Batman’s gone through plenty of tone and vibes shifts since his inception, and moreso over the last several years. From detective noir to dinosaur romps and mecha fights, that he’s able to switch between different tones is what’s made him such a fun character. For the summer, the Caped Crusader is becoming rather theatrical—well, more theatrical—courtesy of a new storyline headlined by a new creative team.
Taking over Detective Comics with the four-part “Gotham Nocturne” arc is the creative team of writer Ram V (Swamp Thing, Venom), artist Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire, Superman/Batman), and colorist Dave Stewart (Hellboy). Starting with issue #1062, Batman will be struck with a constant feeling of creeping dread, and that dread is spreading throughout the people of Gotham. The city’s hit with a musical melody that’s turning citizens into something pretty monstrous, and it’s naturally on him to sort things out. “The curtains are rising on a new, terrifying mystery,” teases the summary, “as Batman tries to figure out what’s happening to both the city he protects and his own mind in this lush, operatic mystery.”
For V, the appeal of getting to write Batman was “this blanket of tragedy” that hovered over him and all of Gotham. “When the opportunity first came across my desk, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it,” he said in a statement to DC. While praising his collaborators, he teased “Gotham Nocturne” would be a “quintessentially Batman story, told with the aesthetics of a gothic opera. It’s a thrill to be writing a title with the kind of history and pedigree that Detective Comics has.”
After “Nocture” ends, artist Ivan Reis (Aquaman, Superman) will pop in for a quartet of issues beginning in #1066, for a story that will “wind through the back alleys of Gotham City.” Albuquerque will return again for issue #1070. DC also revealed that a backup story will be included in each issue, written by Si Spurrier (Suicide Squad: Blaze, Legion of X) and drawn by Dani (Arkham City: Order of the World), focused on Jim Gordon’s try at being a private investigator.
Detective Comics #1062 will begin V and Albuquerque’s run on July 26.
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