energy that you get to bring, having that here. And the character changes so much, especially in Dark Victory, the. The visual aggression, like, there's almost a forcefulness. How did that change your performance once you had those visuals in mind?
- [16:35]
B
It. It helped me ground her, I think, because I think when I imagined. When I was reading the script and not the graphic novel, because I did read the script, I imagined the scenes a certain way. I imagined her a certain way. I imagined the other characters a certain way. And then when you see it and you see sort of the dark world and you see the other characters and you see how big she is and just how menacing to you. It's just a good word. I feel for her. I just felt like, oh, she doesn't have to push or try for anything. She just is. And so that, really, anytime I felt like maybe I was getting too animated, because I'm a very animated person, but I don't feel like she is. So I would really just look at that. And also the directors were very helpful with that. You know, I would be like, did that feel a little bit too, like, I don't know, upbeat or too, you know, chirpy for her? And definitely the answer was if I felt that that meant yeah, definitely. You have this instinct. You're like. That didn't feel right, you know? So I would just, like, look at her. Look at her in the scene, and I'd be like, oh, yeah, right.
- [17:47]
A
I really like that you. You just said it in a few sentences. But I really like that she just is. Because that's where I feel like she develops, you know, by. By her arc. There's a point where that becomes what this character is, and I feel like the name is a huge part of that. Gigante versus Falcone. Like, there's a transformation there. And I loved feeling that as you go along. And with the. The Hangman Killer versus the Holiday Killer, there's such a transference of tone. And is there anything spoiler free you want to tease about where it goes for you energetically, for people listening without having read the book?
- [18:25]
C
Oh, yeah.
- [18:26]
B
Okay. Well, without having read the book. Oh, you're in for it. Because I. I also hadn't read the book before, and I was. I was so shook. I don't know. I don't want to say too much, but it's. Man, she's a mastermind, is how I feel. I mean, the length she went to and goes to are impressive.
- [18:54]
A
The giddiness you get about describing her makes me so happy. Like, every. Every time I've asked a moment, you, like, light up about certain details and moments. Like when I said Hangman just now, there was a glee of like, oh, that. Yeah, we're at that point. And. And I've got to know, were there any emotional, charged moments in the booth that you remember being excited like your friend would have been? I'm like, oh, I'm in Gotham City. Or, like, moments that felt, like, specifically connected to the world of Batman lore.
- [19:22]
B
Yeah, anytime I had scenes with Catwoman, I thought that was really cool. And the Joker, you know, anytime you. I had any sort of rapport with, with those characters that I grew up, you know, knowing about and watching, I thought that was really cool because I was like, oh, man, I'm. I'm. I'm doing a scene with this person now. And it felt so uniquely special to a lot of the other work. I mean, everything is special in its own way. But this one felt really cool. I mean, for lack of a better way to explain it, it was just. It felt cool. I was like, oh, man, I'm in Gotham City. This is happening.
- [20:01]
A
There's such a short list of people that ever get the experience in the world to even audition, much less be in that world and play in that sandbox and to do it on a story that's so revered as this one, with Sophia getting this exponential uptick in exposure and awareness, what would you want people to take away from her character as, like, what's, what's the moral or ethical transference you'd want readers to. After reading Sophia, after living in her shoes, what do you want people to take away from the character?
- [20:31]
B
Don't f. With Sophia. I mean, that's the reality.
- [20:40]
A
Moral, don't mess with her. That's it.
- [20:42]
B
Moral, it's for the. Don't mess.
- [20:45]
A
And my last question for you, as someone who you mentioned the long Halloween and then discovering Dark Victory, were the elements we haven't quite gotten to yet as someone that was embodying them, were they a surprise to you? As someone getting to discover that in real time, was that something that you got excited as a performer with that elevation?
- [21:05]
B
Yes, because she became so much more than I already knew about her. It became a whole other. It became a whole other world that I, I had no idea about. And so I thought that was, I mean, crazy. I thought that was really cool.
- [21:23]
A
Well, thank you so much for your love for her. Thank you so much for your work with this character. Adding that depth and those multitudes, the layers of Sofia are fascinating. I really appreciate it.
