Several new Bat-books will be joining the already thick rost er of Batman titles, and that’s without including Harley Quinn. There seems to be as many ways to approach Batman as there are ways to skin a cat. Somehow, much like asking for someone to expound actual cat skinning, the more we ask the less okay with it we become. So, lets get uncomfortable together:
Announced at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), Batman/Spawn #1 is a 48-page one-shot by Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and former Batman artist Greg Capullo. Speaking at SDCC, Todd called Batman/Spawn #1 the “biggest book of the year.” He also called Capullo the “greatest Spawn artist ever.” I may not have seen what McFarlane has seen, but based on his artwork on Dark Nights: Metal, Capullo’s sharp style should fit Spawn’s tone well. Expected release date is December 13th.
We knew Batman Inc. was returning around the fall, but now we know its creative team will be led by Ed Brisson (Murder Book) and John Timms (Superman: Son of Kal-El). Although it will be led by the infamous Ghost-Maker, I still look forward to reviewing it when it finally makes it’s way to comic shops in October. For now, check out its #SDCC preview cover.
BATMAN INCORPORATED #1 Written by ED BRISSON Art and cover by JOHN TIMMS Variant cover by JORGE MOLINA 1:25 variant cover by DERRICK CHEW 1:50 variant cover by JEFF SPOKES $3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 10/11/22 From the pages of Batman comes an all-new, all-exciting adventure for Ghost-Maker and his Batman Incorporated team! The team’s trust issues and detective skills are immediately put to the test when someone from Ghost-Maker and Batman’s recent past is brutally murdered…Is this an isolated event, sending a message to the two? Or is this the start of something darker and more sinister? (Hint—it’s sinister and dark!) The all-star creative team of Ed Brisson and John Timms chart a new future for Batman Incorporated in this exciting new ongoing series, loaded with adventure, excitement, and amazing new members and villains!
Author Matthew Rosenberg takes control of the Clown Prince of Crime in the new series, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing. We absolutely don’t need another Joker solo book, let alone a follow-up set after the current series. On a positive note, Matthew Rosenberg’s DC Vs. Vampires series might be a good indication of potential quality.
THE JOKER: THE MAN WHO STOPPED LAUGHING #1 Written by MATTHEW ROSENBERG Art and cover by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO Backup art by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA Variant covers by LEE BERMEJO and DAVID NAKAYAMA 1:25 variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA 1:50 variant cover by BEN OLIVER 1:100 variant cover by HAINING Madness foil Variant by DAVID NAKAYAMA $5.99 US | 40 pages | (All covers card stock) ON SALE 10/4/22 The world once again holds its breath as The Joker strikes again! But how far is he willing to go this time? From the twisted minds of Matthew Rosenberg (Task Force Z, What’s the Furthest Place from Here?) and Carmine Di Giandomenico (Batman: The Knight) comes a violent, mind-bending new series that picks up from the cataclysmic end of The Joker and follows the mayhem across the United States. With the Clown Prince of Crime setting out on his most bizarre caper yet, will a fan-favorite vigilante be able to prevent certain tragedy? Or is he in on the joke? In the back-up—Joker’s got a hot date but he’s going to need a mirror to make sure he looks nice. Maybe Mirror Master can help.
Yes, you’ve read that right! Two semi-colons in a title to the next spin-off of the somewhat popular Batman: White Knight series. Introducing the Red Hood character to this Joker positive universe will be quite interesting, but is another spin-off necessary? Check out the #SDCC cover and find out August 2nd!
Actor Paul Dano is writing THE RIDDLER: YEAR ONE, a six-issue bimonthly DC Black Label series illustrated by Stevan Subic. The Riddler looks to follow Edward Nashton’s origin story directly tied to The Batman (2022). This may be the first instance of the lead actor of a film writing his own tie-in. However, it has not yet been confirmed if it conflicts with the origin told in Before The Batman: An Original Movie Novel. Scheduled for release this October!
