September 16 is, of course, World Batman Day. A day when DC, Warner Bros. and Bat-fans across the world choose to celebrate the Dark Knight and his legacy in pop culture. The day is usually celebrate with theatrical events, toys, merch and more.
Those celebrations always include a handful of exclusive celebratory releases from DC Comics and last night the publisher laid out its plans for Batman Day 2023. There will be two exclusive promotional comics releasing alongside a new prestige series launch and more!
Here’s the full press release from the publisher:
DC’S BATMAN DAY COMIC BOOKS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS HIT COMIC SHOPS ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
TO HELP STORES CELEBRATE THIS YEAR’S EVENT, DC IS OFFERING TWO EXCLUSIVE PROMOTIONAL COMICS, PLUS TWO EXCLUSIVE ITEMS AND A PRESTIGE SERIES LAUNCH — ALL ON SALE ON BATMAN DAY!
On Batman Day 2023, taking place on Saturday, September 16, fans can pick up special editions featuring the Caped Crusader, including Batman/Catwoman: Prelude to Gotham War, an introduction to the upcoming “Dawn of DC” crossover event; a Batman Day exclusive version of Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1, by iconic creator Marc Silvestri; and Batman #608, the first issue of Jeph Loeb and Lim Lee’s Hush, featuring a special Jim Lee foil cover. Participating local comic book shops will also carry an exclusive version of the Batman ’89 hardcover collection, featuring a new cover focused on the Bat-Symbol. Plus, Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #1, the twisted first issue of Rafael Grampá’s DC Black Label series, will emerge from the shadows on Batman Day to take its place on bookshelves. Below are all the DC Batman Day titles that will be available at participating local comic book shops on the celebratory day:
BATMAN/CATWOMAN: PRELUDE TO GOTHAM WAR BATMAN DAY SPECIAL EDITION
Written by Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard
Art by Mike Hawthorne
Cover by Jorge Jimenez
The Gotham War is set to fracture the Bat-Family this fall, as Batman and Catwoman find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict more than a year in the making! Prepare for war with this Special Edition comic book, featuring a 10-page original prelude story and preview pages from Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Battle Lines #1 (on sale 8/29), which sets the stage for a fateful fight for Gotham City’s future!
BATMAN & THE JOKER: THE DEADLY DUO #1 BATMAN DAY SPECIAL EDITION
Written by Marc Silvestri
Art and cover by Marc Silvestri
Batman and The Joker have been archenemies for decades—but when a mysterious and violent new threat emerges, they’re going to have to form the most unlikely alliance of all time! Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo is the dark and brutal Gotham opus from comics legend Marc Silvestri, and to help promote the September release of the hardcover collection, DC is offering a promotional version of Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1, available on Batman Day 2023!
BATMAN #608: BATMAN DAY SPECIAL EDITION
Written by Jeph Loeb
Art and cover by Jim Lee
Hush stands out as one of the most beloved Batman stories of the past 25 years, and the first issue of the 12-part arc returns for Batman Day 2023 like you’ve never seen it before—re-presented with a foil version of Jim Lee’s Batman #608 second printing cover, featuring the indelible image of Batman standing on a Gotham City gargoyle. It’s the perfect complement to the Batman: Hush 20th Anniversary Editioncollection, currently available to order!
BATMAN ’89
Written by Sam Hamm
Art and cover by Joe Quinones
Batman ’89 is the comic fans have wanted for years, continuing the story of the classic 1989 Batman film with all-new adventures, as written by Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm and illustrated by comics superstar Joe Quinones! On Batman Day 2023, fans can pick up an exclusive new version of the Batman ’89 hardcover collection, featuring a new cover focused on the Bat-Symbol, reminiscent of the iconic Batman movie poster.
BATMAN: GARGOYLE OF GOTHAM #1
Story, art, and cover by Rafael Grampá
Eisner award-winning writer and artist Rafael Grampá delivers a twisted take on The Dark Knight, Gotham City, and a never-before-seen rogues gallery in this highly anticipated DC Black Label series launch!
Stay tuned for more Batman Day news in the coming weeks!
