Ton Taylor and Andy Kubert are taking Batman on a European vacation this April — only it’s not the present-day Batman, but an older, “hardened” version of the character.
Batman: The Dark Knight features a Bruce Wayne with “a lifetime of broken bones but not a broken spirit” heading to the United Kingdom for a very personal mission.
“This series is a different take on the character than I had done before,” said Kubert. “Every story that I have done with Batman has been different in tone, and the art takes on a life of its own as the story dictates. Batman and Son, Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader and Dark Knight III-The Master Race along with Flashpoint Batman, had their own look and feel for that particular story. Batman: The Dark Knight is no different.”
Here’s how Dc describes the series: But how does this Batman story begin? A horrific tragedy in the United Kingdom sends a very personal and deadly message to the Dark Knight—one that will draw Batman out of Gotham City to investigate! From the moment he lands in Europe, Batman will face a challenging investigation, unheard-of adversaries, and find the assistance of a partner once more—all in the hunt for the villain known as Equilibrium! And what does “BATMAN 147” mean to Bruce Wayne when it appears after a deadly plane crash—is it a clue, or a riddle? Or just another trap for the Batman?
And who is Batman’s new partner? All signs point to Knight or Squire (from the pages of Batman Incorporated) to help Batman crack this case, but who are the people behind these aliases, and how much will an aging Bruce Wayne be able to help them with cracked ribs, or a dislocated shoulder, or the pain associated with being Batman in the first place? When will enough be enough for the Dark Knight?
“When editor Ben Abernathy and Andy came to me with an idea for a world-weary Batman leaving Gotham for Europe,” Taylor said, “I immediately thought of the great stories I’d read of an older, cynical Batman. But the challenge was finding the call to adventure for a Batman who’s a little more jaded. Fortunately, I already had something up my sleeve. I actually pitched a Batman idea to Ben Abernathy all the way back in 2012 and, nine years later, we were able to find a place for this in Batman: The Dark Knight. The idea was about taking something away from Batman that no one’s ever tried to take before. And from that, a new, unique Batman villain was born. It’s all about Equilibrium.”
The six-issue series will begin April 13. Check out some preview page below.
