The DC Universe is about to get a lot more festive. On Thursday, the publisher announced Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns #1, a five-issue sequel series to last year's Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight miniseries. The book will be written by Jeff Parker, with art by Lukas Ketner. Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns #1 will have a main cover by Bernard Chang and variant covers by Dan Mora, Kevin Wada, and Erica Henderson, with a polybagged, evergreen-scented variant cover by Dan Hipp. The series will publish weekly on Wednesdays between November 27 and December 25.
"I was blown away at how well last year's SILENT KNIGHT series was received, readers really responded to us going full tilt with Norse-mythos Santa in the DCU," said Parker when asked for his thoughts about writing the holiday sequel. "We followed the old tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas (remember the line from 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year'?). Then to be asked if I wanted to do another one AND have an extra issue? That was the Happy New Year."
"The first SILENT KNIGHT series wasn't quite what I expected, and I loved it for that," said Ketner. "Jeff has an amazing ability to take an idea like a Batman & Santa team-up and play it straight with a great story, new DC lore, and a real threat. There's humor of course, but it's so much more effective when the stakes are real."
What Is Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns About?
In Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns, horrors haunt the Christmas season as life-drained bodies litter the countryside, each marked with a strange symbol. The Justice League responds—but it's a trap! The heroes are pulled from our world, but not before Batman helps Robin escape. Now Damian Wayne must seek out Zatanna and the one and only Santa Claus if there's any hope of saving their friends and family. Santa comes to the aid of the DCU heroes in the crossover-event sequel you wished for! And you must have been extra good because a wintry mix of DC's wildest characters arrive this time to face a powerful foe…the Silent Knight!
"Once Lukas started on SILENT KNIGHT RETURNS our inboxes were blowing apart with visuals better than anyone imagined," continued Parker. "The Bat Office started us good and early so we've had that rare planning time to really build out the story and craft an ominous and creepy villain. Cool monsters, exotic locales—you'll love the smart details Lukas works in, it will reward multiple readings."
"I come from a cartoony horror comics background," added Ketner, "but when Jeff first brought up the possibility of a next installment of SILENT KNIGHT, I had a real 'put me in, Coach!' moment. The story leans into some great fantasy horror vibes, and I love that it could just as easily have been a DC Halloween series."
"We also get to welcome back maestro Michele Bandini who is drawing the scenes of the Justice League lost in The Hollow Kingdom of the Knight," said Parker. "You'll see many of the creatures he designed return so there's another direct connection to the first series. You might want to reread that before SILENT KNIGHT RETURNS kicks off in November (visualize me doing the Superman wink here)."
"The team is amazing, and I'm thrilled to be alternating scenes with Michele Bandini," said Ketner. "I loved his work in the first series, and I couldn't wait to draw some of the monsters he introduced there. Sharing the page with Marcelo Maiolo's colors and Patrick Brosseau's lettering is humbling to say the least."
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