Batman's Rafael Grampá on "bringing in ugliness when trying to make something beautiful"

It’s no secret that Rafael Grampá brings the goods when it comes to delivering stories with action and message—  and that goes double when it comes to his Batman (as evidenced by his work on Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child). But personally, as someone whose curiosity is piqued by subversive approaches to art and is even more spoiled when the direct idea of “ugliness as beauty” comes into conversation, Grampá is someone whose work rides the line between the grotesque, textured mayhem of the underground comix and the palatable grace of the mainstream – a line that few have managed to tread successfully over the years, and line that leaves me always asking for more in ways I rarely experience when reading a comic from one of the Big Two publishers.

So luckily for, well, anyone with a lick of sense, the same off-kilter taste, and an appreciation for the famous caped Crusader, Grampá’s name finds itself on Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham — a new project involving the Dark Knight; this time with Grampá behind the pen on both writing and illustration. While I was excited to hear more about the project itself, what really interested me was how Grampá felt under the pressure of the Batman title, a staple of mainstream superhero comics, while maintaining his voice and the possibility of a legacy of his own. Popverse  was fortunate enough to grab Grampá for a chat about his relationship with Batman and the potential legacy of creating comics under the Batman name during Comic Con International San Diego 2023.

Popverse: This is one of those times where it feels like I could ask you things for ages but I’m under the gun for time! So in that case let’s jump right in. You’ve had a hell of a show already when it comes to your name being tied once again to Batman. Talk to me a little bit about your relationship with the character.

Rafael Grampá: Sure! Yeah, I had started drawing and I was trying to draw Batman. I remember showing it to my mom and she didn’t recognize it as Batman; she thought it was a donkey [laughs]. Well because of that I decided that I needed to practice more and to show her more drawings and make her understand what I was seeing. So it’s all kind of a connection between me and my mom and the character.

That’s so sweet!

It really is important. I like doing this project especially because it feels like a family thing now at the same time, you know what I mean?

Totally. And along with your own family you’ve kind of been officially indoctrinated into the history of the Bat Family as well, right? You’re stepping into a long line of people who have contributed to the history of Batman.