DC Comics Will Retell The Caped Crusader's Origin Story Like Never Before In BATMAN: DARK AGE Series

DC Comics Will Retell The Caped Crusader's Origin Story Like Never Before In BATMAN: DARK AGE Series

DC Comics will once again put a new spin on the Caped Crusader's origin story, this time set to the backdrop of real-life events in the pages of Batman: Dark Age. Take a first look at the series here...

By JoshWilding - Mar 05, 2024 06:03 AM EST
Filed Under: DC Comics

You don't have to be a comic book fan to know Batman's origin story. As a child, Bruce Wayne's parents are gunned down in front of him in a Gotham City alleyway, inspiring him to eventually become a Caped Crusader. Been there, seen that. A lot

Now, though, a new DC Comics series will explore what would have happened had Batman's story taken place during real-life historical events in the pages of Batman: Dark Age. Written by Mark Russell with art by Mile Allred, we'll get to see the Dark Knight in a whole new light. 

"Meet Bruce Wayne, Gotham’s favorite delinquent son. In an origin story like no other, witness the boy become a dark knight shaped by a city in turmoil as it marches towards its prophesied doom," reads DC's official description.

"Set against the backdrop of actual historical events, [in Batman: Dark Age] Gotham comes alive, filled with the iconic characters who’ve loved and hated Batman over the years like you’ve never seen them before," it continues. "Spinning out of the Eisner-nominated Superman: Space Age, Mark Russell and Mike Allred return to give audiences a look at Batman as a figure in American history fighting for justice in a world gone mad."

The comic will run for six issues, with each instalment running for 40 pages (roughly double the length of a standard comic). 

Today, we have a selection of preview pages from the series, including a surprisingly brutal take on the death of Thomas Wayne. Batman can also be seen swooping into action, with him seemingly targeting the same gang that killed his parents. There's also what looks to be a glimpse into the future, with an elderly Bruce in a rest home. 

We're intrigued to see where Batman: Dark Age takes the iconic superhero, especially as those early years have been explored in countless mediums.

That's likely why DC Studios has decided to head down a slightly different route in The Brave and the Bold, with us set to meet a fully formed Batman who discovers he has a son, Damian Wayne, years after he first started protecting Gotham City. Matt Reeves' The Batman also skipped the origin story, instead setting the story during Bruce's second year as the Dark Knight.

Check out these new preview pages for this comic below.

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BATMAN: DARK AGE #1
Written by MARK RUSSELL
Art by MIKE ALLRED, LAURA ALLRED
Cover Art by MIKE & LAURA ALLRED
On sale on March 26

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harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 3/5/2024, 6:34 AM
He looks kinda gay without the knickers
Origame
Origame - 3/5/2024, 7:23 AM
@harryba11zack - ?si=kZdA2HTiMwGF7ita
dragon316
dragon316 - 3/5/2024, 12:32 PM
@harryba11zack - probably not enough muscle give that look
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 3/5/2024, 6:37 AM
Wouldn’t be DC if they didn’t retell Batman and Superman’s origin every other year
DocSpock
DocSpock - 3/5/2024, 6:41 AM
@FireandBlood -

We can only dream that such a thing not happening any more could be possible.

FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 3/5/2024, 6:47 AM
@DocSpock - Comic book writers/editors aren’t interested in tell stories anymore, just selling shitty gimmicks
DocSpock
DocSpock - 3/5/2024, 6:55 AM
@FireandBlood -

That's true. They want to shove their sh!tty agendas down our throats to make us feel bad too.

BillyBatson1000
BillyBatson1000 - 3/5/2024, 7:24 AM
@FireandBlood - THIS.
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 3/5/2024, 8:04 AM
@FireandBlood - it wouldn't be happening if artists didn't have an idea they wanted to try out. I have a Superman origin idea I'm developing hoping one day when the time is right I can tell my version of his story, so I can imagine a ton of people in the business grew up dreaming about how they would do their take on the characters.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 3/5/2024, 10:05 AM
@DocSpock - comics has been putting social commentary in comics since the beginning. you must not read comics
DocSpock
DocSpock - 3/5/2024, 10:52 AM
@supermanrex -

I've only been reading them since 1965 or so.
supermanrex
supermanrex - 3/5/2024, 2:54 PM
@DocSpock - then you know damn well that this is not a new phenomenon. xmen was obvious social commentary on the civil rights movement. what you would call woke today
DocSpock
DocSpock - 3/5/2024, 6:25 PM
@supermanrex -

Of course they have always addressed social commentary. BUT, not NEARLY to the degree they have the last few years.