- [21:33]
B
Thank you so much. Thank you very much. I mean, I loved voicing her.
- [21:37]
A
I felt like I was in Gotham City, and that's all I could ask for as a kid who loves these books. Thank you.
- [21:42]
B
So cool.
- [21:44]
A
I'd like to thank Christina Rosado for talking to me all about Sofia Falcone. What a fascinating character. What a fascinating actress. I really, really gleaned so much out of someone. This character that I've known for so many years, learning so much more is such a delight.
- [22:07]
B
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- [22:38]
C
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C
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A
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C
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B
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- [23:12]
A
Now let's learn even more about the comics themselves. Let's talk to the editor of so many great bat books right now, the one and only Ariana Turturro. We are sitting down with Ariana Turturro, who is editing some of my favorite books on the shelves right now. I kid you not. I think Poison Ivy is truly one of the most approachable and interesting takes on any Batman villain ever, which is high praise because Batman, I mean, the Rogues gallery, very well known. And the Catwoman book, also exceptional. And time beautifully into our journey the Last Halloween. A book that means so much to me. Thank you for all your work.
- [23:49]
C
Oh, my God, thank you for having me here.
- [23:52]
A
And the Bat family behind the scenes also means a lot to me because there is this camaraderie, there is this element of everyone really knows what makes the character tick to them. And a lot of times that's a great ouroboros. I'd love to know what was your pathway into Batman? What drew you to the character first?
- [24:07]
C
Yeah, well, I mean, Batman's been around me pretty much my entire life. I grew up with the Animated Series and also I had a Batman collection as. Sorry, like a collected edition growing up of the Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, Volume 2. And that was a book that I was always really scared of. But I would always sneak looks at it, but then I would hide it under a pile of other books because I didn't want it to be out of the open. I love that.
- [24:40]
A
Not that, though.
- [24:41]
C
Yeah. Oddly enough, it was some of the Silver Age weird stuff that really scared me. Like Robin Dies at Dawn and stuff. It was just too.
- [24:52]
A
Art was for me.
- [24:55]
C
But yeah, I mean, Batman's been around me my whole life. Growing up, my parents read a lot of comics to me. My mom would read Tintin to me and Spider man and Batman. And, um, it's just always been kind of part of. Of my life. I always knew I wanted to make comics. And I went to. I actually went to school to be a cartoonist. I went to the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, which. Which I picked because it was the school that Steve Ditko went to when he was in college.
- [25:32]
A
I love that.
- [25:33]
C
Which, you know, back then it had a completely different name and was a different school, but it turned into that school. And I was like, I'm really interested in checking this place out. And I wound up going there and I had a lot of awesome teachers like Klaus Janssen and David Mazzucchelli and Joey Cavalieri, who is a longtime editor at DC Comics and is kind of how I got in the door at DC and got into editing comics.
- [26:03]
A
So what is a day to day life in the life of a DC editor like? Because I feel like the word editor is so multifaceted.
- [26:11]
C
Oh, sure. Yeah. I mean, basically, I like to think of it as we are gardeners. We're taking care of these characters and stories. It's our job to kind of help the talent, the writers, the artists, everyone involved to help them tell the best possible version of the stories they want to tell and to take care of the characters as we're doing that. So pretty much every part of the process I'm involved with from the development of what a series is about. Case in point, Poison Ivy. I was sitting around during the pandemic in my living room thinking, like, I think we should do a Poison Ivy comic. And then I started reaching out to people about, like, hey, I'd like to do this. What do you think? Are you interested in this? And so Willow and I developed the entire premise for the book together. So I do stuff like that where I'm looking for writers, but I'm also looking for artists a lot. I spend a lot of time looking at different illustrator portfolios for covers and variant covers for all of the many covers that I do.
- [27:31]
A
Yes, 17 covers a week. That's me.
- [27:34]
C
I'm doing all of those. Yeah, it's a lot of work, but, yeah, I love doing that. It really kind of feeds back to my art background. And something I discovered when I was in art school is that I really love helping other people tell stories and make art. And there's just something really fulfilling about that. And so my day to day involves kind of like giving notes and reviewing every stage of a comic book, from the pitch to the outline, to the script to the layouts, like the rough line art. That's where a lot of the art notes happen, because we're looking at kind of the raw storytelling of something before it gets it's been polished. Yeah, yeah. It's also like the easiest time to change and fiddle with things because, you know, no one's spent a ton of time drawing out, like 100 windows in the background or something.
