Batman has never faced a deadlier threat in Gotham City than he will in a recently announced miniseries coming this December from writer and standout artist Jock. As Gotham City endures a blackout, the Dark Knight finds himself in a compromised position in Batman: One Dark Knight.
Three-time New York Times bestselling writer/artist Jock (The Batman Who Laughs, Batman: The Black Mirror, The Losers) is taking on his first solo Batman project under the banner of DC Black Label. In recent years, DC Black Label has been the place for writers and artists to go to explore unique versions of characters and reinvent the DC Universe, without the confines of mainstream canon. As Jock steps into the role of writer, it seems he has full creative freedom to embrace his bold artistic style and incorporate it into Gotham like the city has never seen before.
According to an announcement from DC Comics, Jock is taking the helm as key creator in a brand new Batman story, beginning in December 2021. Batman: One Dark Knight promises a darker and more mature story that pushes the Caped Crusader's action to the next level. Jock’s original vision has the potential to shake up the Batman mythos as fans fans know with the introduction of a fresh villain. The synopsis revealed in the announcement from DC reads, “When a simple GCPD escort goes sideways, Batman finds himself on the wrong end of Gotham City in the middle of a heat wave with a super-villain in tow. Follow Batman as he traverses block by block across a pitch dark Gotham City while dragging a highly difficult E.M.P. to his permanent home at Blackgate Prison. The dark corners of Gotham City contain many surprises… and E.M.P. plans to deliver many more shocks before the night is through!”
- BATMAN: ONE DARK KNIGHT
- Issue 1 of 3
- Written by JOCK
- Art and cover by JOCK
- $6.99 US | 48 PAGES
- Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG
- 1:25 “Blackout” cover by LEE GARBETT
- On Sale 12/7/21
Based on the preview art, it seems that although there’s a blackout during the Gotham heatwave, there are also fires throughout the city. It’s possible they were started by the mysterious villain E.M.P. - or citizens have resorted to starting wildfires themselves, as a Gotham without lights might be even more dangerous than a Gotham on fire. Jock teased that the lack of power in the city will make for a very different Gotham, saying, “I wanted to tell a propulsive, tight action tale, set over one typical night in Gotham City; except when a blackout strikes it’s a night that goes very, very wrong for Batman. I can’t wait to share more with everyone soon!”
Batman: One Dark Knight #1 will feature a variant cover by Cliff Chaing along with a 1:25 “Blackout” cover by Lee Garbett. The debut issue comes in at 48 pages, which is more than double the size of a typical monthly comic, and it’s likely that the two subsequent issues will be similarly lengthy. The first installment of Jock’s Batman: One Dark Knight releases on Tuesday, December 7 in both digital and print formats.
Source: DC Comics