Batman writer explains Dark Knight's new costume

Features
By published

And how it fits within his plans going forward

(Image credit: DC)

Amidst DC's October 2020 solicitations was the reveal of a variant cover for Batman #100 showing off a very different, and frankly Clooney-esque Batman costume for the Dark Knight. Batman's primary writer James Tynion IV has now come out explaining the costume - and seemingly backtracking on assumptions this is Batman's new costume, as even inferred by DC.

(Image credit: DC)

"This is not Batman's new costume moving forward," Tynion tweeted. "This is a costume that appears in 'The Joker War' story, but is not Batman's new suit moving forward. We only see him wear it in a dream sequence. It has a very, very specific story purpose."

For some, the costume evokes the high-tech ice armor look of George Clooney's final Batman & Robin costume (minus the nipples of course). The costume made its comics debut in this week's Batman #95 in an apparent dream sequence.

DC revealed the costume as part of a series of variant covers showing off new costumes for Batman and the various characters involved in 'The Joker War.' That event culminates in Batman #100, which DC says will be "a city-shattering conclusion…"

(Image credit: DC)

"This is a fight 80 years in the making, and its outcome won't just change Batman's life - it will change Gotham City for years to come!" reads DC's description of the story. "Plus, catch the first glimpse of the new villain known as Ghost-Maker! And after the senses-shattering conclusion of 'The Joker War' come a pair of short stories that will chart what's to come in Gotham City and Batman."

So that means the current costume - the 'Hush' era costume Batman re-adopted in 2018 - is still the one going forward.

Batman #100 goes on sale October 6.

Chris Arrant
Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)