BATMAN WEEK: Back in print after more than a decade…
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Welcome to BATMAN WEEK 2024 — celebrating the 85th anniversary of the release of Detective Comics #27, on March 30, 1939. Over seven days, you can look forward to all sorts of groovy and offbeat columns, features and cartoons that pay tribute to the greatest comics character in the history of mankind. Click here for the rest of the BATMAN WEEK features. You’ll be glad you did! — Dan
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In the wake of the wild success of both The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One in 1986 and 1987, DC Comics was looking for the Next Big Bat-Thing. In March 1988, the publisher released the one-shot Batman: The Killing Joke and in May went back in with the four-issue Prestige Format series The Cult, featuring art by Bernie Wrightson and written by Jim Starlin.
Well, DC is putting the miniseries back in print for the first time in years with Batman: The Cult Deluxe Edition, due in October 2024.
Dig the official description, from online sales sites:
BATMAN: THE CULT DELUXE EDITION
Author Jim Starlin
Illustrated by Bernie Wrightson
One of the most influential Batman stories of all time is back in print for the first time in more than a decade, now available as an oversize deluxe edition hardcover!
In 1988, comics legends Jim Starlin (creator of Thanos) and Bernie Wrightson (co-creator of Swamp Thing) teamed for the thrilling four-issue series Batman: The Cult, one of the most celebrated Batman stories that stands next to other classics of its era like Batman: Death in the Family and Batman: The Killing Joke.
Now, after years out of print, fans can once again enjoy the story that helped influence The Dark Knight Rises, Batman: Arkham Knight, and more!
In Batman: The Cult, Deacon Blackfire, a charismatic shaman with roots as old as Gotham City itself, has amassed the city’s homeless into an army, one he seemingly uses to fight crime. But Blackfire has a hidden agenda…
With Batman brainwashed by Blackfire and Gotham in chaos, can the Dark Knight’s city be saved?
This volume collects Batman: The Cult #1-4.
Hardcover/216 Pages
On sale Oct. 8, 2024/ $39.99
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A few thoughts:
— While I wouldn’t call The Cult one of the greatest Batman stories, it does have something of a, ahem, cult following.
— Y’know, you’d think Bernie Wrightson would have done a lot more Batman but he didn’t. His best work on the Darknight Detective was 1973’s Swamp Thing #7. Come to think of it, that’d make for a smashing Facsimile Edition.
— Standard caveat: This has not been solicited by DC yet, as far as I can recall, so anything can change. Keep coming back to 13th Dimension for updates.
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MORE
— The BATMAN WEEK 2024 INDEX! Click here.
— DC Schedules Four Classic OMNIBUS Editions — Including WORLD’S FINEST: THE SILVER AGE. Click here.
March 28, 2024
About time this was in hardcover!
March 28, 2024
I had that cover image as a HUGE poster on my wall for years. I think I still have it some where. Batman was practically life-sized on the poster!
I always find it odd that Starlin gave the Post-Crisis Jason Todd his best moment in this. He saves Batman! At the same time he was making him unstable and unlikeable in the ongoing Batman series, leading of course the infamous “Death in the Family” storyline, and it’s controversial and gruesome outcome.
March 28, 2024
I agree, this was Jason Todd’s best portrayal post-Crisis, which is somewhat odd as the same writer/editorial team was concurrently sabotaging his character in the monthly book.
March 28, 2024
I finally picked up a copy of Swamp Thing #7…..how many decades later?!
March 29, 2024
As as Giordano was, Wrightson was arguably Neal Adams best bat-inker.
March 30, 2024
I have always liked the scope of this one and how thoroughly it breaks Batman down. Glad they are doing a reprint, as the original series had a page sequencing error.