2025 is set to be a monumental year for DC's flagship Batman comic. Chip Zdarsky has recently concluded his run with Batman #157, making way for the much-anticipated Hush 2 storyline by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee in March. Following the completion of Hush 2, DC will relaunch Batman with a fresh start, featuring a new #1 issue, a new writer, and an exciting new costume.
Announced at the ComicsPro retailer event, the new volume of Batman will be penned by Matt Fraction, renowned for his work on Uncanny X-Men and The Invincible Iron Man. Jorge Jimenez, the current Batman artist, will continue his role, collaborating with Fraction to introduce a new costume and a new Batmobile. Batman will sport a vintage-inspired blue and gray costume, moving away from the traditional black and gray. Check out the striking new Batsuit below:
“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, a new costume, new characters, and plenty of old ones too—both good and bad. We want to celebrate everything that makes Batman the coolest character in comics.”
The eagerly awaited Batman #1 is slated for release in September 2025.
In addition to the Batman news, DC provided insights into the future of the Superman line during ComicsPro, continuing the "Summer of Superman" event. Supergirl is set to receive her own new series and a fresh costume designed by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau. Sophie Campbell, known for her work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will both write and illustrate the new book, which will see Kara return to 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 explained. “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. I’ll be drawing on those influences as the series unfolds.”
Supergirl #1 will hit the shelves on May 14.
Action Comics is also getting a new creative team, with Justice League Unlimited writer Mark Waid teaming up with Resonant artist Skylar Patridge. The series will focus on Clark Kent's teenage years in Smallville, delving into his journey of discovering and mastering his powers as Superboy.
"I start the book with Clark as a 15-year-old boy, learning to be a superhero for the first time,” said Waid. “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 new run will begin with Action Comics #1087 in June.
Lastly, DC has announced that Krypto, Superman's loyal canine companion, will star in his own five-issue miniseries as part of the DC All In initiative. Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, written by Ryan North of Fantastic Four fame and illustrated by Mike Norton of Revival, will explore Krypto's origin story in unprecedented detail.
“Krypto's origin has always been done at kind of a high level," noted 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 is scheduled for release on June 18.
