Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiménez are taking over as the new creative team for DC's main Batman title beginning with Issue #125.
"When DC approached me to write Batman, I immediately thought about things that could really challenge the character mentally, physically, and in terms of his relationships," Zdarsky told ComicBook.com of his and Jiménez's first story arc, which introduces a villain named Failsafe. "Failsafe is his Doomsday. When I started mapping out the story I got really excited about where it could take the title."
BATMAN #125 ("Failsafe", Part 1 of 6)
- Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
- Art by JORGE JIMENEZ
- Colors by TOMEU MOREY
- Main oversized cover by JORGE JIMENEZ
- Variant covers by INHYUK LEE and SIMONE DI MEO
- In stores Tuesday, July 5
"[Jiménez] is a superstar!" Zdarsky added. "Not just as an artist, but as a person! He's really delightful and excited about the character and the direction we're going in, which is great. We talked about going darker with the book and he's been all aboard, with some really stunning pages that showcase the tone. I honestly can't say enough good things about Jorge. He creates beauty at an amazing speed. I'm angry that he's also so handsome as it's just not fair. The only good thing about the pandemic is that I probably won't have to be on a panel next to him which would only serve to highlight how old and gross I look."
On his Substack, Zdarsky assured readers that despite venturing over to Gotham City, he isn't abandoning Hell's Kitchen over at Marvel. In January, it was announced that Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto were relaunching Daredevil this summer, and that still appears to be the case. "And also, for anyone asking, yes I’m staying on Daredevil! I love that book and Marco and I are in a pretty grand home stretch right now," Zdarsky explained. "But, hey, maybe Marvel will fire me? Maybe they know that a writer doing both Daredevil and Batman at the same time could open up a “gritty-ninjaesque-white-dude-with-stubble-and-tragedy-on-a-gargoyle-in-the-rain” wormhole in the space-time continuum and destroy all of reality? We’ll see! At least we know who is first in line for a Batman/Daredevil crossover now. Suck on that, Bendis!!!"
Batman #125, written by Chip Zdarsky, illustrated by Jorge Jiménez and colored by Tomeu Morey, goes on sale July 5 from DC.
Source: ComicBook.com, Substack