- [28:35]
A
So it's kind of like a showrunner, like in the macro.
- [28:38]
C
Yeah, basically. So we're, we're there at every stage, but we also then are there for like, the coloring, the lettering, getting it to the printer. Like, I literally, my job ends when we have the files uploaded to the printer's website and are reviewing them to make sure, like final checks for any kind of last errors. And I am the person who hits the button that says approved, let's print it.
- [29:06]
A
That is a full pre production, production, post production job.
- [29:09]
C
Yeah, it's really wild. So usually when you tell someone I edit comics, they don't imagine any of that. Yeah, it's a, it's a great job. It's. It's a really involved job. But I, there's nothing I'd rather be doing with my life. Like, I genuinely, I love waking up and knowing, like, I get to go to work and like hang out with Poison Ivy and Batman like this. It's kind of hard to beat that.
- [29:38]
A
You're fantastic at it. Some of my favorite books right now, like, truly exceptional stuff.
- [29:41]
C
I really appreciate it. It's. It's so nice to hear that because I'm so grateful that we get to.
- [29:46]
A
Do this now with being a fan since childhood and with being so versed in the characters. Like you say you work with Poison Ivy, like, it's a day to day. Is there a moment where your fan ear clicks on and your editor ear goes away, or do you always feel like you're kind of ruminating on the work element?
- [30:02]
C
Yeah, I mean to like, backtrack for a moment. One other element of being an editor that I think is maybe worth talking about is part of our job is to know the character and to kind of be like, intimately familiar with like, what is this person like? And like, how would they behave in a certain situation? And part of our job is watching when we're looking at scripts and when we're guiding people along, making sure that the characters behave the way that, like, they should behave. And part of that involves taking in a lot of old comics and absorbing them and looking at, okay, what works here, what doesn't work here. So when it comes to being a fan and looking at, say, adaptations and stuff in other media, my editor character friend brain is always on because I'm always absorbing like, oh, okay, so like, what's Ivy doing here? What's Harley doing over here? And like, I think, you know, the best, the best stuff is when you see someone take a character or take a story and do something that hadn't occurred to you.
- [31:24]
A
Yeah.
- [31:25]
C
But feels like, oh, of course this is how this would go. And I think, like, I mean, the. The. The kind of, er, example of that for me is years and years ago when I was, I don't know, like a teenager hearing. Probably younger than that, but hearing Kevin Conroy talking about his approach to playing Batman and how Bruce Wayne, to him was the mask and Batman was the real guy. And I remember that just being kind of like a. Oh, been around Batman my whole childhood, and I never really thought about this, but it completely makes sense. And like, that's been such. That was such a formative thing for me that, like, you know, a few years ago, when I got to work with Kevin on that Auto bio comic that he did for DC Pride, it was really wild to, like, be on the phone with him.
- [32:22]
A
I can't imagine the voice and just.
- [32:24]
C
Being like, I'm talking to Batman. Like, that's Batman.
- [32:26]
A
Especially because it's a phone call. Like, it's so uniquely, like, the way you'd want it to.
- [32:30]
C
Absolutely. It's like that's how you interfaced with. That was like you heard his voice and like, here I am sitting in my, like, room on my cell phone. Yeah. It was really, really cool. Like, what a. What a really special, special guy.
- [32:47]
A
It's the auditory equivalent of shaking someone's hand where it's like, I have the phone. This is the Bat phone now. Like, this is a moment.
- [32:52]
C
Yeah, yeah.
- [32:53]
A
But I agree, those moments can really shift. And, like, when you have something like his description of it, that changes your perspective, but it's also true to your perspective. Like, just. It colors it in. It, like, contextualizes. And for me, that's been the Poison Ivy book. For me, that's been the last Halloween. To be honest, I really feel like what. We're getting to continue the Long Halloween with this. This way it's evolved and it's like, oh, that makes sense. It would go this direction and this over here. But before we get to the Last Halloween, which I adore, the Long Halloween, we've done this incredible cinematic adaptation.
