DC Comics has announced a new crossover coming in the fall — Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War, part of their Dawn of DC publishing initiative. The story will run through two one-shots, the regular Batman and Catwoman titles, and a miniseries that will focus on The Red Hood.
Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard, writers of Batman and Catwoman, have been working toward this story since they each started on their respective title.
“From the moment Tini and I started working on these titles, we realized we had a huge opportunity to build toward something that would shake up the power structure of Gotham City,” Zdarsky said. “The Gotham War is just that: relationships explode, relationships are formed, and it all leads to massive changes! Being able to take these kinds of big swings together has been extremely exciting.”
Here’s the description from DC:
A coordinated effort in Gotham City has led to a reduction in violent crime, but at what cost? Villains scatter as their lives begin to crumble under a new regime. And as Batman recovers from his epic battle through the Multiverse and the horrors of Knight Terrors, one name runs through his mind. One name at the heart of this new, safer Gotham: Catwoman.
“Comics thrive on team-ups. Whether it’s a team of creators or a heroic partnership, all of my favorite stories are about two strong personalities and the space between them,” said Howard. “On the page, we’ve got one of comics’ greatest love stories: the world’s greatest detective and the world’s greatest criminal. And they both love Gotham City. But the course of true love never did run smooth.”
The action kicks off in Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Battle Lines #1, which arrives Aug. 29. It’s written by Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard, with art by Mike Hawthorne and Adriano Di Benedetto. Jorge Jimenez did the main cover, seen above, while Joe Quesada, Kael Ngu and Otto Schmidt are doing variants:
The second part of takes place in the pages of Batman #137, available on Sept. 5, written by Chip Zdarsky with art and main cover by Jorge Jimenez. “Batman descends on Gotham City, full of rage and force, more driven than ever to save his home. But the new landscape has turned friends into foes. Can anyone stop his reign of terror? Should they?” The issue will also feature variant covers by Joe Quesada, Gabriele Dell’otto, Rose Besch and Salvador Larroca:
Catwoman #57 arrives Sept. 19, written by Tini Howard with art by Nico Leon. “While Batman finds himself more and more isolated, Selina is never alone. With a volunteer army and two powerful generals by her side, the ballet between her and Bruce enters its next act with a shocking twist.” Catwoman #57 features a main cover by David Nakayama and variants by Jamie McKelvie, Joshua “Sway” Swaby and Rian Gonzales:
The two-issue Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Red Hood from writer Matthew Rosenberg with artist Nikola Čižmešija will kick off Sept. 26. “The Gotham War has fractured the Bat-Family in dramatic ways—none more intensely than with Jason Todd. This stunning event will forever alter the destiny of the man who wears the Red Hood!”
Everything wraps up on Halloween with the release of Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War – Scorched Earth #1.
“I don’t want to spoil anything, but with Selina’s recent breakout from jail and Bruce’s struggles with Zur-En-Arrh, things are going to get intense in Gotham,” added Zdarsky.
Finally, let’s not forget the updated Dawn of DC graphic:
I played with it in Photoshop but didn’t see any hidden images, so I’ll be curious to see if anyone else found anything.
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