THE RIDDLER: YEAR ONE #1 Written by PAUL DANO Art by STEVAN SUBIC Covers by BILL SIENKIEWICZ Variant covers by JIM LEE and STEVAN SUBIC 1:25 variant cover by GREG RUTH 1:50 variant cover by TULA LOTAY 1:100 variant cover by KOUTA SASAI 1:250 variant cover by JIM LEE $4.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | (All covers card stock) ON SALE 10/25/22 As depicted in Matt Reeves’s hit movie The Batman, the Riddler wasn’t simply an amusing eccentric with an affinity for wordplay and baffling clues, but as terrifying a villain as any in the annals of the Dark Knight. Here you can see Edward Nashton evolve into the menace known as the Riddler. How did an unknown forensic accountant uncover the dark secrets of Gotham’s underworld and come so close to bringing down the entire city? This six-issue miniseries is an immediate prequel to The Batman—the detailed, disturbing, and at times shocking story of a man with nothing to lose. Artist Stevan Subic makes his American comics debut, including a variant cover that is the first of six interlocking covers. This collaboration with Dano delivers a shadowy and gritty tale of a society’s forgotten man who refuses to go unnoticed any longer. Subic’s recent Conan the Cimmerian for French publisher Glénat has brought him great acclaim in Europe, and he’s about to break out globally with a Batman series unlike any you’ve seen before.
Batman Gotham Knights- Gilded City is a prequel featuring characters from the Gotham Knights video game. This six-issue limited series debuts on October 25.
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS – GILDED CITY #1 Written by EVAN NARCISSE Art by ABEL Cover by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE 1:25 variant cover by CHRISTOPHER MITTEN 1:50 black-and-white variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS Wraparound variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS $4.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $5.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 10/25/22 A mysterious virus has infected Gotham City—turning its victims into rabid, yellow-irised maniacs driven to looting, theft, and bursts of anger. Batman and his Gotham Knights struggle to keep this strange virus contained while investigating its origins. But this is not the first time this unusual illness has overtaken the city. Take a trip to Gotham in the mid-1800s and meet the city’s first masked vigilante—the mysterious hero known only as the Runaway—as they, too, find themselves mired in the mystery of this infection! This thrilling and horrific tale, split between modern-day Gotham and the Gotham of 1847, leads directly into the upcoming video game Gotham Knights! Each issue will also offer a code for readers to redeem in the Gotham Knights game for an exclusive item. For issue 1, readers will receive a code for an exclusive skin variant for the Batcycle! Readers who redeem the codes for all 6 issues will receive a special 7th item!
I AM BATMAN writer John Ridley tackles the complex issues of today surrounding police accountability by way of a new story set in Gotham City. It arrives October 18th.
GCPD: THE BLUE WALL #1 Written by JOHN RIDLEY Art by STEFANO RAFFAELE Cover by REIKO MURAKAMI Variant cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA 1:25 variant cover by JORGE FORNES 1:50 case file variant cover $3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 10/18/22 Still relatively early in her tenure as GCPD commissioner, Renee Montoya sets out to rebuild her department and restore public faith in the historically troubled PD during some of the worst conditions it’s ever seen. But Renee can’t do it alone—in order for her plan to work, everyone from the topmost officials all the way down to the most fresh-faced new officers must contend with the harsh realities of being a symbol of law and order in a city of super-powered saviors and superhuman lawlessness. DC is proud to present GCPD: The Blue Wall by the stellar team of Academy Award-winning writer John Ridley and artist Stefano Raffaele. This six-part miniseries is a thought-provoking and riveting story of everyday people trying to do good in the midst of a flawed system. No one said protecting a city like Gotham would be easy.
SDCC continues until Sunday so many more titles could be announced at any point. Check Batman-News for further updates!
Batman News is the premier source for all things Batman and DC.
Not affiliated with Warner Bros. or DC Comics.
Heartbreakers – A Cult Fandom Community