DC’s upcoming miniseries Batman: Off-World is shaking up the mythos of the Dark Knight. Jason Aaron and Doug Mahnke are taking a freshly cowled Bruce Wayne to a whole new territory. Instead of protecting the streets of Gotham from injustice, the just-getting-started Batman will be thrust into the expanse of the unknown. That’s right, this is a Year One Batman confronting the horrors of space. And that is just the beginning.
Batman: Off-World
Batman: Off-World is an upcoming six-issue miniseries under DC’s Black Label. It is also Jason Aaron’s debut in the Batman Universe. To make sure that Aaron leaves his mark on the iconic character, he plans to up the stakes for the Dark Knight. The series focuses on a young Batman, think Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s version. Prior to Batman: Off-World, the caped crusader stuck to Gotham as he built a name and reputation for himself amongst the city’s seedy underbelly. However, Aaron is taking the fresh-out-of-the-box hero and thrusting him into something he is not ready for.
Batman: Off-World takes Batman across the cold universe. Here, he will face entities that have no idea who he is…or even what a bat is. Plus, this is a Batman cut off from his allies back on Earth. So, he must make a name for himself amongst the evils of space, all alone. Buckle up Bruce—it’s about to get weird.
DC Black Label
Batman: Off-World is part of DC’s Black Label imprint. This imprint consists of books, miniseries, and one-shots intended for a more mature audience. Many of the books released under Black Label took a traditional character from the DC Universe and presented them with darker, more mature storylines. Plus, many of the comics gave DC heroes a complete reinvention.
The most recent Black Label series is Christian Ward’s current Batman: City of Madness. This comic introduced a new Batman, known as Batman Below, that resembles a Lovecraftian horror creation. So, it is safe to assume that Batman: Off-World is ready to bring the terrifying and weird to everyone’s favorite crime-fighting billionaire dressed as a bird.
The first issue of Batman: Off-World is on sale 11/21.
