DC Comics to Relaunch Batman With New #1 Issue and New Costume

DC Comics Unveils Massive 2025 Plans for Batman, Superman, and Krypto

2025 promises a significant year for DC's flagship titles. Following Chip Zdarsky's conclusion on Batman #157, Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Hush 2 storyline will launch in March. This sets the stage for a complete Batman relaunch with a new #1 issue, a new writer, and a striking new costume.

As announced at the ComicsPro event, Matt Fraction (known for Uncanny X-Men and The Invincible Iron Man) will take the reins as writer, collaborating with returning artist Jorge Jimenez. This new era will feature a redesigned Batsuit, trading the classic dark palette for a vintage-inspired blue and gray aesthetic, and a revamped Batmobile. Fraction stated, "Jorge and I have a very superhero-forward kind of take on Batman. We’ve got a new Batmobile, we’ve got a new costume, we’ve got new characters, and we’ve got a lot of old ones too—good and bad; all the stuff that makes Batman the coolest character in comics. We want to celebrate it all.”

Batman #1 is slated for a September 2025 release.

DC also highlighted its "Summer of Superman" initiative, revealing new directions for Supergirl and Action Comics. Supergirl will receive a new series and costume (designed by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau), written and illustrated by Sophie Campbell (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). This series will see Kara Zor-El return to Midvale. Campbell commented, “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.” Supergirl #1 debuts May 14th.

Action Comics will see a creative team shift, with Mark Waid (Justice League Unlimited) and artist Skylar Patridge exploring Clark Kent's teenage years in Smallville as Superboy. This storyline will focus on Clark's early struggles with his powers, presenting a modernized take on Smallville. Their run begins with Action Comics #1087 in June.

Finally, Krypto, Superman's canine companion, will star in his own five-issue miniseries, Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton, written by Ryan North (Fantastic Four) and illustrated by Mike Norton (Revival). This series promises a deeper exploration of Krypto's origin story. The first issue releases June 18th.

ComicsPro also revealed Marvel's summer relaunch of Captain America, written by Zdarsky and drawn by Valerio Schiti.