Addressing these things is part of public discourse.

But they also are in business to make money. When they spend much more of their time over preaching about these things & spend much much less time producing an entertaining product, then they have a huge problem.

They did a great job finding a good balance for decades, but they have completely lost that balance now. They are pandering to the small vocal minority & mostly producing sh!tty entertainment now.

That can do both things. Address social issues AND make high quality entertainment. But they are doing a terrible job of it right now.

And you threw the word WOKE to try and pull me offsides. You just want to fight. No thanks.

supermanrex
supermanrex - 3/6/2024, 9:37 AM
@DocSpock - not fighting just stating facts. no way x men gets a pass today if it was created now. marvels entire launch line in the 60s would be considered woke. cap was anti hitler propaganda basically in the 40s. 60s comics were about civil rights. if you look back at each decades of comics from both big companies you will see that this not a new thing. its not more prevalent today than it was back then. except humanity has taken steps backwards as i thought blacks and browns in our entertainment medium was accepted by now. its clearly not. clowns still cant handle not white no male leads or focuses on projects.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 3/6/2024, 10:43 AM
@supermanrex -

I disagree with most of what you said. I did live through these eras having been born in the mid 50s.

There is one huge inequity in today's Hollyweird world. Blacks have about 100 times more political power & Hollyweird love than Hispanic people, which is ridiculous considering there are twice as many Hispanic people in this country than blacks. Blacks are highly over represented on TV in the USA while Hispanic people are very under represented.

Also, Hollywood just loves kissing the a$$es of the 57 genders weirdo brigade.

supermanrex
supermanrex - 3/6/2024, 11:33 AM
@DocSpock - your last sentence is the problem i speak of. have a good day.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 3/5/2024, 6:41 AM

Wow! This sounds & looks really terrible.



ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 3/5/2024, 6:52 AM
Superman Space Age was great, so I'll check this out. Looks like a companion piece.
HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 3/5/2024, 7:05 AM
Yall really got the comment section turned off in that article about the dog movie lmao!
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 3/5/2024, 7:12 AM
@HammerLegFoot - What happened?
Reginator
Reginator - 3/5/2024, 7:52 AM
@HammerLegFoot - i noticed that also. was it that too many people mentioned it wasnt a comic book movie?
HammerLegFoot
HammerLegFoot - 3/5/2024, 7:59 AM
@Reginator - @hashtagswag I seen people complaining about it not being a cmb and Nate started deleting comments saying people were breaking the community guidelines with some of there comments and I don't know if something else happened but then boom comments were off. lol
xfan320
xfan320 - 3/5/2024, 7:21 AM
This artwork is pretty awful. Looks like American Splendor
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 3/5/2024, 7:43 AM
You had me at Mike Allred
bs77
bs77 - 3/5/2024, 7:47 AM
I think the art looks horrendous and that's the #1 reason I buy any comic. If the story is good too, it's a bonus. But then I see the weird animation my kids are watching, and maybe this is how the younger generations like their art??? I dunno.
Godzilla2000Zer
Godzilla2000Zer - 3/5/2024, 7:52 AM
WTF is with the ears
nibs
nibs - 3/5/2024, 7:58 AM
Superman: Space Age by Russell was one of the dumbest comics I've ever read - I will be skipping this
TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 3/5/2024, 7:58 AM
[frick] yes! Mike Allred is my favorite! I have the MAD MAN logo tattooed on my wrist. This is day one for me.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 3/5/2024, 8:06 AM
Sounds tiring
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 3/5/2024, 8:43 AM
Given the amount of Batman material over the ages I’d say this was probably done before somewhere else.
Also is that Adam Wests Batman? This art reminds me of someone who uses real photos and puts a filter on it or retraces with vector art.
Beer85
Beer85 - 3/5/2024, 8:46 AM
I pre-ordered this. Looks cool.
Spoken
Spoken - 3/5/2024, 9:47 AM
Not a fan of the artwork.
marvel72
marvel72 - 3/5/2024, 10:40 AM
Not a fan of Allred's artwork but this is some of his better work.
PapaBear562
PapaBear562 - 3/5/2024, 11:49 AM
Hate it, next
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 3/5/2024, 1:09 PM
Kind of looks like a rip-off of their latest Gargoyle of Gotham book. Now that one was sick.

RegularPoochie
RegularPoochie - 3/7/2024, 1:37 PM
Sorry, but shit art. Not sorry.

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