Exclusive: DC Revives ‘Batman: Europa’ and Reveals New ‘Dark Knight III’ Details

More than a decade after it was originally announced back in October 2004, one of comics' long-lost projects, Batman: Europa by writers Brian Azzarello and Matteo Casali and artists Jim Lee and Giuseppe Camuncoli, is finally releasing its first issue in November.

The book was previously solicited for a January 2011. Now DC has exclusively revealed to ComicsAlliance the new solicitation and Lee Bermejo's variant cover for Batman: Europa #1, ahead of next week's November solicits. DC also unveiled details of a series of special collector's editions for Frank Miller's Dark Knight III: The Master Race.

Europa is a four-issue miniseries inspired by the year Lee spent in Italy. Here's DC's solicitation:

BATMAN: EUROPA #1
Written by MATTEO CASALI and BRIAN AZZARELLO
Layouts by GIUSSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
Art and cover by JIM LEE
1:25 Variant cover by LEE BERMEJO
1:100 B&W Sketch variant by JIM LEE
On sale NOVEMBER 18 • 40 pg, FC, 1 of 4, $4.99 US • RATED T+
Superstar artist Jim Lee returns to the Dark Knight with this premiere issue! The impossible has happened and Batman is on the verge of being taken down by an enemy he cannot defeat: a virus for which there is no cure! And the only hope for his salvation is The Joker! Who infected Batman, what does the Clown Prince of Crime know, and how will the Dark Knight get that information? Together, the enemies crisscross Europe, desperate to find answers before time runs out.
Co-conceived by Matteo Casali and Brian Azzarello, this 4-issue miniseries event will feature art by top talents over layouts by the incomparable Giuseppe Camuncoli (HELLBLAZER, Dark Wolverine), with the first issue pencilled and inked by none other than Jim Lee!

It's worth noting that the solicit states Lee will only be penciling and inking the first issue, which suggests that other artists may take on the following issues. The Lee Bermejo variant cover will be offered at a rate of 1-in-25, with a black-and-white sketch cover by Lee offered at a rate of 1-in-100.

The Dark Knight III solicits confirm that each of the eight issues will have a 32-page main story written by Miller and Azzarello, with art by Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson, plus a 16-page backup story by a yet-to-be-announced team. (Miller fans are likely to get their hopes up that he might provide some of the art.)

In the regular, $5.99 version of the book, those backup stories will be in a minicomic insert that will be bound into the issue. A few weeks after the regular release, DC will release an oversized "collector's edition" of each issue, in which the backup story will be published in the same format as the main story. The first of those will retail for $12.99. Once all the collector's edition issues have been released, DC will ship a slipcase that can house them all.

The regular edition of Dark Knight III #1 will be released Nov. 25, with the special edition set for release Dec. 9. Here are the solicitation details:

DC COMICS PRESENTS DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE
DC Comics is proud to present the debut issue of DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE, one of the most ambitious projects ever from a major American comics publisher. Here are the details...
Each issue of DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE will include:
• A 32-page standard format comic book that will measure 6.625” x 10.1875”
• A 16-page minicomic with no interior ads that will measure 5.5” x 8.375”
The minicomic will be tipped on to an insert and bound into the main comic.
After the release of each issue of DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE, DC Entertainment will release a volume of the DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE COLLECTOR’S EDITION that will collect the both the main story and mini-comic from latest issue of DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE as a single 7.0625” x 10.875” title, with both stories presented at the same trim size.
After the first seven DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE COLLECTOR’S EDITION have been published, DC Entertainment will ship a special slipcase designed to hold the entire set with the eighth COLLECTOR’S EDITION.
DKIII also will feature a dazzling array of variant covers by some of the biggest names in comics today. And, for the first time ever, DC will offer custom store variant editions to qualifying retailers. Watch for more information coming soon!

DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #1
Written by FRANK MILLER and BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by ANDY KUBERT and KLAUS JANSON
Mini comic art by TBA
Cover by ANDY KUBERT and KLAUS JANSON
1:10 variant cover by KLAUS JANSON
1:25 variant cover by ANDY KUBERT and KLAUS JANSON
1:50 variant cover by TBA
1:100 variant cover by FRANK MILLER
1:500 variant cover by JIM LEE
1:5000 original sketch variant by JIM LEE
Blank variant cover
On sale NOVEMBER 25
32 pg comic: 6.375” x 10.1875”
16 page minicomic: 5.5” x 8.5”
FC, 1 of 8, $5.99 US • RATED T+
Retailers: This issue will ship with multiple covers. Please see the order form for more information.
The epic ending you never saw coming is here because you demanded it! The Dark Knight rises again to face the dawn of the master race!

DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #1 COLLECTOR’S EDITION VOL. 1
Written by FRANK MILLER and BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by ANDY KUBERT and KLAUS JANSON
Cover by JIM LEE
On sale DECEMBER 9 • 40 pg, FC, 7.0625” x 10.875”, $12.99 US • RATED T+
This oversized paper-over-boards COLLECTOR’S EDITION features both stories from DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #1 at the same size!

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