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SYFY WIRE DC Comics

The worlds of Richard Donner's Superman & Tim Burton's Batman getting the comic book treatment

By Josh Weiss
Batman & Superman

Two classic superhero movies — Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie (1978) and Tim Burton's Batman (1989) — are coming to the world of print with a pair of cinema-inspired comic books from DC, the publisher confirmed today. They won't just be screenplays translated into comic form, but entirely new stories set within the respective cinematic universes. 

Rob Venditti (Hawkman) and Wilfredo Torres (BANG!) are tackling the Man of Steel (played in the '78 film by Christopher Reeve), while Sam Hamm (the original co-screenwriter of Burton's Gotham-based adventure) and Joe Quinones (Howard the Duck) take on the Caped Crusader (famously played in the '89 feature by Michael Keaton).

Resolving certain plot threads left dangling by its progenitor, Batman '89 will reintroduce Selina Kyle/Catwoman (played by Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1992 sequel, Batman Returns), a new version of Robin, and a take on Harvey Dent/Two-Face "that is as close to movie magic as a comic can get!" promises the release. 

Details for Superman '78 are a little more vague. The release teases that the comic is "inspired by Donner’s classic, timeless style of superhero storytelling" and goes on to state that Venditti and Torres will show fans that a man can truly fly."

Batman '89 and Supermn '78 comic book covers

Both books are scheduled to debut their first six chapters digitally on Tuesday, July 27. New chapters will follow in the following six weeks. If you prefer a hard copy, DC is releasing both 12 chapter stories in six issues between August and October, with hardcover editions planned for November.