- [33:23]
C
Yeah.
- [33:24]
A
That feels so impactful, and it's such a sensory overload of being in a world. I have been so excited to ask you, when you've been so familiar with these characters, when you're editing on the Last Halloween using some of these same characters, what's it like to hear a suite or to hear a voice or that you're like. Like you said you're going to Work with Poison Ivy now you've heard and lived. What was that like?
- [33:45]
C
I mean, it was really interesting because when I found out that Michelle Lukes, you know, Michelle Luke's mother Miranda from Resident Evil Village was doing Poison Ivy's voice, I completely flipped out. I was messaging Mike Pallotta, being like, Mike, you have to let me listen to this. What does she sound like? And as Mike can attest to, I have very strong opinions about Poison Ivy. Hearing Michelle's take on the character was awesome. And it feels so in line with how Jeff wrote her and how Tim drew her. And you can just kind of feel the like gravitas that Tim brought to the character reflected in her vocal performance. And you know, like listening to Michelle do this, I was like, this is so cool. But then also the music for the scenes that she's in, like the kind of Poison Ivy, I don't know, sweet or whatever.
- [34:48]
A
Is.
- [34:48]
C
So I was shocked because, you know, we've heard audio adaptations of these characters before. Like, I remember hearing the old like Nightfall radio play that they did ages ago. And you know, it's so difficult to adapt comics into audio only formats and music and sound editing and all of these things. It's such an important. Because you don't have the visuals you need to create the tone and the atmosphere in some way. And like it just sounds fantastic. I was so happy she's having such.
- [35:34]
A
A moment and I love that like Poison Ivy's getting her flowers, pun intended. But also the synesthesia I get from listening to her sweet. Like the, the visual element feels. And I love that you mentioned it feels like Tim Sale because to me hearing it, it's. It's like getting an auditory version of that visual that I could have never had without it. So it's like I'm getting the book anew. But also new fans are getting to experience it in such a big way. When you're doing the Last Halloween and you're adapting a furthering of the story, what's it like to see an artist like a Martirolo or, or any of the number of fantastic artists that have taken on each individual issue? What's it like curating those pages and going like, okay, now we're gonna go to this part of the story and use this artist's enigmatic style and go from there?
- [36:18]
C
I mean, it's been wild. I remember reading the Long Halloween for the first time. I was in my, in, in a bedroom in my grandparents house in Illinois. I was a teenager. It's been such a. It's a formative text. Right. And actually, it was funny. I didn't know about the last Halloween for a while. And I was working on Dark Patterns with Dan Waters and Hayden Sherman.
- [36:51]
A
One of the best Batman books. It's insane. You did David Fincher first three issues. Feels like Fincher made Batman. So good.
- [36:58]
C
Thank you. But so when we were working on that and starting to develop the visual style for it, we were looking at Mazzucchelli, and we were looking at Sale's Batman and trying to figure out, like, okay, we want this Batman to feel like it takes place right around these two stories, these two moments in his early career. And it could be happening after or it could be happening in between these two. But while we were working on it, I got. I don't know if it was a phone call or like an instant message on Microsoft Teams or something where someone was like, hey, we want you to work on the. We're doing a sequel to Dark Victory, and we want you to edit it. And I was like, excuse me. Yeah, it was wild. It was such a shock. And it's been such a. I mean, honestly, such an honor to get to work on this and to get to be a part of this incredible legacy that was started by Jeff and by Tim way back when, and Archie and continued with Mark and every person who has touched this is kind of a legend. And it feels like a great honor to be amidst such incredible company in. In my own little way. But, yeah. And so, like, getting to work with all these people like Eduardo and, oh, my God, Bill Sienkiewicz. I can't imagine getting Bill Sinkevich pages.
- [38:45]
A
Like, I can't imagine the moment of just opening a file and, like, seeing new Bill Sienkiewicz before the world.
- [38:50]
C
Absolutely. Every. Every one of these issues has been like that. And, you know, it's also really funny to be editing my old college teacher getting to work on an issue with.
- [39:04]
A
Klaus you mentioned earlier, and I didn't put two and two together. That would be the path here, because his issue is so good. But also. Yes, that would be a one to one. That's amazing.
