This fall, Bruce Wayne will be no more. DC has announced Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham, a new four-issue Black Label miniseries from writer/artist Rafael Grampá and colorist Mat Lopes. The series, which will launch in the US and internationally on September 16th’s Batman Day, follows a Batman who has left the Bruce Wayne identity behind.

Here’s how DC describes Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham:

In a Gotham City where every day feels darker and more irredeemable than the last, Batman makes a definitive choice—to kill off the Bruce Wayne identity for good and embrace the cape and cowl full-time. But though he knows the streets of Gotham, Batman will soon come to find that he hardly knows himself. A serial killer is on the loose, and while the murder victims seem random at first, every clue draws Batman closer to the terrifying truth—that they are all connected, not just to each other, but to him as well. When an all-new rogues gallery of utterly depraved villains begins to emerge from the depths of the city, Batman will have to contend with the very nature of evil—including that which lurks in the darkest corners of his own heart—to face what is coming for the city he has sworn to protect.

Gargoyle of Gotham is not Rafael Grampá’s first foray into the world of the Batman. In 2013 Grampá wrote and illustrated a story for DC’s Batman: Black and White series, and in 2019 the artist teamed with legendary Batman writer Frank Miller for Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child, a Black Label one-shot set in the world of Miller’s iconic ’80s alternate future series. 

Along with a main cover by Grampá, Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #1 will be available with open-to-order variant covers by Miller, Jim Lee, and David Finch. Lee and Miller’s covers will also be available as black-and-white incentive variants, with Lee’s a 1:25 ratio and Miller’s a 1:250 ratio. Other incentive variants will feature art by Priscilla Petraites (1:50) and Paul Pope (1:100). The issue will also be available in a black-and-white “noir edition,” presenting the full first issue minus Lopes’s colors, with an alternate cover by Grampá.

In a statement announcing the series, Grampá described how Batman’s earliest appearances inspired his work on the new book:

“When his origin was introduced in Batman #1 in the 1940s, Bruce Wayne swore revenge by the spirits of his murdered parents and—driven by his belief in an omen—became Batman,” said Grampá. “For me, this subtle aspect of Bruce’s belief system has always been the fundamental core of Batman, and through that lens I recognized this untold story. Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham explores ‘who he is and why he came to be.’ It makes my dream of bringing my own interpretation of Batman to life a reality as I delve into the darkest corners of his essence. I sincerely hope readers enjoy the ride.”

Check out a trio of interior preview pages, plus the variant covers by Finch & Petraites and Grampá’s “noir edition” cover, for Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham #1 (of 4) below. The issue is set to arrive in stores in North America, Brazil, Spain, Italy, and Germany, as well as digitally, on Tuesday, September 16th.

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