Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: Batman, dc comics, marc silvestri

Ten Years Of Marc Silvestri Working On Batman/Joker: The Deadly Duo

Published Wed, 17 Aug 2022 16:57:10 -0500

Bleeding Cool first scooped the news back in 2014 that Marc Silvestri was working on a Batman comic. But we understand he had already been working on it for a couple of years. Then it was to be part of DC Rebirth in 2015. But it wasn't. Last year we learned it was a Batman/Joker Team-Up six-issue mini-series. Written and drawn by Marc Silvestri and edited by Matt Hawkins. But then nothing again… then it was officially announced in 2018. And then… nothing. In 2020, we heard it was Marc Silvestri holding out for a better deal. Basically what Greg Capullo got for Death Metal and not a cent less.

Now it has been scheduled for November 2023. Batman/The Joker: The Deadly Duo, a Black Label limited series with #1 for the 1st of November and #2 for the 6th of December. And now seven issues long – well you have waited a long time!

The conflict between Batman and The Joker has been one of the most storied in all of literature. Always adversaries, they've rarely had to work together, but this November iconic storyteller Marc Silvestri tells the ultimate tale of a fragile alliance between The Dark Knight and The Clown Prince of Crime in Batman/The Joker: The Deadly Duo, a seven-issue DC Black Label limited series arriving in comic book stores and participating digital platforms on Tuesday, November 1.

This meticulously crafted take on Batman's deadliest team introduces readers to a horrifying and suspense-filled version of Gotham City, one that only Silvestri can deliver. "Batman and The Joker are two of the world's most iconic characters and have been at each other's throats for more than 80 years," says Silvestri. "I always thought is would be pretty entertaining to have them on the same side, so I wrote a story about it. Needless to say, stuff happens."

The Joker will go to any lengths to get Harley Quinn back after a strange and mysterious culprit abducts her. But who would be brazen enough to incur The Joker's wrath by committing such an unthinkable act?

To compound the terror, mysterious, Joker-like creatures are stalking the streets of Gotham, collecting severed heads, and no one knows why. Furthermore, Jim Gordon is missing, and after receiving a package containing a bloody piece of Gotham's police commissioner, Batman realizes he must be willing to do anything to save him. But how?

When The Joker proposes an uneasy alliance with Batman, the answers to those questions begin to become clear—and they will shake Gotham City and the Bat-Family to their cores!

A series featuring two of the most recognizable characters in popular culture deserves powerful cover art, and Batman/The Joker: The Deadly Duo features an incredible selection of cover art for its debut and second issues. In addition to a main cover by Silvestri, issue #1 features variant covers of both Batman and The Joker by the incomparable Greg Capullo (Batman, Dark Nights: Metal, Dark Nights: Death Metal), a 1 in 25 ratio variant cover by Kyle Hotz, a 1 in 50 black and white ratio variant cover by Marc Silvestri, a 1 in 100 variant cover by Rorschach artist Jorge Fornes, and a 1 in 250 signed ratio variant cover, signed by Silvestri. Check out your local comic book stores for additional details and pre-ordering.

In December's issue #2, Batman and The Joker's relationship is off to a rocky start, but differences need to be put aside in a hurry, as another piece of Commissioner Gordon is delivered to the Gotham City Police Department. Hopefully, they can work together fast, while there's something left of Jim Gordon! Issue #2 also features words, interiors, and cover art by Marc Silvestri, with main variant covers of Batman and The Joker by the incomparable Kelley Jones, plus a variant by fan-favorite artist Jim Lee. This issue also features a 1 in 25 variant cover by Yanick Paquette, with a 1 in 50 black & white ratio variant by Silvestri, and a 1 in 100 ratio variant by Christopher Mitten.

All covers for Batman/The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1 and #2 are card stock, and each 32-page issue is priced at $4.99

And here is all the Marc Silvestri Batman/Joker Deadly Duo artwork we have run on Bleeding Cool over the last ten years…