So rumor had it that DC was supposed to announce the titles of all the Bat-books today. Well, that rumor ended up being true as twelve titles were named between IGN and DC's The Source. Let's take a look at what we can expect from The Batman Universe come September.
First up, IGN and DC announced that the main Batman series, Detective Comics and Batman, would be getting renumbered back to #1. They announced the creators attached to each project as well. For Detective Comics, Tony Daniel will once again be handling writing and art duties as he has in the past in Batman. For Batman, Scott Snyder will be writing and art will be done by the newly acquired Greg Capullo. Below are the covers, as well as the descriptions per DC.
Detective Comics #1: DC Comics’ flagship title is relaunched for the first time ever in DETECTIVE COMICS #1 by acclaimed writer/artist Tony Daniel. Marking the first time Batman will appear in a debut issue of Detective Comics, the series will find Bruce Wayne on the trail of a dangerous serial killer known only as the Gotham Ripper.
Batman #1: In the first BATMAN #1 since 1930, New York Times bestselling writer Scott Snyder teams up with superstar artist Greg Capullo in his DC Comics debut! In the series, Bruce Wayne once again becomes the only character taking on the Batman name.
Next up, IGN revealed that Batman and Robin as well as Batman: The Dark Knight will be returning, although with slightly different stories. A past creative team for Batman and Robin returns with Peter Tomasi writing and Patrick Gleason drawing. David Finch continues his take on Bruce Wayne as Batman with art help by Jay Fabok.
Batman and Robin #1: In BATMAN AND ROBIN #1, the acclaimed creative team of Peter Tomasi and Pat Gleason will explore the family dynamic of the Caped Crusader as Bruce Wayne battles the Gotham underworld with the help of his son, Damian, in the role of Robin.
Batman: The Dark Knight #1: In BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT, superstar artist David Finch writes and draws a twisted adventure that pulls Bruce Wayne deep into the halls of the famed Arkham Asylum, a jail for Gotham City’s most dangerous and criminally deranged. Finch will team up with collaborator Jay Fabok on pencils.
The next bit of reveals involved the women of Gotham City as the articles put it. We found out that there will be series for Batgirl, Birds of Prey, Catwoman and the already known Batwoman. Batgirl will feature Barbara Gordon as the title character and the creative team will see Gail Simone writing and artists Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes. Birds of Prey will be written by Duane Swierczynski with art from Jesus Saiz. Catwoman will see Judd Winck team with Guillem March. Batwoman was already known but will launch with the rest of the series with the team of J.H. Williams III, Haden Blackman and Amy Reeder.
Batgirl #1: Batgirl’s going to have to face the city’s most horrifying new villains as well as dark secrets from her past in BATGIRL #1, the stunning debut issue from fan-favorite writer Gail Simone and artists Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes.
Birds of Prey #1: The Birds of Prey are Gotham City’s covert ops team, taking down the villains other heroes can’t touch. Mystery novelist and comics writer Duane Swierczynski teams up with Jesus Saiz for BIRDS OF PREY #1, the first issue of the hard-hitting new series.
Catwoman #1: Meet Catwoman. She’s addicted to the night. Addicted to shiny objects. Addicted to Batman. Most of all, Catwoman is addicted to danger. She can’t help herself, and the truth is – she doesn’t want to. She’s good at being bad, and very bad at being good. Find out more about what makes Catwoman tick in CATWOMAN #1, written by Judd Winick and illustrated by Guillem March.
Batwoman #1: The highly-anticipated new series from the multiple award-winning creative team of J.H. Williams III, Haden Blackman and Amy Reeder begins in BATWOMAN #1.
In addition to the cover and solicitation, The Source shared some words from Gail Simone about writing Barbara Gordon as Batgirl:
“Barbara Gordon is pretty much my everything. Because of the Batman TV show, she was the reason I fell in love with superheroes. Because she was a redhead who could kick ass, she is the reason I fell in love with comics. She was always forward-looking as Batgirl, a girl who was smarter than the male characters, who had class and elegance and style, as well as tough-as-nails grit. For a long time, there was simply nothing else like her in comics, and for me and a lot of other readers, her every appearance was joyful and explosive.
For many years, I got to write the character as Oracle, and there is to this day, no character who means more to me. This is classic Barbara as she was originally conceived, with a few big surprises. It’s a bit of a shock, to be sure, but we’re doing everything we can to be respectful to this character’s amazing legacy, while presenting something thrilling that a generation of comics readers will be experiencing for the first time…
…Barbara Gordon leaping, fighting, and swinging over Gotham. Now, when citizens of that city look up, they are going to see BATGIRL.
And that is absolutely thrilling.”
The next set of books announced were the supporting men of the Bat-books. This includes Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and the recent addition to The Batman Universe, Batwing. Dick Grayson will return to being Nightwing and Kyle Higgins will be writing it alongside Eddy Barrows on art. Jason Todd will have his own team in the series Red Hood and the Outlaws written by Scott Lobdell and drawn by Kenneth Rocafort. Batwing will appear in his self-titled series written by Judd Winick with art by Ben Oliver.
Nightwing #1: After a tenure as the Batman of Gotham, Dick Grayson resumes his mantle as Nightwing! As Dick embraces his identity, Haley’s Circus, the big top where he once performed with his family, returns to Gotham – bringing with it a history of murder, mystery and superhuman evil. Nightwing must confront friends and enemies from his past as he searches for the source of an even greater evil. NIGHTWING will be written by Kyle Higgins with art duties handled by fan-favorite Eddy Barrows.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #1: Batman’s former sidekick had put his past as The Red Hood behind him, when the reclusive Jason Todd finds himself unwillingly elected as the leader of an all-new team of outlaw vigilantes. As The Red Hood once again, Jason Todd will lead this new team of antiheroes, including Green Arrow’s rejected sidekick Arsenal and Starfire, a former prisoner of intergalactic war. RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS will be written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by rising superstar artist Kenneth Rocafort.
Batwing #1: This September, join with us in this historic moment when the first black character to wear the Batman mantle will be the first to star in his own ongoing series. BATWING will be written by Judd Winick and illustrated by Ben Oliver.
That is eleven titles. The last announcement was that Grant Morrison will be continuing his story in the pages of Batman Incorporated with a new issue one early 2012 with the next part of his story. Morrison shared these comments about the title.
“Batman, Incorporated will continue through to Issue #10 and August’s shocking season finale that changes the Batman status quo yet again. The series will take a brief hiatus while I work on a major new project to be announced shortly. Batman, Incorporated returns next year with me, Chris Burnham and Batman: Leviathan, the epic 12 part conclusion to my 6 year Batman saga. Don’t miss it!”
So there you have it. Twelve Bat-books total round out the new Batman Universe. Some characters may have not been mentioned in these announcements, but have faith Bat-fans as there are still over thirty series yet to be announced by DC in under a week.
Posted by Dustin Fritschel
