Batman: The Animated Series aired for three seasons on FOX before it ended in 1995 and morphed into another series. One of the writers from the series is now telling his own personal Batman story.

Paul Dini has written material for both television and comic book formats for the Batman franchise. He has now written a graphic novel titled Dark Night: A True Batman Story. The 121-page work will be released by DC’s Vertigo next year.

The graphic tells the story of a traumatic event in his life. Twenty years ago, Dini was mugged violently by two men. Parts of his skull were shattered during the encounter, and he needed surgery.

In the weeks following his injury, Dini says that he imagined Batman and infamous cohorts offer criticisms and advice on what he could have done differently. “I’m not saying I talk to cartoon characters all the time, but the characters are very real to me… In a very non-insane way.”

He shared about dealing with the experience with The Hollywood Reporter. He said:

“What makes Batman and what makes other superheroes work is the myth that when life is at its lowest, and when you need a hero, a hero swings down and helps you, and I didn’t have that. Here I am writing these stories for an audience that loves this form, in comics, in animation, but now I was saying to myself, ‘I can’t go on with this. I don’t believe in it anymore. There is no hero for me. Where is my hero?’ The answer is: You have to be your own hero.”

It was difficult for Dini to look at the illustrated pages of the story at first and says he burst into tears then put them away for a week. Now, with the book coming to print, he feels that a burden’s been lifted.

Will you be buying Dini’s graphic novel next year? Did you enjoy the Batman animated series? Tell us what you think.