A new Batman/Superman series from DC Comics — written by Joshua Williamson and illustrated by David Marquez — is just one of the news items the publisher revealed today. We also have the return of the Secret Six (sort of), and the announcement that The Batman Who Laughs miniseries has been extended from six issues to seven.
So, how does all this tie together? Let’s start with DC’s official description of Batman/Superman:
To launch the new DC series, the first arc… will follow the two titular heroes as they hunt down six infected heroes in the DCU—people revealed to be infected by the Batman Who Laughs with a deadly pathogen that violently transforms them into the evilest versions of themselves. The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel must journey into the depths of Gotham City to learn which of their fellow heroes has been transformed into the horrifying horseman of their most dangerous and deranged foe ever.
Longtime fans will remember the previous incarnations of this team-up: 2003’s Superman/Batman and 2013’s Batman/Superman; very longtime fans could add World’s Finest Comics to the list as well.
According to Williamson, in an interview with THR:
“We discover, through the Batman Who Laughs series that the Batman Who Laughs have been working on this massive plan since Metal. What it is is, he has sleeper agents throughout the [DC Universe]. They’ve been infected, and they’re slowly turning into the worst versions of themselves. Some of them know they’re changing, some don’t. Some aren’t aware it’s kind of like a Jekyll and Hyde situation where they’re not aware of [what] the other side is doing… This is happening to six people — we’ve been calling them the new Secret Six — who have been turned.”
Thus, the new Secret Six isn’t the same team that debuted way back in 1968… or the team written by Gail Simone in 2006… or the team that may be headed to CBS TV. DC has certainly gotten a lot of mileage out of that name over the years.
Williamson went on:
“It becomes this mystery across not just this book but really the line… It’s a thing where it’s not just going to be focused on this one book; it starts [in Batman/Superman], but you’re going to get a situation where, if you are reading the line, you might start piecing some stuff together before like bigger reveals happen. You might be like, ‘Oh this weird thing’s happening over here, I wonder if that’s connected to the story here,’ and that’s cause, yeah. It is.”
Marquez, no stranger to event series like Civil War II, told THR:
“In terms of the characters involved and the role it plays in broader DCU and its evolving narrative, working with Josh who’s one of the biggest writers there — these reasons sold me on the idea of doing this book. If it wasn’t all of those unique characteristics altogether for one project, I probably wouldn’t be doing work-for-hire stuff right now.”
You can read DC’s press release here and THR‘s interview with the creators here. The Batman Who Laughs #7 hits stores shelves July 31. Batman/Superman #1 arrives August 14.
Does the team of Williamson and Marquez make you excited for a new Batman/Superman series? Does the book’s premise sound interesting? Let us know in the comments!
