DC Comics Relaunches Batman: New #1, Costume

2025 is poised to be a monumental year for DC's iconic Batman comic series. Chip Zdarsky recently concluded his tenure with Batman #157, setting the stage for Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's much-anticipated Hush 2 storyline, slated for March. Following the conclusion of Hush 2, DC plans to relaunch Batman with a fresh #1 issue, featuring a new writer and a revamped costume.

During the ComicsPro retailer event, DC revealed that Matt Fraction, renowned for his work on Uncanny X-Men and The Invincible Iron Man, will helm the new volume of Batman. Jorge Jimenez, the current Batman artist, will continue his role and collaborate with Fraction to introduce a new costume and Batmobile for the series. Batman's traditional black and gray suit will be replaced with a more vintage-inspired blue and gray ensemble. Take a look at the new Batsuit below:

Art by Jorge Jimenez. (Image Credit: DC)

"I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Batman. It was the first comic I ever read," Fraction shared. "Jorge and I have a very superhero-forward kind of take on Batman. We’ve got a new Batmobile, we’ve got a new costume, we’ve got new characters, and we’ve got a lot of old ones too—good and bad; all the stuff that makes Batman the coolest character in comics. We want to celebrate it all."

Batman #1 is scheduled for release in September 2025.

In addition to the Batman news, DC unveiled further details about the future of the Superman line during ComicsPro, as part of the ongoing "Summer of Superman" event. Supergirl is set to receive a new series and a new costume designed by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau. Sophie Campbell, known for her work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will both write and illustrate the new series, which sees Kara Zor-El returning to Midvale.

"I came up in the comics industry doing mostly graphic novels that I wrote and drew myself, so doing the same with Supergirl feels like I’m returning to my storytelling roots," Campbell stated. "My main touchstones to Kara Zor-El were the stories and the wild costumes from the 70’s, the 1984 Supergirl movie, and The CW show, which I was a huge fan of. In creating this version of Supergirl, I’ll be drawing on some of those influences as the series unfolds."

Supergirl #1 is slated for release on May 14.

Art by Stanley Lau (Image Credit: DC)

Furthermore, Action Comics is set to introduce a new creative team, with Mark Waid, writer of Justice League Unlimited, teaming up with Skylar Patridge, artist of Resonant. Their series will focus on Clark Kent's teenage years in Smallville, delving into how he grappled with his emerging powers as Superboy.

"I start the book with Clark as a 15-year-old boy, learning to be a superhero for the first time," Waid explained. "What is that like, learning to use your powers at that age? What kind of challenges are you facing? Skylar and I are also bringing Smallville a little more up to date—it still has that rustic feel to it, but farms don’t look like that anymore."

Waid and Patridge's run will commence with Action Comics #1087 in June.

Lastly, DC has announced a five-issue miniseries for Krypto, titled Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, as part of the DC All In initiative. Written by Ryan North, known for his work on Fantastic Four, and illustrated by Mike Norton, famous for Revival, the series will delve deeper into Krypto's origin story than ever before.

"Krypto's origin has always been done at kind of a high level," North said. "The little guy starts out on Krypton, ends up on Earth, and helps Superman fight crime. The chance to really define Krypto—to show what a little lost dog would go through if he landed all alone on a strange alien world named Earth—was really enticing. And I also fell in love with the idea of treating Krypto as the actual dog he is: he doesn't talk, and we don't cheat by reading his thoughts in balloons either. Mike Norton’s art captures exactly what needs to be ‘said’ in every scene."

Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1 is set to be released on June 18.