DC’s Earth One line has always been a little mysterious. It was started as a repository for some early trial runs at an Ultimate DC line, but then SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE became a massive hit in bookstores. Stablemate BATMAN: EARTH ONE by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank has been waiting in the wings since the line was announced in 2009. But 2012 will be the year!

Although a release date wasn’t mentioned, perhaps the book will be marketed in Daily News by comparing it to Hunger Games, just as SEO was compared to Twilight.

2012 will bring the highly anticipated release of BATMAN: EARTH ONE, an original graphic novel retelling the Batman legend in a contemporary setting.

The collaboration between New York Times bestselling author Geoff Johns and critically acclaimed artist Gary Frank, BATMAN: EARTH ONE also marks the first original graphic novel for Johns – who is best known for his work on fan favorite ongoing series for DC Comics.

Together, they will present a new vision of Batman – a flawed and fallible hero who isn’t yet the master of Gotham City’s shadows.

“Gary and I are tackling BATMAN from the beginning, before he knows what he’s doing and with a very different ultimate goal in mind,” said Johns. “He’s never left Gotham. And our Gotham and the people in it are very gray. Our heroes unlikely. Our villains hidden. Our story is only beginning with volume one.”

“It’s essentially the first piece of the jigsaw,” said Frank. “He’s not the Batman people know, but he might be one day. He’s certainly not yet a superhero. The fun is to watch him piece the persona together drawing on his experiences and the influences of those around him and, at this stage, the idea of becoming a ‘superhero’ hasn’t even entered his head.”


DC released three preview pages as well:

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1 COMMENT

  1. Man. Those pages are BEAUTIFUL. Gary Frank is awesome.

    I didn’t LOVE Superman: Earth One, which is odd, because I’m a fan of both JMS and Shane Davis; I nonetheless have high hopes for Batman: Earth One.

  2. I really enjoy Frank’s art, but really? A another so-called real telling to fit the times?

    What a load of bullshit, horseshit, chickenshit, and any other animal with shit.

    I got Superman: Earth One for a present and grateful that I didn’t have to spent the money. The origins are getting to the point for me where it is just turn off.

    How about this DC (and Marvel) how about producing NEW ORIGINAL IDEAS AND STORIES instead of the same old same old with this “twists.”

  3. @Roberto – DC and Marvel do publish “new original ideas and stories.” You just have to look beyond their superhero lines. Vertigo has tons of original new concepts and Marvel has introduced new brands via the Icon line.

    DC’s Earth One line also seems to be aimed at people not traditionally reading comics.

  4. July 2012, according to Books In Print.

    9781401232085

    July 10, 2012, according to BN.com and Amazon.

    If DC follows a similar strategy to Superman: Year Earth One, then comics shops will sell it the same day (Tuesday) as book stores.

  5. I don’t get why these pages were selected for a preview. Sure, Gary Frank drawings look good, but surely this book will contain more exciting scenes than Alfred and little Bruce Wayne at the dinner table, and Alfred and Batman standing in a room. (That is Alfred, right? A modern, sexy, edgy Alfred?)