Did you know that you no longer have to wait till Wednesday to read a brand new DC comic? From the early adventures of a still-developing Superman to epic-scale action set far in our future to vastly imaginative Batman tales spun by some of the best creators in comics, you can find the action you crave starring the characters you love Monday through Friday, and you don’t even need to leave your living room to do it. (Also, be sure to read to the end of the article to find out how you can win a free download of each day’s title!)

If you’re a Batman fan, you have plenty of great choices when it comes to monthly Bat-books. But are you aware that one of the most original and exciting Batman titles is only available digitally? For the next title in our week of Digital First spotlights, we take a nice long look at LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT, a weekly series of stand-alone tales all starring the Dark Knight and told by some of the most popular writers and artists in comics. Past creators have included JG Jones, Damon Lindelof, Jeff Lemire, Nicola Scott, Ben Templesmith, B. Clay Moore and Steve Niles.

Even better, there are more great legends to come. Today, Legends of the Dark Knight launches into a brand new tale written by I, Vampire writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and drawn by artist extraordinaire Phil Hester. Here’s Joshua to tell you more about it:

“Batman is an icon for one very simple reason. Elasticity. Batman has appeared in so many different versions, from the gun-toting Golden Age original to the guffawing fun of the ’60s Silver Age (and accompanying TV show), to the Grand Guignol glory of the modern age. What was most exciting for me in writing a story of the digital series has been contributing to that legacy of change.  

And look at the range of stories we’ve seen so far. From the smart, delicate story behind Lindelof and Lemire’s first entry, to the whizz bang fun of Jonathan Larsen and JG Jones and the dirty, nasty, delight of B. Clay Moore and Ben Templesmith’s, to the thoughtful and heartfelt run by Steve Niles and Trevor Hairsine.  

When I first spoke with editor Ben Abernathy about telling a story in such great company, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to tell a story of the city of Gotham, and the people who live in it, constantly rubbing up against the colorful world of the Batman and his rogues gallery. And I wanted to do it with one of the few DC characters who predates Batman (and Superman, even!): Slam Bradley.

Slam is a character that means a lot to the DCU, despite never quite getting the spotlight shone on him. He was the first—the quintessential—pulp detective in a world about to change. Much like Slam’s actual life, he was a solid, strong and smart creation born on the eve of something much different. With the rise of the super heroes, poor Slam held on to a spot in Detective Comics until issue #152, wherein he disappeared more or less until the brilliant work of Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke brought him back to life in the pages of Catwoman.  

So, the idea for me was to take that original character, a guy who doesn’t fit in, who knows he’s been muscled out by the kooks in tights, and throw him smack dab in the middle of something that he just can’t quite handle. And if we’re doing noir, who’s a better villain than the Black Mask? Jimmy Cagney with a skull for a head! Beat that!

When we began talking art…well, I laid out my dream artists…and sure enough, I got them. The work of Phil Hester has been a huge inspiration throughout my career. And, oh yeah, he’s a WAY better writer than me, so I got the benefit of not just his pencil but of his amazing storytelling and writer’s brain. He and inker Eric Gapstur and colorist Jim Charalampidis have made what, for me, is one of the most beautiful Bat-comics in a long, long time.

But enough about our little three-parter… (On sale today! Click the link! Seriously!)

What this series represents to me, ultimately, is the power of an idea. The power of a character that’s so well defined and understood you can do literally anything to him and he will not crumble. Whether it’s fighting bad guys in Gotham City alleyways or wrestling Amazo on the Justice League Watchtower, or, yes, doing the Bat-usi, Batman will always come out standing, grimacing, and completely and utterly awesome.

Now, who do I talk to around here about a ‘Tales of the Man of Steel’ series?”

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The first chapter of LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT: SLAM! hits our digital shop today. But if you’re new to this star-powered Batman anthology series, we’re giving you a chance to download an issue on us. For today only we will be giving away 50 promotional codes on Twitter that will allow you to download the first chapter of Legends of the Dark Knight (written by Damon Lindelof and drawn by Jeff Lemire) for free.

Here's what you have to do to enter:

1) If you're not already doing so, be sure to follow @DCComics on Twitter.

