Batman remains DC’s hottest property, so should they restart the franchise with a new number one when the current creative team leaves in early 2025?
Since I’m a long-time Bat-fan, I’m always intrigued by all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans dealing with the Dark Knight. And right now, that’s particularly interesting to me!
Granted, I’m having to rely on the “infallible” word of the Internet (which never gets anything wrong, am I right?) for what seems to be happening, but here goes!
Recently, word hit the Bat-fans that current Batman scribe Chip Zdarsky, because of a serious overload in obligations, is leaving the Batman title once he and Jorge Jimenez wrap up the current Zur-en-Arrh storyline by issue #517.
I have often in this column expressed my exasperation with Batman going back to his 1950’s sci-fi roots instead of being Gotham City’s Dark Knight. So I’m actually feeling pretty good knowing that storyline will soon be coming to a close, hopefully with a massive galactic reset getting Batman back to his REAL roots.
So, what’s DC to do with what sure seems to be their flagship title? After all, a great many other comics have to do with the Dark Knight, so they need to keep that little red engine performing strongly! I used to joke that DC should be called “BC” as in “Batman Comics” since so many titles have to do with the Dark Knight and his supporting cast of characters.
Apparently, they want to bring back the creative team from the “Hush” storyline to helm the Batman title. Is that a wise idea?
Many people are familiar with the story behind the “Hush” tale. Briefly, as I understand it, Dan DiDio promised Jim Lee a bonus if he could turn in 12 months’ worth of this story that had been scripted by Jeph Loeb adding something new to the Batman mythos. He did it, and the rest is history. He’s now one of the biggest names in DC, if not THE biggest!
The character they developed, Hush, has kind of been seen in the background of Batman stories over the years since then. He’s what the creators at DC have tried to make several times before, and that is an alternate version of Bruce Wayne. Honestly, none of those attempts have lasted for one reason or another, be it editorial concern or creators not being available. But it looks like DC is getting ready to revive this storyline to give this guy another go. Maybe they’ll actually show some kind of resolution to that first tale!
Will it work? Rumor has it that Mr. Lee has been drawing for months now, banking up issues for when Zdarsky leaves Batman. Jim is a very busy guy these days, with all the hats he’s wearing at DC. He nearly went over to join the X-Men reboot at Marvel, I hear. DC would be a very different place if that had happened!
Of course, the question is, should DC continue the current numbering with that comic or restart the series with a new number one? If the collectors get their way, the latter will happen. After all, you can always show the “legacy” number as well on the cover, so why not?
Hey, Marvel does that all the time! It’s very rare that a comic actually goes beyond #50 in the House of Ideas!
So, if I had to plunk some money down and actually bet on what will happen, I would expect DC to honor the wishes of collectors and go back to a number one issue. The big concern is: Just what “legacy” number would you put on that cover? 518? Or the number going back to when Batman actually got his individual comic back in the 1940s? That’s going to take some ironing out, if possible!
The trick is, though, can DC catch what people often call “lightning in a bottle” another time? A lot of water has gone under the bridge since that original “Hush” tale took place, so can Loeb and Lee recapture what they made happen all those years back? And will it be as good while moving the story forward?
Again, if the collectors reign supreme, sales will either rise or stay the same with the Batman title. And who isn’t interested in a new number one focusing on the Dark Knight? Just look at the recent sales for Absolute Batman #1! I think they just did a third reprint of that issue for local comics shops!
Of course, another possibility is that they will make this story its own separate mini-series, which DC wanted to have happen back when that initial tale was told. All we fans can do is sit back and munch on our popcorn while we wait to see which direction DC goes!
At the moment, it looks like this return to Hush will be released in March or April of 2025.
It doesn’t look like the Dark Knight will be slowing down any after a big 2024. We’ve seen Batman in space, an alternate “absolute” Batman, Batman in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, and Batman apparently getting ready to launch the updated Justice League in the next month or so.
The Dark Knight sure gets around! And as long as fans keep buying his various titles, I expect to see even more Bat-Family and Batbooks in 2025.
I just posted an interview with CRC Payne, who writes the very successful WebToon called Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, which DC occasionally collects and releases. It’s very much a “what happens when Batman and company are NOT in the middle of the big adventures we read in his various titles” kind of series. I really enjoy it, so I highly recommend it to all my friends. It comes out online weekly, so I always get a new Bat-story every Thursday!
Truth is, I don’t see Batman slowing down anytime soon. As a fan of his for decades, that certainly makes me happy! Honestly, I’ve enjoyed the various writers on Batman, including Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and others (not so much Mr. Zdarsky, sadly), and I doubt DC would let the Dark Knight fade away as he tried to do back a few decades. Detective is back and taking names right now, too! I’m going to happily buy and read all they make, so keep it going, DC! You’re making me a VERY happy Bat-Fan!
What do you think? Will Mr. Lee and Mr. Loeb be able to make good things happen with Batman and Hush again? Is there another creative team you would like to see spend time on the Dark Knight? What else should DC do to keep Batman “flying high?” Whatever your opinion, feel free to share it in the space below!
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Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.