| Batman: Damned | |
|---|---|
 Cover art ofBatman: Damned #1 (November 2018), art byLee Bermejo. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | Superhero,horror |
| Publication date | September 2018 – June 2019 |
| No. of issues | 3 |
| Main character(s) | Batman John Constantine |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Brian Azzarello |
| Artist | Lee Bermejo |
Batman: Damned is anAmerican comic book series published by the comic book publishing companyDC Comics. The three-issuelimited series, written byBrian Azzarello and illustrated byLee Bermejo, began on September 19, 2018 and concluded on June 26, 2019. The series experienced numerous delays throughout its run, with the third issue being rescheduled a total of five times.Damned was the first series published under theDC Black Label, animprint allowing writers to present unique takes on DC characters for amature audience, and Azzarello and Bermejo described it as a loose sequel to their 2008 graphic novelJoker.
Asupernatural horror story,Damned is set inGotham City outside thecontinuity of the mainstreamDC Universe. The series begins shortly after the events ofJoker, when the criminalJoker seemingly dies during a fight with his archenemy, the superheroBatman, who has no recollection of the event. Batman enlists the help of blue-collar exorcistJohn Constantine, and the two delve into Gotham's supernatural underworld to solve the mystery. During their investigation, they meet many of DC's magic-based characters, including theSpectre,Etrigan,Deadman,Zatanna, theSwamp Thing, and theEnchantress.Damned sold well and received positive reviews. Critics praised Bermejo's art, though opinions regarding the story were mixed. The series also became subject to controversy due to a scene in the first issue featuring malefull frontal nudity, the allowance of which led to editorial shakeups at DC.
Batman: Damned was written byBrian Azzarello and illustrated byLee Bermejo, who had previously collaborated to produce the villain-centric comicsLex Luthor: Man of Steel (2005) andJoker (2008).[1] It was the first title of publisherDC Comics'Black Label[2]—animprint designed to allow writers to present unique takes on traditionalDC Universe (DCU) characters for amature audience—and was announced alongside the line in March 2018.[3][4] Bermejo andJim Lee contributed cover art.[1] Bermejo said the project came about as a result ofJoker: "Every time we do a project, that project leads us to the next project we're going to do together. Even if we don't know it right away".[2] Similarly, Azzarello describedDamned as a quasi-sequel toJoker. He said one did not have to readJoker to understandDamned, but if they read both they would see connections. The series' narrative is a reverse ofJoker's. InJoker,Batman was not physically present until the final pages but nonetheless plays a significant role; conversely, inDamned, theJoker only appears at the beginning but remains a narrative driving force.[5]
Talks of aJoker sequel began after thegraphic novel's release in 2008. According to Azzarello,Joker sold significantly better than DC expected. This caught the company off-guard, as it "had nothing like it to follow it with".[6] Editors Will Dennis and Mark Doyle discussed ideas for a potential follow-up with Azzarello, which soon developed into "Jokerverse" and eventually Black Label, but after theR-rated DC filmWatchmen (2009) underperformed at the box office, DC's corporate siblingWarner Bros. became opposed to producingsuperhero fiction for a mature audience, and development halted.[6][7] The project was revived as Azzarello and Bermejo were working on acrossover featuring Batman and theJustice League Dark. Azzarello struggled to write a story when Lee suggested to launch Black Label with it.[6]Damned was Azzarello's second Batman story that took over a decade to produce, followingBatman: Europa (2016).[7]
Azzarello and Bermejo sought to restore a sense of vulnerability to Batman inDamned.[5][8][9] Bermejo noted that modern interpretations of the character depict him as someone who is always ready, which renders his human side absent.[5][9] They had grown tired of this and wanted to reverse what Bermejo called "'Robocop'-ification".[8] Azzarello describedDamned's Batman as afish out of water; while the story is about him, he has no control over it.[10] The duo wanted Batman to be in a new, unusual situation within the story.[5][2] He also thought that "if ... someone else has the upper hand on [Batman], it completely changes the dynamic of the story... he's suddenly a way more interesting character".[11] Azzarello realized during the initial discussions forDamned thatJohn Constantine needed to be part of the story,[10] and chose him as narrator because he would leave Batman confused.[11] The series' depiction of Constantine is more in line with his original portrayal in theDC Vertigo seriesHellblazer (1988—2020), in which he was depicted as a foul-mouthed conman, than his recent, family-friendly appearances in the DC Universe.[9][10] Azzarello, who wrote many issues ofHellblazer, believed the maturity was an essential part of the character.[10]
DC set up this imprint. 'Take our characters, do something mature'. When that opportunity was given to us, we decided, let's not half-ass this. Let's go all the way. We'll either go down in a blaze of glory or we hit the ball.
