DC is returning fans to the classic superhero movie universes of Tim Burton’s gothic Batman and Richard Donner’s iconic Superman. The publisher has recently announced that their upcoming Superman ’78 and Batman ’89 digital first series releases will tell new stories set within these cinematic universes and feature the likenesses of the actors involved.
The first series, Batman ’89, will be scripted by Screenwriter Sam Hamm with artistry by Joe Quinones. The comics are said to pull on a number of threads left dangling by the creative director and is set to “usher in the return of Selina Kyle/Catwoman” and “debut a new Robin!” Fans will also be excited to know that “Quinones has a vision for Harvey Dent/Two-Face that is as close to movie magic as a comic can get!”
Writer Rob Venditti and artist Wilfredo Torres will tackle the second series, Superman ’78. This comic will be a continuation of the Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve Superman movies and promises a world where “bystanders are surprised and delighted by Superman’s abilities, and Lois Lane doesn’t (yet!) know that Clark Kent is secretly Superman.”
Batman ’89 and Superman ’78 will debut with six digital chapters of each new series on July 27. This will be followed by the release of six new chapters set to release weekly for each series. The twelve chapters of each new series will also publish as six printed comics between August and October and as hardcover collections in October (Batman ’89) and November (Superman ’78).
The official synopses for each title are below:
Continuing the twisted adventures of DC’s Dark Knight from Tim Burton’s seminal classic Batman movies, Batman ’89 brings in screenwriter Sam Hamm (Batman, Batman Returns) and artist Joe Quinones (Dial H for Hero) to pull on a number of threads left dangling by the prolific director. The gothic mentality behind the world, while still rooted in a sense of realism, helped inform many of DC’s global fans’ first impressions on the Dark Knight’s Gotham. In the new Batman ’89 comic, Hamm and Quinones will help usher in the return of Selina Kyle/Catwoman and will debut a new Robin! Plus, Quinones has a vision for Harvey Dent/Two-Face that is as close to movie magic as a comic can get!
And in the vein of DC’s plans for Batman ’89, Rob Venditti (Hawkman) and Wilfredo Torres (Batman ’66) will collaborate on Superman ’78 to tell stories set within the world Richard Donner and Christopher Reeves created in Superman: The Movie. In Superman ’78, bystanders are surprised and delighted by Superman’s abilities, and Lois Lane doesn’t (yet!) know that Clark Kent is secretly Superman. The sheer thrill of seeing a man fly, leap, or stop a bullet will be reflected in this environment where Superman has just been introduced! Inspired by Donner’s classic, timeless style of superhero storytelling, in Superman ’78 Venditti and Torres will show fans that a man can truly fly.
Are you looking forward to the upcoming DC movie-inspired comics? What questions are you hoping to have answered in the upcoming comic book expansions of Superman ’78 and Batman ’89?