2) Simply tweet or retweet the following, “Retweet for your chance to win a free digital download of Legends of the Dark Knight. #dcdigital http://bit.ly/PluB5Z”

That's all there is to it! At 5pm PST today, 50 tweeters will be chosen at random and direct messaged a redemption code for a free copy of Legends of the Dark Knight #1 that can be entered at http://www.readdcentertainment.com/redeem. (You’ll need a Comixology account to download your free copy.) Good luck and enjoy your visit to Gotham!

Click here for the giveaway terms and conditions.

Did you know that you no longer have to wait till Wednesday to read a brand new DC comic? From the early adventures of a still-developing Superman to epic-scale action set far in our future to vastly imaginative Batman tales spun by some of the best creators in comics, you can find the action you crave starring the characters you love Monday through Friday, and you don’t even need to leave your living room to do it. (Also, be sure to read to the end of the article to find out how you can win a free download of each day’s title!)

We’re looking at DC’s Digital First titles this week, and today we shine our spotlight on the one that started it all for us, BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED. Set in the world of the uber-popular video games BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM and BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY, brand new installments of this fan-favorite comic can be downloaded every Tuesday.

Here’s series editor Jim Chadwick on how Batman: Arkham Unhinged came to be:

“Batman: Arkham Unhinged is an original digital comic series set very specifically in the world of the Batman: Arkham City videogame.

Leading up to the release of the game in 2011, we launched two different Arkham City mini-series, one print and one digital. The print story—written by Paul Dini and drawn by Carlos D’anda—was a direct lead-in to the actual game story, spinning out of events from the original Arkham Asylum. Concurrent with the print comic, we produced a series of digital comics, each of which was a self-contained story focusing on one of the villains featured in the game. Derek Fridolfs came on to co-write most of those with Dini, while each chapter was drawn by a different artist.

As it turns out, these digital shorts also represented our first venture into original digital comics. It was such a success that we decided to start a new series in conjunction with the actual release of the Arkham City videogame last October. Wanting a title that tied into the game while potentially having a life of its own, we eventually settled on Batman: Arkham Unhinged. The format has allowed for a lot of flexibility. Generally, our stories have run in three weekly chapters, or one 30-page arc. Some of the stories may spin directly out of events in the game itself. In other cases, we’ve flashed back to events prior to either game, allowing us to expand a bit on the background of the characters as they may have existed pre-Arkham City.

Derek Fridolfs came on board as our main series writer and we’ve been fortunate to pair him up with a number of excellent artists: Simon Coleby, Darick Robertson, Pete Woods, Mike Miller, and Juan Ryp to name just a few.  Some of the stories feature Batman prominently, others the villains, and still others the supporting characters. For out current arc (drawn by Federico Dallochio) we shine a spotlight on the Bruce Wayne/Talia relationship. Talia, of course, has a significant role in the game. In our next arc—going live starting September 4—we’re putting Nightwing and Robin in the forefront, as they have to defend Wayne Manor from an invasion by Hugo Strange’s Tyger Guards.

With the first anniversary of the series almost upon us, we have some big changes coming up. Announcements will be forthcoming, but for now let’s just say that Batman: Arkham Unhinged is must reading whether you are a fan of the game or just a Batman fan.”

The cover for Batman: Arkham Unhinged #38-40 (Art by Mico Suayan)

Interior page from Batman: Arkham Unhinged #38 (Art by Federico Dallochio)

Interior page from Batman: Arkham Unhinged #38 (Art by Federico Dallochio)

Interior page from Batman: Arkham Unhinged #41 (Art by Davide Fabbri)

***

BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED #38 is out today, and it marks the start of a new arc. So if you’ve never read Arkham Unhinged before, it’s a great day to start!

Even better, if you act now, you have a chance to download an issue on us. For today only we will be giving away 50 promotional codes on Twitter that will allow you to download the first chapter of Batman: Arkham Unhinged for free.

Here's what you have to do to enter:

1) If you're not already doing so, be sure to follow @DCComics on Twitter.

2) Simply tweet or retweet the following, “Retweet for your chance to win a free digital download of Batman: Arkham Unhinged. #dcdigital http://bit.ly/RJmukJ”

That's all there is to it! At 5pm PST today, 50 tweeters will be chosen at random and direct messaged a redemption code for a free copy of Batman: Arkham Unhinged #1 that can be entered at http://www.readdcentertainment.com/redeem. (You’ll need a Comixology account to download your free copy.) Good luck getting into Arkham!

Click here for the giveaway terms and conditions.