Damned allowed Azzarello and Bermejo to showcase their interpretations of DC's supernatural characters,[10] such as theSpectre,Etrigan,Deadman,Zatanna, andSwamp Thing.[2] Azzarello said Deadman in particular was fun to write. He changed Deadman's abilities so he could only possess bodies for a short time and, similar to a person suffering from addiction, constantly searches for a new host. With Etrigan, the duo replaced hisiambic pentameter speech rhythm with one inspired by hip-hop music. Azzarello and Bermejo namedLogic,Nas,Kool Keith,Camp Lo, andRun the Jewels as inspiration.[2] The characters have their own "visual language" to make it clear when they are present; for instance, in the second issue the color palette changes when Etrigan is present.[10] The duo said their approach to magic in the story was like 1970s horror or aDario Argento film such asSuspiria (1977), rather than an effects-driven film.[2]
Each page took Bermejo around three or four days to complete. Because he colored it himself, it made production longer than the average comic.[10] Bermejo was inspired by photography, such as the bookUncle Charlie by Marc Asnin,[5] and said that while the art is in his traditional style, he thought it was more colorful than people would expect.[2] Azzarello waited to see the finished page so he could write the script,[5] as Bermejo's art sometimes inspired dialogue changes.[9]Damned was printed on wide paper with a matte texture cover, which Bermejo thought was ideal for his style.[11] Theletterer, Jared K. Fletcher, "came up with really, really interesting font" featuring free-floating captions and changing sizes, which Azzarello said helped the series stand out.[10]
The physical editions ofDamned were published as prestige format comics, which are square-bound, larger than normal comics, and have higher-quality paper.[10][12] DC published the first issue ofDamned on September 19, 2018,[1][12] with acover date of November.[13] The following issues experienced numerous delays. The second issue was initially scheduled to be released on November 21, but was delayed to December 5 that September so Bermejo could redraw four pages.[14][15] In November, it was delayed again to December 12.[15] Meanwhile, the third issue was rescheduled a total of five times.[16] It was initially slated for release in January 2019, before being pushed to March 13.[14] In February, DC canceled all orders of the issue[17] before announcing it would release on May 22, but was later delayed to June 19, then again until June 26.[16] A hardcover collected edition was released on September 4, 2019.[18]
Asupernatural horror story,Batman: Damned is set inGotham City in a grim, darker version of the DCU. The series' protagonist is Bruce Wayne, who witnessed the murder of his parents,Thomas andMartha Wayne, as a child. This inspired him to becomeBatman, a masked superhero, to fight crime.Damned's depiction of Batman is similar to hiscanon DCU counterpart,[19] but he is tormented by the demonic witch theEnchantress, who visits him as a child and continues to speak to him as an adult.[19][20] At the beginning of the story, Batman engages in a violent fight with his archenemy, the sadisticJoker, that ends with Joker's death, and isunable to remember what happened.[19] Batman is guided byJohn Constantine, a foul-mouthed con man, exorcist and magician. Constantine is the narrator and Batman'sfoil, serving as the bridge between what Batman knows and what he does not.[10]
In addition to traditionalBatman supporting characters cast membersJames Gordon andHarley Quinn,Damned features many of DC's supernatural characters, such as theSpectre,Etrigan,Deadman,Zatanna, and theSwamp Thing.[2] While remaining faithful to their DCU counterparts, some characters have key differences; Jim Johnson ofCBR.com wrote that the series takes "unfamiliar approaches to otherwise familiar characters".[19] Recent incarnations of Harley have depicted her as heroic, butDamned depicts her as villainous. Out of grief over the Joker's death, she adopts aspects of his appearance, including dying her hair green, adorning makeup resembling him and wearing his traditional purple suit. Meanwhile, in the world ofDamned, Etrigan is a rapper named J. Blood who performs at a nightclub called the Cavern,[21] and Deadman, the ghost of a man named Boston Brand, communicates by temporarily possessing individuals, leaving them terribly ill when he vacates their bodies. The Spectre, an agent of Heaven, is represented by a rambling homeless man in a green hood, who appears as a figure of judgment.
During a fight (immediately following the finale ofJoker), Batman and the Joker fall off the Gotham Gate Bridge. The Joker seemingly dies, while Batman is knocked unconscious and awakens in an ambulance. Batman fights theemergency medical technicians and runs off, only to collapse in a street. Constantine rescues Batman and brings him to a hotel room. There, Batman learns of the situation from the news. He fears he may have murdered the Joker and Constantine offers to form an alliance. Batman returns to the bridge to investigate, where a homeless man claims to have seen the devil kill the Joker. The man disappears before Batman can question him.
Flashbacks reveal that when Bruce was a child, his mother, Martha, discovered that his father, Thomas, had had an affair with another woman. While Bruce played outside, Thomas and Martha got in a fight, resulting in Thomas driving away. Bruce fired a cap gun at Martha's face and she made Bruce promise to never point a gun at anyone. Batman's memories of these events become plagued by the Enchantress, who implies that he had a hand in the Joker's death and offers to make a deal to rid him of fear. In the present, Batman goes to the Batcave and hallucinates that his suit is attacking him. While Batman observes Gotham street activity, Deadman appears and warns him of dark forces that plan to oppose him.
