DC Comics Unveils New Batman #1 Issue and Costume

2025 is shaping up to be an exhilarating year for DC's flagship Batman comic series. The current run, helmed by writer Chip Zdarsky, concluded with Batman #157, setting the stage for the eagerly anticipated Hush 2 storyline by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, which is slated for March. Following Hush 2, DC is set to relaunch Batman with a fresh start, including a new #1 issue, a new writer, and an exciting new costume.

The announcement made at the ComicsPro retailer event revealed that Matt Fraction, acclaimed for his work on Uncanny X-Men and The Invincible Iron Man, will take the helm as the new writer. Jorge Jimenez, the current artist, will continue to bring Batman to life, collaborating with Fraction on a new costume and Batmobile. The iconic black and gray suit is being replaced with a vintage-inspired blue and gray ensemble. Feast your eyes on the stunning 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," shared Fraction. "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."

Mark your calendars for September 2025, when Batman #1 will hit the shelves.

In other exciting news from ComicsPro, DC shed more light on the future of the Superman line during their "Summer of Superman" event. Supergirl is slated to receive a new series and a striking new costume designed by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau. Sophie Campbell, known for her work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will both write and draw the new book, which will see Kara Zor-El returning to the city of 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 remarked. "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."

Art by Stanley Lau (Image Credit: DC)

Supergirl #1 is scheduled for release on May 14.

Additionally, Action Comics is set for a creative overhaul with Justice League Unlimited writer Mark Waid teaming up with Resonant artist Skylar Patridge. The series will pivot to focus on Clark Kent's teenage years in Smallville, delving into how he navigated 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 begin with Action Comics #1087 in June.

Lastly, DC has declared Krypto A Very Good Boy and is rewarding him with his own five-issue miniseries as part of the DC All In initiative. Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, written by Ryan North (Fantastic Four) and drawn by Mike Norton (Revival), will explore Krypto's origin story in unprecedented depth.

"Krypto's origin has always been done at kind of a high level," said North. "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 available starting June 18.

Also at ComicsPro, it was announced that Marvel is relaunching Captain America this summer, with Zdarsky writing and Valerio Schiti on art duties. Additionally, there's an early look at Godzilla's new interconnected comic book universe for fans to explore.