Article by Max Byrne
Anybody who loves the work of Bill Sienkiewicz is in for the rarest of treats. Something very special has emerged from the archives, that fans thought would never see the light of day. Comic Book writer David Lapham has shared the entirety of artist Bill Sienkiewicz’s unpublished version of Detective Comics #801… for free!
Over a decade ago, Lapham wrote a 12-issue Batman story arc titled “City of Crime.” The arc was originally supposed to be drawn by Sienkiewicz, who did complete the first issue.. However, due to extenuating circumstances, Sienkiewicz was unable to finish the run. Seeing as how most artists were reluctant to follow someone of Sienkiewicz’ pedigree, DC Comics and then-Batman editor Bob Shreck opted to start the arc over.
Lapham has provided a link where fans can download the original Detective Comics #801 artwork, which includes 22 pages, plus 2 splash pages. Additionally, the PDF file containing the comic provides some insight into Lapham’s creative process at the time.
[The artists who took over] were Roman Bachs and Nathan Massengill drew the hell out of the book, and I’m super proud of the final product,” Lapham said. “This is just a look at an alternate path the book may have taken.
Sienkiewicz is soon to have new work on the comic book store shelves, in the form of The Question: The Deaths Of Vic Sage, part of DC’s wonderful Black Label range, but, to get 22 pages of never before seen Bill Sienkiewicz art for free is something that just cannot be missed. Get on it now Batfans!