Gary Frank Updates Fans on 'Batman: Earth One' Schedule

Batman: Earth One Volume 3 will be completed shortly after the end of Doomsday Clock, Gary Frank -- who serves as the artist on both titles -- revealed today on Twitter.

Asked by a fan about the publishing schedule for the third installment of Frank's best-selling original graphic novel series (drawn over scripts from Geoff Johns, with whom he is also collaborating on Doomsday Clock), Frank revealed that he dropped everything to work ont he acclaimed and controversial Watchmen sequel.

"We did about two thirds before starting Doomsday Clock," Frank tweeted. "The plan is to get [Doomsday Clock] done and then finish on [Batman: Earth One]."

He further teased, "Then we're going to....oh. No. I'm not allowed to say anymore, sorry."

Batman: Earth One is a series of hardcover original graphic novels reinventing the world of the Dark Knight for the modern day. Elements of the series, such as Alfred being a badass former soldier who helped train Bruce physically, have appeared in other media (especially on Gotham), and each of the first two volumes have been best-sellers.

Batman's costume design in Doomsday Clock, which takes place a year in the DC Universe's future, more closely reflects the suit worn in Earth One than in the current comic books.

Other Earth One series include Superman by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis; Wonder Woman by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette; Green Lantern by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman; and more.

Doomsday Clock, which currently publishes every other month, will release its fifth issue in May, which should set a timetable of next July for the release of #12. Assuming Johns and Frank conclude the series something like three months before they release it, Batman: Earth One could plausibly be in stores sometime in late 2019 or early 2020.