DC’s new era of Batman is already a blockbuster success, as Batman #1 officially sells out and moves into a second printing run. The news comes from the comic’s artist Jorge Jiménez, and likely augurs a significant run for the Dark Knight’s new status quo.
Batman Volume 4 began on September 3, following the long-awaited ‘Hush 2’ story arc of Volume 3. The creative team of Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Clayton Cowles and Tomeu Morey have returned Batman to his iconic gray and blue suit, while also making the third Robin Tim Drake an essential part of the series again. Now, Jiménez is celebrating on X as fans give the fresh start a mark of approval.
While most comics often introduce new volumes, this is only Batman’s fourth since debuting in 1940 (the character himself first appearing in 1939’s Detective Comics #27.) It’s a huge vote of confidence in DC’s creative team and the ‘back to basics’ presentation of this new series. A second printing run means new variant cover art, with Jiménez sharing a second-run cover by Dan Mora.
Our Take on Batman #1’s Huge Success
Accessibility Is Becoming THE Key Factor in Comic Sales
batman 1 cover art of batman swinging in to save people
In its assessment of comic sales in the week of Batman #1’s release, an aggregation carried out by Bleeding Cool estimates it had three times the sales of the #2 best-seller, Amazing Spider-Man #11. It’s no surprise that a new #1 issue starring an iconic hero would do well, but even by that metric, the take-up for Batman #1 has been huge.
This comes on the heels of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe and DC’s Absolute Universe dominating the market with totally new continuities. Creators and fans had speculated that the success of the Ultimate and Absolute lines is down to accessibility, with fans given a clear jumping-on point that doesn’t require them to know decades of lore or be up on recent stories.
The sold-out success of Batman #1 lends credence to that argument, and may even help shape how Marvel and DC approach their main series in future. It seems evident that fans show up when they’re reassured that they can jump in on a new series with no questions asked. Of course, there are other factors in this success story.
Accessibility Wasn’t the Only Ingredient in Batman #1’s Success
batman logo on comic cover
Fans were likely also reassured by the creative team. Fraction and Jiménez are both proven talents, leaving little doubt that Batman #1 would at least be good. It’s also worth noting the symbolic value of Batman’s blue suit. The costume debuted in the 1940s, and was a fixture through the ’70s, appearing in many of the Dark Knight’s most beloved comics, particularly associated with his prowess as a detective.
The return of this suit (and of Tim Drake, viewed by many as the best iteration of Robin) seems to have reassured fans that despite a new era, Batman wasn’t reinventing the wheel, and that the creative team knew what makes Batman work in comics. This iconography is notably different to the Batman brand in wider pop culture, where the black suit is the norm and the Boy Wonder is rarely included.
Whatever the reason, Fraction and Jiménez’s new era of Batman just kicked off with the strongest start possible, making it likely the team will stick around for a significant tenure and be given more leeway with how they handle the character. And for Batman fans who missed out on this first issue, a second printing run means that there’s still a chance to get in on the ground floor of this new era.
Batman #1 is available now from DC Comics.
Created By
Bob Kane, Bill Finger
Alias
Bruce Wayne
Alliance
Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
Race
Human
Franchise
D.C.