- [39:12]
C
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the stuff that he taught us in that class are skills and just fundamentals, like visual storytelling fundamentals that I use on a daily basis. Like, when I'm looking at layouts and giving notes, I am looking at them through the lens that was crafted in that classroom, filling notebooks while Klaus was walking around our classroom. And it's very funny to be like, okay, man, like, you graded me now I am in charge.
- [39:50]
A
How the turntables.
- [39:51]
C
Yes.
- [39:52]
A
Well, that's beautiful.
- [39:54]
C
Yeah, it's really. I didn't give him enough guff. I think at that moment of power, I just. I, too. Respectful.
- [40:04]
A
Respectful student relationship. I love that the fates have aligned for this for you with so many things, like your parents teaching you, like Batman, being part of your childhood, going to the college of Steve Ditko, Klaus Janssen. Like, the cycle of that. I learned to read with comic books. Like, that's how I learned English, was reading comic books. So I feel the kinship there. This is the medium of art to me, that is so important. But I got to ask, because it's so crazy, to me, Carmine Falcone is an essential part of the long Halloween. And the chant, how did this happen? We got it. Your last name ties to a Carmine Falcone in a very direct way.
- [40:40]
C
It is true. I am the daughter of Carmine Falcone. I'm breaking the that news right here live.
- [40:47]
A
I'm like, this Catwoman conversation. Daughter of Carmine Valkote. There's a parallel here.
- [40:52]
C
I remember being at work, and my dad texted me, and he was like, hey, can we talk on the phone? Anytime someone texts me, like, hey, can we talk?
- [41:05]
A
We need to talk.
- [41:06]
C
My immediate thought is, like, there's been a terrible accident. Something bad has happened. My dad sending me the text. Something must have happened to my mom or my brother. I have to go outside. And so I ran outside our old office building, and there was this little garden area. And I got on the phone with him, and he was like, yeah, so these people were asking me if I would be interested in being a character in the new Batman movie.
- [41:39]
B
And.
- [41:39]
C
And I was like, okay, all right. So, like, what. What character? And he said, oh, Carmine Falcone. And I was like, oh, okay. So we talked about the character. And I was like, you know, this is what I was thinking, like, insofar as, like, he was asking, like, well, what? Who is this guy? And so I was like, oh, okay. Let me, like, tell you a little bit about the character. And, you know, at the time, nobody knew. We didn't know what that movie was gonna be like.
- [42:11]
A
Right.
- [42:12]
C
And so it was really in a vacuum. And I was like, oh, okay. So maybe there's like, maybe this is, like, the Long Halloween or something. And he kind of mentioned one or two details that they had given him at that point. I think maybe he mentioned the Catwoman connection. And I was like, oh, that's interesting. Cause that's definitely how I always read that comic.
- [42:36]
A
Yeah. But to put it in ink, like, to make it.
- [42:38]
C
Yeah, absolutely. And it's funny stuff like that where you're like, oh, when I read the Long Halloween, that seemed obvious to me. Like, it seemed very clear without having to ever be spelled out. And so it's always interesting where you see someone adapt a thing and be like, oh, you zeroed in on the same stuff that I did.
- [42:59]
A
Yeah, we read the same book our way. Like, the way we all saw it.
- [43:02]
C
Absolutely. But, you know, it's funny because he. So obviously, I was like, yeah, I think this sounds cool. Like, it sounds like, you know, he's describing, like, the vibe of. Of it as it was explained to him. And I was like, this sounds good. This sounds like a good movie. And, you know, I. I absolutely loved it. I am completely biased, obviously. And so my opinion is questionable, but I really, really. I was so thrilled by it. And it was actually a really wild thing that wound up happening. And I don't know if he's ever told this story, but I think it is okay for me to tell this story. He, of course, in preparation for the role, read Year one, he read Long Halloween and Dark Victory. I don't know if they gave him other stuff to read. I'm not his mom. I don't know all of the things he did in preparation. But what I do know is there is a scene in the movie where he talks to Bruce Wayne and he says something about how he remembers seeing Bruce Wayne when he was on the table and Thomas Wayne was doing surgery on him and saved his life. And he remembers looking up at young Bruce Wayne and seeing him, and that was not in the script. That is a detail that my dad remembered from reading the Long Halloween and was like, hey, could I try something out for this take? And she. So he literally took that moment and brought it into the movie. And as someone who works in comics, there's no greater sense of pride than hearing that someone was inspired by something in a comic book. But, yeah, and it's in the movie. And I remember seeing it in the movie and being like that. That is that thing that he told me about. And, like, it's so cool to see that, you know, he had the freedom to do something like that. And it. It was awesome to. To know, like, oh, he knew about this because he read that comic book.
