DC Comics has revealed the cover and artwork for Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story, the newest book for their Young Adult imprint. The graphic novel will focus on the romance between Nora Kumar and Victor Fries before she becomes frozen and he becomes Mr. Freeze. Though the romance between Victor and Nora has been portrayed many times in DC Comics and other adaptations, this will be the first time DC has explored how the tragic lovers met.
Written by Lauren Myracle with art by Isaac Goodhart, Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story looks to put a YA spin on Mr. Freeze. Myracle and Goodhart previously worked together on Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale, also for DC's Young Adult imprint. DC's Young Adult imprint is a series of graphic novels that reinterprets classic DC characters for a young adult audience. Previous entries include Teen Titans: Raven, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, and Wonder Woman: Warbringer - The Graphic Novel which was released in January.
In a press release, DC Comics stated that Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story would be released on November 3, 2020. The press release reveals panels from early in the novel when Victor and Nora have just met in front of the grave of Victor's brother Otto. Taking place in an alternate reality to the mainline DC universe, Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story shows us a younger Victor who is racked with guilt over the death of his brother.
DC Comics has been making a concerted effort to increase its presence in the YA genre ever since 2019 with the release of Mera: Tidebreaker. Previously under the DC Ink imprint, DC moved away from imprints and towards a simpler age-based system. Though this move didn't result in the cancelation of any titles, the name change did result in popular imprints like DC Ink and Vertigo being abandoned. Despite the name change, DC's Young Adult imprint is moving forward with sixteen books planned to release in 2020 alone.
Though these releases might seem odd to some mainstream comic fans, DC's Graphic Novels for Young Adults have been met with a warm reception. Myracle and Goodhart's take on Catwoman offered a refreshing take on one of Batman's most iconic villains, so it will be interesting to see what the writer and artist duo do with Mr. Freeze. Mr. Freeze is often treated as one of Batman's most morally complex villains. Unlike Joker, Two-Face, and the Penguin, Mr. Freeze isn't motivated by cruelty or greed but instead by a need to save his wife. Expanding on the love between Victor and Nora is a smart move for DC and seems like a natural fit for the YA genre.
Despite a well-loved depiction in Batman: The Animated Series, other adaptations of Mr. Freeze have left many comic readers feeling cold. Fans can only hope that Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story offers the character a little more warmth.