Warning: contains a preview of Batman: Urban Legends #20!
The Dark Knight is about to get a Bloodborne-inspired redesign, with writer Jim Zub promising that Batman's new costume and weapons will give DC fans their very own "Batborne." While sharing his love for the FromSoftware videogame series on Twitter, Zub gave fans a look at Bruce Wayne's gothic armor in a preview for Batman: Urban Legends #20's 'Castle Arkham' story.
Heavily inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos, Bloodborne is an incredibly popular videogame which sees the player combating eldritch horrors in a Victorian setting. Set in the city of Yharnam, players combat diseased monstrosities infected by the mystical blood of beings styled after Lovecraft's Great Old Ones. Zub frequently shares his love of the game and other FromSoft titles on social media, with a recent instance resulting in the reveal that the upcoming 'Castle Arkham' will combine the game's iconic aesthetic with DC's Batman.
After noting that Bloodborne was trending on Twitter, Rick and Morty vs Cthulhu and Thunderbolts writer Jim Zub lamented that the game still hasn't been updated in the same style as Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro. Zub ended by saying, "Anyway, if they won't make more Bloodborne, I'll have to make my own," stating that the 'Castle Arkham' story appearing in anthology comic Batman: Urban Legends #20 is he and artist Max Dunbar "doing 'Batborne'." Zub shared two images - one of Dunbar's stunning cover for the issue, in which Batman battles a giant bat covered in glowing boils, and a close-up of the Dark Knight standing behind a flock of spectral green bats - potentially a spell he is casting in battle, similar to Elden Ring's summonable companions.
Batman Gets Medieval
So far, it's unclear how Batman will enter the gothic landscape depicted on the cover, though the issue's summary does promise fans "the world of Batman, monster hunter!" It's possible this will simply be an alternate reality, though Urban Legends' past focus on exploring eclectic corners of Gotham means it may also be the case that the Dark Knight will be teleported to a Bloodborne-esque reality. The cover shows Batman wielding a scythe and whip - two weapons which indeed appear in Bloodborne. Given that Batman is also wearing an era-appropriate costume that would be at home in the game, it seems clear that Castle Arkham will depict an entire society in a similar vein to Bloodborne, rather than Cthulhu-style monsters simply invading modern-day Gotham.
Interestingly, Zub teased in another tweet that if the story is a success, the creative team's "fingers are crossed" for an entire miniseries set in this world, making this potentially just the introduction of a dark new setting for Batman's adventures. As Zub stated on Twitter, Bloodborne has a huge and devoted audience even seven years after its initial release. With Batman's gothic aesthetic offering a perfect match for the twisted aesthetic of Yharnam, this unofficial Bloodborne/Batman crossover is a mash-up story made in heaven, and one that fans of both franchises will be desperate to get their hands on.
Batman: Urban Legends #20 is available October 11 from DC Comics.