Batman and Constantine meet at a church, where a statue ofJesus has been desecrated with a painting of the Joker's smile. Batman begins to doubt that the Joker really died, while Constantine encourages him to seek out Etrigan for information. Batman finds Etrigan at the Cavern and fights through the crowd to confront him. Etrigan, angry for being interrupted during a performance, orders the crowd to point firearms at Batman. Suddenly, an explosion destroys the building and theBat-Signal, desecrated with the Joker's smile, lights up the sky. Etrigan saves Batman, but tells Constantine that he only did so in order for Batman to experience more suffering.
It is revealed that the bombing was orchestrated by Harley Quinn, who is unable to cope with the Joker's death. Batman confronts Harley, who beats him with a baseball bat, injects him with a drug that paralyzes him and attempts to rape him. Batman, however, manages to gain the upper hand and, possessed by the Enchantress, strangles her against the Bat-Signal. Later, Batman awakens trapped inside a coffin underground, but is rescued by the Swamp Thing. Constantine arrives and talks to the Swamp Thing before the Enchantress appears and Batman defeats her.
Constantine takes Batman to meet Zatanna at a club for magic-based patrons and she uses a spell to send them into a vision of the night when Bruce's parents were murdered byJoe Chill, where it appears that the young Bruce was also shot in the alley. He seemingly sold his soul to the Enchantress to become the Batman. The Enchantress attempts to seal her deal with Bruce, but Constantine shoots and kills the witch with Chill's pistol. Constantine explains that the dead Bruce represents Batman's past, of which he implores Batman to let go. Batman and Constantine part ways as Batman goes to the morgue, where the homeless man, an incarnation of the heavenly judgment figure known as the Spectre, reveals the truth of the incident on the bridge; Batman was fatally stabbed by the Joker and consciously allowed the Joker to fall to his death, fearing what would become of Gotham if he was not there to stop the Joker. Batman, realising he has been dead this whole time, exchanges places with the body in the morgue and dissipates. A living Joker then emerges from the river underneath the bridge, while Constantine implies that this is the start of a new chapter.
Batman: Damned received positive reviews from critics.[22] On Comic Book Roundup, a comic bookreview aggregator, the series holds an average rating of 7.5/10 based on 81 reviews.[23] The series sold well; the initial print run of the first issue sold out and the second issue received more preorders than the first, a rarity in the comics industry.[24] The third issue, despite delays and a lack of publicity, was also a bestseller.[25]
The first issue ofDamned features a scene in whichBatman goes to theBatcave to analyze injuries he suffered earlier in the story.[13][26] The scene generated controversy because some panels depict Batman'spenis for the first time.[22][27] The nudity is only present in physical printings and wascensored in the digital version. Around 115,000 uncensored copies were published.[28] DC co-publishersJim Lee andDan DiDio attributed the lack of censorship to production errors; the colors had to be brightened to make the scene more visible, which, in turn, caused Batman's penis to become noticeable.[24] According to Noah Dominguez ofCBR.com, while some readers accepted the scene for humanizing Batman, it left others uncomfortable.[22] The scene soon became subject to online ridicule,[27] and late night talk show hostsSeth Meyers andStephen Colbert made jokes about it.[29]
While the controversy caused the issue's initial print run to sell out, it was embarrassing for DC[24] and led to turmoil within the company. DC parentTimeWarner had just merged withAT&T, and as a result, pursued a "family friendly and corporate" product at the time ofDamned's release.[30] DiDio said the controversy "really took the attention away from what we thought was quality storytelling".[31] DC decided to remove the nudity from future printings,[28] causing prices of uncensored copies to skyrocket, and "rethink who they are as a company".[24] Editorial changes following the controversy, out of fear of a repeat,[32] led to development on otherBlack Label titles halting and the cancellation of the religious satireSecond Coming. DC also made the second issue ofDamned returnable,[24] and the controversy led to the series receiving minimal promotion.[30]
DC's rationale that the nudity was unnecessary for the story was met with criticism from journalists, who felt it conflicted with the mature nature of Black Label comics.[32] For instance, Eric Francisco ofInverse argued that many ignored the context of the scene,[8] while Alex Abad-Santos ofVox said the removal "[brought] to mind some of the egregiously risqué female costumes in mainstream comics that don't seem 'additive' to the story beyond providing titillating thrills".[27] Susana Polo ofPolygon criticized the outrage as unjustified and overblown, finding the nudity barely visible.[33] Bermejo called the debacle the biggestnon-controversy in comics history.[30] He claimed that DC mistreated him and Azzarello following the controversy, including unusual encounters with other DC employees and Bermejo constantly having to redraw artwork due to editorial interference.[30]
