DC Comics has announced a globally-inspired standalone hardcover anthology, Batman: The World, which features stories taking place across the globe featuring Batman in the creator’s home countries. Running 184 pages, the hardcover will be released on September 14, 2021.
Kicking off the anthology is a story from writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo (Batman: Damned, Joker, Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, Batman/Deathblow) in addition to a standout lineup of international writers and artists.
“Batman has grown into a true pop culture icon, known the world over,” said DC publisher and chief creative officer Jim Lee. “Batman: The World is DC’s way of showing fans everywhere that Batman is more than a character; Batman is a phenomenon that transcends languages and borders.”
Each country will have a unique cover for their select location. Check out the covers below.
Here’s the full lineup of creators and a few samples for a few of the countries (translated into English, of course!):
Mathieu Gabella (writer)/Thierry Martin (artist) – France
Paco Roca (writer/artist) – Spain
Alessandro Bilotta (writer)/Nicola Mari (artist) – Italy
Benjamin von Eckartsberg (writer)/Thomas von Kummant (artist) – Germany
Stepan Kopriva (writer)/Michal Suchánek (artist) – Czech Republic
Tomasz Kolodziejczak (writer)/Piotr Kowalski, Brad Simpson (artists) – Poland
Ertan Ergil (writer)/Ethem Onur Bilgiç (artist) – Turkey
Alberto Chimal (writer)/Rulo Valdés (artist) – Mexico
Carlos Estefan (writer)/Pedro Mauro (Artist) – Brazil
Inpyo Jeon (writer)/Jae-kwang Park, Kim Jung Gi (artists) – Korea)
Xu Xiaodong, Lu Xiaotong (writers)/Qiu Kun, Yi Nan (artists) – China
Kirill Kutuzov, Egor Prutov (writers)/Natalia Zaidova (artist) – Russia
Okadaya Yuichi (writer/artist) – Japan
For more on this news, read the official DC Comics press release below.
BURBANK, CA (May 26, 2021) – This September, DC takes Batman’s war on crime worldwide in a new hardcover anthology, Batman: The World. This 184-page book is a first-of-its-kind publishing event, featuring Batman stories by top creative teams from across the globe, taking place in their home countries. Batman: The World launches worldwide on Tuesday, September 14, 2021—just in time for Batman Day 2021 (Saturday, September 18, 2021). The complete anthology will be localized to the following international territories: North America, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Turkey, Mexico, Brazil, China, Korea, and Japan.
“Batman has grown into a true pop culture icon, known the world over,” said DC publisher and chief creative officer Jim Lee. “Batman: The World is DC’s way of showing fans everywhere that Batman is more than a character; Batman is a phenomenon that transcends languages and borders.”
Kicking off the anthology is a story from the award-winning duo of writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo (Batman: Damned, Joker, Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, Batman/Deathblow). In the story titled “Global City,” Batman reflects on his time in Gotham, protecting his city and its inhabitants from all manner of threats. But when he looks beyond the bridges, alleys, and skyscrapers, the Dark Knight realizes that the call for justice knows no borders, as there are wrongs to be righted everywhere. Their story sets off a series of tales chronicling Batman’s past and present, stories told by some of the best-known international voices in comics:
Mathieu Gabella (writer)/Thierry Martin (artist) – France
Paco Roca (writer/artist) – Spain
Alessandro Bilotta (writer)/Nicola Mari (artist) – Italy
Benjamin von Eckartsberg (writer)/Thomas von Kummant (artist) – Germany
Stepan Kopriva (writer)/Michal Suchánek (artist) – Czech Republic
Tomasz Kolodziejczak (writer)/Piotr Kowalski, Brad Simpson (artists) – Poland
Ertan Ergil (writer)/Ethem Onur Bilgiç (artist) – Turkey
Alberto Chimal (writer)/Rulo Valdés (artist) – Mexico
Carlos Estefan (writer)/Pedro Mauro (Artist) – Brazil
Inpyo Jeon (writer)/Jae-kwang Park, Kim Jung Gi (artists) – Korea)
Xu Xiaodong, Lu Xiaotong (writers)/Qiu Kun, Yi Nan (artists) – China
Kirill Kutuzov, Egor Prutov (writers)/Natalia Zaidova (artist) – Russia
Okadaya Yuichi (writer/artist) – Japan
Each international version of Batman: The World will also feature its own unique cover art by the local creative team. International publishing and distribution partners include Urban Comics (France), ECC Ediciones (Spain), Panini (Italy, Brazil, Germany), CREW (Czech Republic), Azbooka-Atticus (Russia), Egmont Polska (Poland), JBC (Turkey), Editorial Televisa (Mexico, Central America), Sigongsa (Korea), Starfish Media (China), and Shopro (Japan).
For the latest news on Batman: The World and the World’s Greatest Super Heroes, visit the DC website at www.dccomics.com, and follow @DCComics, @DCBatman and @thedcnation on social media.
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