2025 is poised to be a monumental year for DC's flagship Batman comic series. Following the conclusion of Chip Zdarsky's run with Batman #157, the stage is set for the much-anticipated Hush 2 storyline by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, slated for March. After Hush 2 wraps up, DC plans a fresh start with a new #1 issue, introducing a new writer and a revamped costume for the Dark Knight.
At the ComicsPro retailer event, DC unveiled that the new volume of Batman will be penned by acclaimed writer Matt Fraction, known for his work on Uncanny X-Men and The Invincible Iron Man. Jorge Jimenez, the current Batman artist, will continue his role, collaborating with Fraction to introduce a new costume and Batmobile. Batman will don a vintage-inspired blue and gray suit, a departure from the familiar black and gray. You can see the new Batsuit in the image below:
Fraction expressed his excitement, stating, "I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Batman. It was the first comic I ever read. 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."
The new Batman #1 is scheduled for release in September 2025.
In addition to Batman's exciting developments, DC also provided updates on the Superman line during the ComicsPro event, continuing their "Summer of Superman" initiative. 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 take on the roles of writer and artist for the series, which will see Kara return to Midvale.
Campbell shared her enthusiasm, saying, "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. 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 set to launch on May 14.
Action Comics is also set for a creative overhaul, with Justice League Unlimited writer Mark Waid teaming up with Resonant artist Skylar Patridge. Their focus will shift to Clark Kent's teenage years in Smallville, exploring his journey to becoming Superboy and mastering his powers.
Waid commented, "I start the book with Clark as a 15-year-old boy, learning to be a superhero for the first time. 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."
The new run of Action Comics will begin with issue #1087 in June.
Lastly, DC has announced a five-issue miniseries dedicated to Krypto as part of the DC All In initiative. Titled Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, the series is written by Ryan North, known for his work on Fantastic Four, and illustrated by Mike Norton, known for Revival. This series will delve deeper into Krypto's origin story than ever before.
North shared his vision, saying, "Krypto's origin has always been done at kind of a high level. 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 will be released on June 18.
Also at ComicsPro, Marvel announced the relaunch of Captain America this summer, with Chip Zdarsky writing and Valerio Schiti illustrating the series. Additionally, fans can look forward to an early glimpse into Godzilla's new interconnected comic book universe.
