'Batman' comics artist to visit Manila in March

Batman fans are in for a treat next month, as superhero comic artist David Finch will visit Manila for the first time. As an exclusive artist to DC Comics, he specialized in inking "Batman's Dark Knight" persona, inspiring the 2008 film adaptation which features Christian Bale as The Dark Knight and the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, said a press release from Fully Booked, which is holding a series of events entitled “The Dark Knight Reborn” for Batman aficionados of all ages.

"Finch’s remarkable attention to detail is evident in both his writing and art, and reveals much of the Caped Crusader’s dark side; a testimony to his brilliance as one of the finest comics writer/artists of this generation," says Fully Booked. With the next Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises" set for release in July, Finch's visit on March 11-13 promises to be an exciting three days for fans of the masked detective. The activities include a book signing, a talk with a Q&A portion, and an art contest with three age categories: Bat-Mite (ages 4 to 10), The Robin Round (ages 11 to 15), and Caped Crusader (ages 16 and above). Winners of the Bat-Mite category will win Batman merchandise, while winners of the Robin Round and Caped Crusader categories will get to dine with David Finch, who will also be part of the panel of judges. Before working on the Dark Knight story arc, beginning with "Dark Knight Vol. 1: Golden Dawn" which he inked and penned with Grant Morrison, Finch worked on several other projects. The Canadian-born artist entered the comics industry in the early 90s, first illustrating "Cyberforce" under Image Comics creator Marc Silvestri of Top Cow Productions. In 2002, Finch moved to Marvel Comics, where he worked on "Wolverine", "The Call of Duty", and "Ultimatum" -- which won him the Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Artist in 2009. Working with greats like Brian Michael Bendis and Charlie Huston, Finch's work can also be found in "Ultimate X-Men", "The New Avengers", and "Moon Knight". He has also worked on crossovers, including Marvel and Image's Witchblade/Elektra. Apart from comic books, Finch has also dabbled in album art creation. His work can be seen on nu metal act Disturbed's third studio album "Indestructible" as well as in the concept art of the film adaptation of Alan Moore's "Watchmen."  “The Dark Knight Reborn” event schedule is as follows: March 11 (Sunday)

• Book Signing at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street at 3 p.m.

March 12 (Monday)

• Talk with a Q&A portion
• Book Signing at the College of St. Benilde, 1-4 p.m.

March 13 (Tuesday)

• Talk with a Q&A portion
• Book Signing at U.P. Diliman from 1-3:30 p.m.
• Book Signing at Fully Booked Katipunan at 4 p.m.

Details about the book signing events and art contest are in Fully Booked's website. -- Carmela G. Lapena/KG, GMA News