Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jun 18, 2025 | 6 comments

PLUS: An 11 x 17 Giant-Size Special Edition for September’s series relaunch…

DC on Wednesday unveiled a veritable Batcave full of variant covers for September’s Batman #1, by writer Matt Fraction, artist Jorge Jimenez, colorist Tomeu Morey, and letterer Clayton Cowles.

Not just that, there will be six versions of the main cover: regular, foil, blind polybag foil and sketch, plus 11 x 17 Giant-Size Special Edition in regular and foil versions.

We gave you a SNEAK PEEK at that cover in May — complete with new logo — but here it is again, now with full trade dress, including a schmancy corner box:

Jorge Jimenez main cover

Foil variant

The variant cover artists, meanwhile, include heavy hitters like Frank Quitely, David Aja, Julian Totino Tedesco and others.

Dig these:

Wraparound by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau

David Aja (1:50 incentive variant)

Andy Kubert (1:25 incentive variant)

Frank Quitely

Gabriele Dell’Otto

Marc Silvestri

Julian Totino Tedesco

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Many thoughts:

— Batman #1 is due Sept. 3. Prices range widely, depending on which one you get: The main cover will retail for $4.99 and the foil, $7.99. The variants, which will have the typical cardstock covers, will be cover-priced $5.99. Besides the ones unveiled so far, other artists include Jim Lee and J. Scott Campbell. Stanley “Artgerm” Lau’s “DC Showcase” wraparound will retail for $24.99.

— There will also be a new bat-symbol variant and a blank sketch cover with the new Batman series logo.

— The Giant-Size Special Edition, which will be the same art as the regular cover, will go for $14.99 and the foil version will be $19.99.

— DC is going the extra mile with the variants too: There will be also be a “Blind as a Bat” polybag special edition that will go for $9.99. Each blind bag will include a random foil version of the various artists’ covers. (There will be a difference between Jimenez’s regular foil and his polybagged foil.)

Hey! Smiling Batman! I wonder if we’ll see that in the series…

— OK, the covers are fun and all but let’s talk story: I’m starting to come around on this series. Here’s how DC describes it: The creative team “will craft a series of connected but self-contained stories… ensuring that every issue offers a new adventure, a fresh storytelling style, and a unique challenge for Batman to face. With each installment, readers can expect a thrilling surprise.”

— Promises of fresh starts and new directions are a dime a dozen in comics, though this is a good creative team. What’s been holding me back is that it takes a lot to get me to commit to an ongoing these days — but “a series of connected but self-contained stories”? That’s worth a try.

— After all, it’s worked really well with the Batman: Dark Patterns limited series, which is four three-parters with some connective tissue. I’ll miss that book when it’s over. Hopefully Batman proper will fill the void.

— I dig the blue and gray costume overall, but I’m going to have to get used to the big blue bat on the chest.

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MORE

— Your FIRST LOOK at the New BATMAN Logo on September’s ISSUE #1. Click here.

— DC’s GIANT-SIZE SPECIAL EDITIONS: The New 11″ x 17″ Comics Are Here to Stay. Click here.