The classic blue and grey batsuit isn’t the only thing that Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez are changing in Batman’s world. Batman #1 was released on Sep. 3, 2025, and with Fraction’s writing and Jiménez’s art, it’s no surprise that the first issue has received high ratings. So far, Fraction’s changes are popular, such as Tim Drake being the main Robin, but some are yet to be seen.
In the 86 long years that Batman comics have been around, Batman himself has gone through countless changes. He’s gained family members (and then lost them), watched a Robin come back as a villain, formed friendships, led teams, and much more. With all this in mind, it’s easy to figure out why Bruce Wayne is one of the most beloved DC characters.
“I think Batman’s had a lot of good stories, and he’s also been adapted a ton of times, like ‘The Batman’ movie in 2022. His origins and the things that have happened to him make for good stories, so it makes sense that he’s so popular,” said sophomore Anayah Gonzalez.
Batman’s first appearance was in “Detective Comics” in 1939, and since then, he’s had several more titles. The first series centered around him was “Batman,” created in 1940 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. This ran for 71 years, concluding in 2011, with a total of 715 issues. In November 2011, Batman Vol. 2 began as part of DC’s New 52 reboot and was the second renumbering of the title. Although opinions on DC’s New 52 are mostly mixed and even lean negative, Scott Snyder’s Batman was considered a good run and liked by most fans.
In 2016, when DC Comics started its Rebirth initiative, Batman was renumbered once again. Volume three currently has 161 issues, and it will be wrapped up in January of 2026 as Fraction’s Batman run, which is a mini-relaunch, begins.
Over the years, Batman’s writing has had its ups and downs. His complexities make the line between portraying him as a cynic and portraying him as just deeply flawed very thin.
“I think Batman should be written as softhearted. Sometimes, I see him written as an abusive father, and I genuinely don’t think that fits his character at all. Batman had a rough upbringing, but I feel like that would just make him want to protect them more,” said sophomore Sarah Qiu.
Batman Vol. 4 is said to be bringing back Batman’s core values that have slowly been forgotten over time, such as his outlook on change. Unlike many writers in the past, Fraction is emphasizing Batman’s compassion.
As seen in Batman #1, Fraction has brought Alfred back, although the butler is now most likely some sort of a welcomed hallucination. The events that happen later in the issue make it clear that fake Alfred will become a grounding factor for Batman, which makes sense considering everything that has happened recently.
For context, it’s possible that in Batman’s world, but unfortunately not ours yet, Hush has already ended his reign of terror as shown in H2SH by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee. Due to both titles running at the same time as a result of Hush 2’s delays, it’s unclear whether Fraction’s Batman is supposed to be a continuity of Chip Zdarsky’s run or H2SH.
On the chance that Fraction’s run takes place after H2SH, his Batman will most likely be put through tough mental situations that will force him to reevaluate himself and what he stands for, which Batman #1 has already foreshadowed.
“I’m hoping to see shorter story arcs, like Batman solving murders and crimes. I’m tired of seeing the stakes being so high,” said Qiu.
Overall, this relaunch, although small, gives DC opportunities to positively change Batman’s world. In an interview with DC in early 2025, Jiménez mentioned his motives behind his art for the new run. His artistic take on Gotham City was to give it a fresh approach with a pop influence–bringing back the feel of Silver Age Batman–while keeping the darkness of modern-day Gotham.
With his new technology and allies, Batman has a long road ahead of him. The second issue of Batman is scheduled to release on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
