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DC's Dark Knight is going global in a new original graphic novel called Batman: The World.
Creators from around the globe are teaming up for this Olympics-style international anthology that DC plans to release simultaneously in 15 countries on September 14 - with each country getting its own cover from the anthology's representative artist.
"Batman has grown into a true pop culture icon, known the world over," says DC's publisher/chief creative officer Jim Lee in the announcement. "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."
Here's a look at the covers:
The lead story will be from DC's US representative creators, writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo. In their story, titled 'Global City,' the Dark Knight will reflect on his time as protector of Gotham City and come to the realization that his fight for justice shouldn't end at the borders of his hometown.
Here is the list of the creators involved in the 184-page OGN, and the countries they represent:
- USA: writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo
- France: writer Mathieu Gabelle and artist Thierry Martin
- Spain: writer/artist Paco Roca
- Italy: writer Alessandro Bilotta and artist Nicola Mari
- Germany: writer Benjamin Von Eckartsberg and artist Thomas Von Kummant
- Czech Republic: writer Stephan Kopriva and artist Michael Suchanek
- Poland: writer Tomasz Kolodziejczak and artists Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson
- Turkey: writer Ertan Ergil and artist Ethem Onur Bilgic
- Mexico: writer Alberto Chimal and artist Rulo Valdes
- Brazil: writer Carlos Estefan and artist Pedro Mauro
- Korea: writer Inpyo Jeon and artists Jae-Kwan Park and Kim Jung Ji
- China: writers Xu Xiadong and Lu Xiaotong, with artists Qui Kun and Yi Nan
- Russia: writers Kirill Kutuzov and Egor Prutov with artist Natalia Zaidova
- Japan: writer/artist Okadaya Yuichi
DC and its various international publishing partners plan for Batman: The World to go on sale on September 14 simultaneously in all 15 of these countries. Each of the countries' representative creators are setting it in their home country, and these international editions will have a main cover by those representatives.
"This global collaboration is the first of its kind for DC, so join us for this phenomenon, proving that Batman is a true pop culture icon - and that the call for justice knows no borders," reads DC's description of Batman: The World.
Unfortunately, it seems two of DC's major markets - Canada and the United Kingdom - aren't represented in this publishing event.
Batman: The World is timed to coincide with DC's annual Batman Day event, which for this year is scheduled for September 18. This annual international celebration of Batman is usually held on the third Saturday of September.
Keep track of this and all the new Batman comics, graphic novels, and collections on the horizon.
