DC’s Elseworlds imprint has reimagined Batman as a 19th century crusader (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight), a vengeful reverend (Batman: Holy Terror), a tyrannical cult leader (Batman: I, Joker), a knight of the Round Table (Batman: Dark Knight of the Round Table), a 17th century pirate (Leatherwing),and a vampire (Batman: Red Rain). Next: as a sword-wielding, demon-battling barbarian in Batman the Barbarian.
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When DC Comics announced it was relaunching its line of out-of-continuity comics — including Gotham by Gaslight sequel series The Kryptonian Age byAndy Diggle and Leandro Fernandez and Batman: Nightfire by Clay and Seth Mann — the publisher also revealed the barbaric Batman. Described as “a brutal and remarkable retelling of Batman’s origin set against a rugged, medieval Earth,” the six-issue Batman the Barbarian is written and drawn by Eisner Award winner Greg Smallwood (DC’s The Human Target).
According to the synopsis, “The sword-wielding barbarian known as ‘Batman’ carries out his father’smission to protect the defenseless and honor the lands. However, anancient prophecy surrounding a starved demon from the east is loomingcloser and closer. Can this Batman, worn down by the elements of hisworld, defeat this mystical threat?”
Batman the Barbarian “obviously draws inspiration from those classic Elseworlds tales I grew up with,” Smallwood said in this week’s DC Nation spotlight. “It’s a unique thrill to be able to play in the DC sandbox with characters like Batman while also having the freedom to take them into entirely new realms and situations. That blend of deep lore and imaginative exploration is what makes Elseworlds so exciting.”
Where Jay Kristoff (Empire of the Vampire, The Aurora Cycle, The Nevernight Chronicle) and Tirso Cons’ Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter is an epic fantasy rooted in Norse mythology, Smallwood’s Batman tale is influenced by the sword-and-sorcery genre (akin to Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian and the sagas of sword and sorcery within the pages of Flashing Swords!).
“I’ve been a huge fan of sword and sorcery ever since I was a teen, but the big appeal for me is simply the visual aesthetics of the genre,” Smallwood said. “When I was a kid, sword-and-sorcery paperbacks and VHS boxes woukd always catch my eye; the amazing covers promised grand epics with spellbinding visuals and captivating characters. My goal with Batman the Barbarian is to deliver on that promise.”
Besides putting his own spin on Bruce Wayne’s oft-told origin story, Smallwood teased his Batman sword-and-sorcery epic is “visceral, raw, and action-packed.” Batman the Barbarian arrives later this year as part of the new Elseworlds lineup, which includes the post-apocalyptic Green Lantern Dark by Tate Brombal and Werther Dell’Edera and DC vs. Vampires: World War V by Matthew Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt.
