2025 is set to be a monumental year for DC's iconic Batman comic series. Chip Zdarsky has concluded his run with Batman #157, making way for the much-anticipated Hush 2 storyline by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, slated for March. Following Hush 2, DC is set to relaunch Batman with a fresh start, featuring a new #1 issue, a new writer, and an exciting new costume.
At the ComicsPro retailer event, it was announced that the new volume of Batman will be penned by Matt Fraction, known for his work on Uncanny X-Men and The Invincible Iron Man. Current Batman artist Jorge Jimenez will continue his role, collaborating with Fraction to introduce a new costume and Batmobile. Batman will don a vintage-inspired blue and gray suit, a departure from the traditional black and gray. Here’s a glimpse of the new Batsuit:
Art by Jorge Jimenez. (Image Credit: DC)
Matt Fraction expressed his excitement, stating, "I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Batman. It was the first comic I ever read. Jorge and I have a very superhero-forward kind of take on Batman. We’ve got a new Batmobile, we’ve got a new costume, we’ve got new characters, and we’ve got a lot of old ones too—good and bad; all the stuff that makes Batman the coolest character in comics. We want to celebrate it all."
The new Batman #1 is scheduled for release in September 2025.
In addition to the Batman developments, DC shared more details about the future of the Superman line during the ComicsPro event, continuing their "Summer of Superman" initiative. Supergirl is set to receive her own new series and a new costume designed by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau. Sophie Campbell, known for her work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will take on the roles of writer and artist for the series, which will see Kara Zor-El returning to Midvale.
Campbell shared her enthusiasm, saying, "I came up in the comics industry doing mostly graphic novels that I wrote and drew myself, so doing the same with Supergirl feels like I’m returning to my storytelling roots. My main touchstones to Kara Zor-El were the stories and the wild costumes from the 70’s, the 1984 Supergirl movie, and The CW show, which I was a huge fan of. In creating this version of Supergirl, I’ll be drawing on some of those influences as the series unfolds."
Supergirl #1 is set to hit the shelves on May 14.
Art by Stanley Lau (Image Credit: DC)
Furthermore, Action Comics is set to introduce a new creative team, with Mark Waid, the writer of Justice League Unlimited, and Skylar Patridge, the artist of Resonant, at the helm. Their focus will shift to Clark Kent's teenage years in Smallville, exploring his journey as he learns to harness his powers as Superboy.
Waid commented, "I start the book with Clark as a 15-year-old boy, learning to be a superhero for the first time. What is that like, learning to use your powers at that age? What kind of challenges are you facing? Skylar and I are also bringing Smallville a little more up to date—it still has that rustic feel to it, but farms don’t look like that anymore."
Their run begins with Action Comics #1087, slated for release in June.
Lastly, DC has announced a five-issue miniseries for Krypto as part of the DC All In initiative. Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, written by Ryan North (Fantastic Four) and illustrated by Mike Norton (Revival), will delve deeper into Krypto's origin story than ever before.
Ryan North remarked, "Krypto's origin has always been done at kind of a high level. The little guy starts out on Krypton, ends up on Earth, and helps Superman fight crime. The chance to really define Krypto—to show what a little lost dog would go through if he landed all alone on a strange alien world named Earth—was really enticing. And I also fell in love with the idea of treating Krypto as the actual dog he is: he doesn't talk, and we don't cheat by reading his thoughts in balloons either. Mike Norton’s art captures exactly what needs to be ‘said’ in every scene."
Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1 is scheduled for release on June 18.
Also at ComicsPro, Marvel announced the relaunch of Captain America this summer, with Chip Zdarsky writing and Valerio Schiti drawing the book. Additionally, there was an early look at Godzilla's new interconnected comic book universe.