- [45:33]
A
That is beautiful. A comic. We've grown up with a comic that is so formative. A comic that you're working on the sequel to.
- [45:39]
C
Yes. Yeah. So then it was extra weird to be like, hey, guess what? I'm doing now.
- [45:45]
A
Yeah.
- [45:46]
C
Yeah. I can't remember exactly how that conversation went, but I do know that I was like, hey, bananas. Coincidence.
- [45:54]
A
But running parallel on this one.
- [45:56]
C
Yeah, yeah. So it's been really cool, and I'm so proud of the work that he did in the movie, and I think it was an amazing performance. And, like, it's a character who obviously, like, has been adapted into and portrayed by other, you know, talented people like Tom Wilkinson and Batman Begins. And, like, it's really. I don't know, I got a really big kick out of seeing him in the movie. And, yeah, I really liked it.
- [46:32]
A
That's really special. And I love that your work on the last Halloween feels like it's coming from someone that loves it as much as the impact that it needs to have. And I love, again, the parallel. You both loved it so much. It influenced one medium, influenced this medium, obviously influencing us every week, that journey. And I honestly think that the passion is apparent. And I love that you love these characters enough that these. Such consistent works, really something special.
- [46:56]
C
Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, it's really cool. And I'm so excited. You know, I. In another lifetime, I briefly worked in radio, and before that even, I loved radio dramas when I was a little kid. I thought they were really cool. And so I'm always very hypercritical, but also very interested in hearing how people will approach adapting comics into. Into audio formats. And it's been really cool to see you guys doing this wild project. And when this first got announced, I was like, okay, so they're going to do Year one, and that'll be it. And then it was like, oh, no, it's year one and the long Halloween. Okay. Oh, it's also Dark Victory. Okay, what else is it going to be? So I'm really excited to see kind of like where this goes and. And what you wind up adapting next. Like, it's. This is really cool. Yeah.
- [48:04]
A
Thank you. I mean, the whole team, I can speak to their passion and the love of these characters and you being so specifically versed in the world and the love of radio plays and, like, that. That means a lot that it's the right direction because it feels so one of one to listen to a comic and have the visuals for you, and it's really something special.
- [48:23]
C
Yeah. Yeah.
- [48:24]
A
All right, so my last question for you is, as a fellow lifelong Batman fan that has made it into a impossible. How is this happening career? How do you perceive Batman as a kid versus now? And is there anything to the macro of Batman that you saw him as differently then that as an adult, you're like, well, that's a different context.
- [48:46]
C
I think the thing that speaks to me the most about Batman is when I was a little kid, everything scared me. And I, for, I think, like, nine years, suffered from, like, night terrors. Like, every night I would wake up screaming, and, like, I had terrible nightmares all the time. And the world that Batman lives in is scary, and it is horrifying and awful. And, like, to be in that world is such a difficult thing. And when I think about, like, what it is like to be someone who is vulnerable, whether you're a child or someone who life is not being kind to in Gotham City, the idea that there is someone who scares the things that scare you is. It just is so special. And I think to me, as I got older and as I stopped being so scared of things, what wound up happening is suddenly I became very interested in all of the things that scared me and, like, started to, you know, be really into villains and all of their weird stories. And over time, those, I think, are the characters that really speak to me often. There's something so core and human about all of these characters, and I think all of Batman's villains, so many of them are struggling with something or are people who something terrible has happened to, something tragic. And I think there's something so relatable about that corner of the dcu and getting to spend every day of my life there is a joy. It's very funny to be like, if I was a child here, I would be horrified that I was around this 24 7. But now being scared and being like, okay, what horrible thing can we do next?
