DC has been going all-in when it comes to creating new comic book imprints to cater to readers of different tastes. DC Black Label may be the most enticing of these new imprints yet. The goal with Black Label is nothing less than to create a new wave of books in the vein of The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns – adult-oriented, continuity-free stories that feature bold takes on familiar heroes. That’s a high standard to meet, however, and it should come as no surprise that Batman: Damned doesn’t immediately establish itself as the next Killing Joke.
Damned is the latest collaboration between writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo, who previously collaborated on villain-centric comics like Joker and Lex Luthor: Man of Steel. Those projects should give some idea of the tone of Damned. Together, the two creator paints a very bleak picture of life in Gotham City. In some ways, it’s a much more grounded and realistic take on a decaying modern metropolis and the billionaire crazy enough to spend his nights dressing as a bat. There’s a grimy quality to this Gotham and its denizens. Batman himself is decked out in rugged armor, not spandex. And hero and villain alike are mired in misery and suffering. This is about as dark and adults-only as Batman comics get (and not just because of the already infamous Bat-nudity).
