Earlier today DC’s blog, The Source, and the New York Post both broke the details of what will be happening in the Batman titles once Bruce Wayne makes his return. I believe there are some pretty surprising and interesting things in store for the Bat-books when things kick off this November. Here is the breakdown of what will be going on:
- There will be more than one Batman.
- Dick Grayson will stay as the main protector of Gotham City and will be featured in Batman and Robin, Batman, and Detective Comics while keeping Damien Wayne as his Robin.
- Bruce Wayne as Batman will be featured in the new Batman: The Dark Knight (Written and drawn by David Finch), and Batman Inc. (Written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Yanick Paquette) where Bruce decides that Batman can be a global symbol and influence the world and decides to franchise out the Dark Knight.
- Grayson’s Bat costume will feature the lone black bat symbol on his chest, whereas Bruce’s will feature the classic black bat on yellow.
Those are the basics, but here are the two articles as well.
DC’s Source Post:
As THE NEW YORK POST broke this morning, not only will Bruce Wayne be returning to a new set of Batman duds, but his first sidekick, Dick Grayson, will continue to fight crime on the streets of Gotham as Batman, and under the banner of “Batman Inc.”
But what does that mean for the Batman titles moving forward?
We’ve got the breakdown for you here. Fear not.
Starting in November, DETECTIVE COMICS, BATMAN and BATMAN AND ROBIN will feature the ongoing adventures of Dick Grayson as Batman, with Damian as Robin. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne will take center stage in the pages of Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette’s BATMAN INC. and writer/artist David Finch’s BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT.
What does this mean for Bruce and Dick Grayson? Can the world handle two Batmen? We can’t give everything away here, but we did manage to corner Batman Group Editor Mike Marts for a quick tease, and a look at an amazing spread from the first issue of BATMAN INC. Take it away, Mike:
“Just as readers were getting comfortable with the idea of former sidekick Dick Grayson playing the role of Batman, along comes Bruce Wayne’s triumphant return to the Cape and Cowl. Is Gotham City ready for two Batmen? Is the world? And who’s to say the fun will end there?”
And the NY Post article:
The Joker isn’t going to be wild about this, but there will soon be not one, but two Batmen defending Gotham City.
After years toiling as Bruce Wayne’s wingman in the comic-book series, Dick Grayson — better known as Robin — will now share top billing with the Dark Knight, DC Comics told The Post.
Grayson had already unofficially taken the reins as the Caped Crusader while Bruce Wayne was lost traveling through time (don’t ask), but upon his return to Gotham City in October, Wayne decides that just one Batman isn’t enough.
In fact, two might not be enough either, DC publisher Dan DiDio said.
“Bruce Wayne realizes that he can’t just be the grim avenger he was before,” DiDio said. “He wants to be more aggressive in his reach, and realizes the change that Batman as a symbol can effect around the world.”
In the new title, “Batman Inc.,” Wayne does what any billionaire would: build a Starbucks-style franchise of Dark Knights.
“Without giving too much away here, we wanted to show how Batman can have a global influence,” he said.
Joining the two Batmen will be Bruce Wayne’s troubled son, Damian, who had already taken on the role of Robin after his father disappeared.
“So aside from the new interaction between the two Batmen, there’s the interesting relationship between Bruce Wayne and his son,” DiDio said.
To avoid confusion between the two Batmen, Grayson’s costume features just the black bat logo, whereas Wayne’s will include the black bat over a yellow moon.
As for Grayson, the Boy Wonder is now all grown up, DiDio said.
“Grayson’s role really is the protector of Gotham City,” he said. “But we thought it only made sense for Bruce Wayne, a billionaire, to take a more global view.”