- [51:07]
A
How do I this scarier and more active?
- [51:09]
C
Absolutely.
- [51:10]
A
I think overcoming darkness, it's a beautiful parallel of, like, how you perceive then versus now, because that's Bruce's journey of weaponizing darkness. Like, that's literally what. Why he chose bats.
- [51:18]
C
Yeah.
- [51:19]
A
Well, on that note, of loving heroes from the jump and all the way through, it's been an absolute pleasure talking. Oh, my God. Heroes and Batman and adaptations and last Halloween. Thank you truly for everything you've done as editor at dc. Poison Ivy is truly one of those books I love. And last Halloween, moving through long Halloween means the world. Thank you.
- [51:38]
C
Oh, thank you so much. This was a joy. I would do this anytime.
- [51:43]
A
As we keep going after dark victory, we'll all see.
- [51:46]
C
All right.
- [51:48]
A
I'd like to once again thank both of our guests, Christina and Ariana. Ariana's work on Batman, like, that was such a cool conversation. Editing is such a fascinating job and she has brought me so many bat books I love. Let's talk about some books I love. And I'm gonna have the first two B books she has edited. First up, I want to gush over Poison Ivy. Okay? This book, we're talking 30 issues into its run, that's about three years and it has been consistent for every single one. This is written by G. Willow Wilson and it's one of my favorite ever. Like taking a bat villain and running rampant with it. And that is a lot of books. Batman's been around for a long time. This is such an exceptional take on Poison Ivy. It is so interesting. The team dynamic, the people that form around her, her nuanced take on, like, you know, people seeing her as an eco terrorist, people following her, how she sees herself as a hero. It's so good. Read Poison Ivy. Also want to recommend a fantastic newer Batman book called Batman Dark Patterns. Now this is a 12 issue maxi series. It's only going to run 12 issues. Suits very approachable. You can just pick up this 12. Never have had to read a bat book in your life. The first three are an arc that is basically like a David Fincher esque, crazy psychological horror experience with a villain that is so broken and perverse and so interesting. Juxtaposing Batman's second arc goes into some great Scarface stuff, some great ventriloquist stuff. This, this take on a building. But you'll see, you'll see second, second arc has some cool twists and turns about gentrification and a building and lots of interesting takes. So Dark Patterns is written by Dan Waters. It is so, so very interesting, very psychological take on Batman and his villain villains. And then the third recommendation I'm gonna give you lovelies is we just had that Catwoman moment and a lot of people wonder what happens now with Catwoman. Where does she go? There's actually a comic that is just that. It's called Catwoman when in Rome, and I'm so happy to say it is from Tim Sale and Jeff Loeb. So the creative team behind the Long Halloween. If you are loving, if you're loving dark victory, there's more. Catwoman, when in Rome is so special. I feel like in the conversation around Long Halloween, I always want to go, but when in Rome too. It's one of those books that I, I adore. It's so interesting. It's paced differently, it's explorative, it feels like traveling and it's also full of crime. Highly recommend you check those three out. Dark Patterns when in Rome and the Poison Ivy run right now. And most of all, I want to thank you. You guys are watching the end of the video where I talk about comics. It means a lot. You can hunt me down on Instagram and YouTube. Oy dran dra. We can talk more comics to happy give more recommendations. Happy to just talk comics with you. So please find me. And thank you for being here. I really, really appreciate it. If you want to check out any of the comics I recommended and tens of thousands more, check out dcui, that's DC Comics Universe Infinite, which is their online comic book catalog. It is such an abundance of riches. It is such a wonderful platform. I highly recommend it. Check out comics there. Check out comics at your local comic book shop and hunt me down to talk about them. I'll see you guys next time. Thank you for joining us on this special episode of DC High Volume. Batman executive producers for Realm, Carly Miliori and Roshan Singh Sambi. Executive producers for DC Mike Palata and Victor Diaz producer Adam Boffa technical director Insung Huang engineers Jason Gambrell and Echo Mountain. Hosted by me, Koi Jandro. Special thanks to Fred Greenhalge, Kalyn West, Olivia d', Arienzo, Sam Ewing and to comic books for existing.