| "Murphyverse" thematic stories | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Publication information | |||
| Publisher | DC Comics (Black Label) | ||
| Schedule | Varied | ||
| |||
| Formats | Varied | ||
| Original language | English | ||
| Genre | |||
| Publication date | 2017 | ||
| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) | Varied | ||
| Artist(s) | Varied | ||
| Letterer(s) | Varied | ||
| Colorist(s) | Varied | ||
TheMurphyverse is the unofficial name given to aline ofAmerican comic books created by writer/artistSean Murphy, and published byDC Comics under itsBlack Label imprint.
Following the critical and commercial success ofBatman: White Knight (2017–18) and its sequelsBatman: Curse of the White Knight (2019–20) andBatman: Beyond the White Knight (2022-23) — threelimited series created bySean Murphy —DC Comics was reportedly interested in creating acomic bookline centered around Murphy's works, with him overseeing the making of each comic as they are developed by different creative teams and then published by DC under itsBlack Label imprint.[1] Although it currently does not have an official name, the line is commonly referred to as the "Murphyverse".[2]
In revealing vision for the Murphyverse, Murphy laid out six rules that all writers and illustrators must follow when creating stories for it:[3] First, any character that dies cannot be subsequentlyresurrected; second, there can be nointernal monologues; third, no series can be rushed; fourth, the authors of the books must have as their primary focus the goal of pleasing their readers; fifth, there must be at least one vehicle, such as theBatmobile, in each comic; and sixth, no series maycrossover with another, despite taking place in the sameshared universe.[4]
While the Murphyverse has so far focused on the superheroBatman and his overallcast of supporting characters, Murphy has indicated that he plans to expand the line with the release of comics based on other DC characters and teams, such asSuperman and theJustice League.[5][6] Murphy said that his comic book line is DC's equivalent ofMarvel Comics'Ultimate imprint: "I feel like I've got all the freedom in the world and my own universe, Batman. I mean, like, everyone wants that. So I don't know how I ended up here. But it's like Marvel's Ultimate Line but withGotham City".[7]
| Title | Issues | Publication date | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Letterer(s) | Colorist(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | |||||||
| Batman: White Knight | #1–8 | October 4, 2017 –May 9, 2018 | Sean Murphy | Todd Klein | Matt Hollingsworth | [8] | |
| Batman: Curse of the White Knight | #1–8 | July 24, 2019 –March 25, 2020 | Sean Murphy | AndWorld Design | Matt Hollingsworth | [9] | |
| Batman: White Knight Presents Von Freeze | #1 | November 20, 2019 | Sean Murphy | Klaus Janson | AndWorld Design | Matt Hollingsworth | [10] |
| Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn | #1–6 | October 20, 2020 –March 23, 2021 | Katana Collins Sean Murphy | Matteo Scalera | AndWorld Design | Dave Stewart | [11] |
| Batman: Beyond the White Knight | #1–8 | March 29, 2022 –February 14, 2023 | Sean Murphy | AndWorld Design | Dave Stewart | [12] | |
| Batman: White Knight Presents: Red Hood | #1–2 | August 2, 2022 –August 23, 2022 | Sean Murphy Clay McCormack | Simone Di Meo George Kambadais | AndWorld Design | Dave Stewart | [13] |
| Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker | #1–6 | May 9, 2023 –October 17, 2023 | Katana Collins Clay McCormack Sean Murphy | Mirka Andolfo | D. C. Hopkins | Alejandro Sánchez | [14] |
| In development | |||||||
| UntitledBatman: Beyond the White Knight sequel | TBA | TBA | Sean Murphy | TBA | TBA | TBA | [15] |
| UntitledCatwoman series | TBA | TBA | Clay McCormack | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| UntitledSuperman series | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | [5] |
| World's Finest: White Knight | TBA | TBA | Sean Murphy | Sean Murphy | TBA | TBA | [16] |
| Unproduced | |||||||
| UntitledBatgirl series | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | [17] |
| UntitledNightwing series | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Title | Publication date | Collected material | Pages | Format | ISBN | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batman: White Knight | October 9, 2018 | Batman: White Knight #1–8 | 232 | Complete | 978-1401279592 | [18] |
| Batman: White Knight – The Hardcover Edition | May 15, 2019 | Batman: White Knight #1–8 | 232 | Hardcover | 978-1401298821 | [19] |
| Batman: White Knight – The Deluxe Edition | March 4, 2020 | Batman: White Knight #1–8 | 232 | Deluxe | 978-1779500649 | [20] |
| Batman: Curse of the White Knight | September 15, 2020 | Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1–8 andBatman: White Knight Presents Von Freeze #1 | 272 | Complete | 978-1779504487 | [21] |
| Batman: Curse of the White Knight 2020 Batman Day Special Edition | September 19, 2020 | Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1 | 33 | Special | N/A | [22] |
| Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn | June 29, 2021 | Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #1–6 and a story fromHarley Quinn Black + White + Red #6 | 168 | Complete | 978-1779514912 | [23] |
| Batman: Beyond the White Knight Showcase Edition | May 31, 2022 | Batman: Beyond the White Knight #1–2 | 48 | Prestige | N/A | [24] |
| Batman: Curse of the White Knight – The Deluxe Edition | September 27, 2022 | Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1–8 andBatman: White Knight Presents Von Freeze #1 | 280 | Deluxe | 978-1779516817 | N/A |
| Batman: Beyond the White Knight | June 2023 | Batman: Beyond the White Knight #1–8 andBatman: White Knight Presents Red Hood #1–2 | 280 | Complete | N/A | N/A |
| Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker | April 16, 2024 | Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker #1–6 | 156 | Complete | 978-1779524904 | N/A |