After putting his stamp on the Marvel universe, Jason Aaron is about to write DC's Dark Knight. On Monday, DC officially announced Batman: Off-World, a six-issue miniseries that will be written by Aaron with art by Doug Mahnke and inker Jamie Mendoza. Off-World is set to be the second story that Aaron has ever written in the main DC Universe, after Joker's Asylum: Penguin #1 in 2008. He also worked on popular Vertigo books such as Scalped and The Other Side, prior to working exclusively with Marvel for several years.
"I fell in love with comics because of DC," Aaron tells IGN, who exclusively broke the news. "The first books my young, beardless self ever plucked from a grocery store spinner rack were the New Teen Titans and World's Finest and Batman. Books that opened the door to a universe of stories that would quite literally change the course of my life. So it is with great honor and excitement that at long last I get to make my proper debut as a DC writer, with a Batman story that takes a young Dark Knight on his own first journey into the far, wondrous reaches of the DC cosmos."
Is Jason Aaron Exclusive at Marvel?
Earlier this year, Aaron confirmed via his newsletter that he is no longer exclusively writing for Marvel, after previously writing lengthy runs of Thor, Avengers, and The Punisher for the publisher.
"For the first time since 2008 or so, I'm not bound by any sort of exclusive agreement with Marvel Comics. My deal was up late last year, and while I remain very happy with my relationship with Marvel and have been talking with them about another project, I chose not to renew my exclusive," Aaron wrote. "I find myself enjoying a sort of freedom I haven't had in a very long time, able to pursue whatever creative opportunities I so choose. And I've already been busy pursuing a few. Some creator-owned, some work-for-hire," the writer added. "The division of my workload and my time has already shifted, as I'm placing more of an emphasis on new creator-owned work, while also looking to tackle some brand new work-for-hire challenges. In short, as I said, it's an exciting time, a fun-as-f-ck time, you might say, and I can't wait to tell you more about what all I've been up to, as soon as I can."
What Is Batman: Off-World #1 About?
Check out the description for Batman: Off-World #1 below, and keep scrolling to check out the covers for the issue!
A routine night in Gotham City for a young Batman proves to be anything but routine when the crime-fighter is confronted with a sort of foe he's never faced before—one from beyond the stars! A universe of possible alien threats leads Batman to make a daring decision—to venture alone into the far reaches of the cosmos for the very first time, where the Dark Knight will face the fight of his life!
Superstar writer Jason Aaron delivers his first Batman story ever, partnered with blockbuster artist Doug Mahnke for a unique, brutal tale!
Batman: Off-World #1 will be released wherever comics are sold on Tuesday, November 21st.