They say crime doesn’t sleep, but in Gotham, it does enjoy the occasional holiday.

In case you missed it, BATMAN LI’L GOTHAM, the hit holiday themed digital first series that showcases Dustin Nguyen’s stylized, watercolor take on the heroes and villains of Gotham, is now available for print for the first time!

This month, in the inaugural issue of the series, Robin needs Batman’s help to learn the true meaning of Halloween. Will the boy wonder learn that it’s not just about the tricks? Then, on Thanksgiving, Batman and Robin join the other families of Gotham in celebrating the holiday. Will Penguin’s march against the city interrupt their dinner plans? 

From the creative team of Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs, BATMAN: LI’L GOTHAM #1 now in stores.

Back in October, we announced that writer Scott Snyder and artist Jim Lee would be teaming up to bring you a new Superman title that promises to elevate the already high-flying hero to new heights and force him to face off against foes familiar and new, as only two of the top industry talents can.

Yesterday, USA TODAY exclusively announced that the series, which lands in stores this June, will be titled SUPERMAN UNCHAINED.

“We're all fans and we've all known this character for a long time," Jim Lee told USA TODAY about the challenge of tackling the iconic Man of Steel. “You have to fight your natural tendency to do what you know or what you've always thought the character to be.”

Along with Snyder, Lee hopes that the series will show readers “really how this small little figure, this human-shaped character, can literally move mountains.” But the title is not the only news we have to share about this exciting new series!

USA TODAY also announced that SUPERMAN UNCHAINED will feature a back-up story written by Snyder and illustrated by Dustin Nguyen. They also revealed that fans will get their first look at this eagerly-anticipated series when a sneak peek of it will be featured in this year’s annual Free Comic Book Day issue.

Head on over to USA TODAY to read their full coverage, including interviews with the SUPERMAN UNCHAINED creative team of Jim Lee and Scott Snyder, as well as with Greg Pak and Jae Lee, the creative team of the recently announced new series, BATMAN/SUPERMAN (which will also be launching in June).

(The cover for SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1 by Jim Lee and Scott Williams)

We often hear that a picture is worth a thousand words. As writers, we take some exception to that but even we have to admit that nothing we say can adequately sum up the amazingness of the digital first Batman: Li'l Gotham series than just showing you this:

The cuteness level of that image... That's like right above being covered with kittens and right below the Puppy Bowl. It's so cute and adorable that puppies and rainbows are about to explode out of our heads from the overload.

Each installment of the monthly series by writer/artist Dustin Nguyen and co-author Derek Fridolfs focuses on the major holiday of each month, with a Halloween and Thanksgiving chapter already online and Christmas and New Year's ones to follow.

Although that picture might be worth a thousand words, we'll go ahead and give you a few more (it is the holidays after all!) and breakdown the 5.2 Reasons to Celebrate the Holidays with Batman: Li'l Gotham!

1. Li'l Characters, Big Fun

Batman: Li'l Gotham takes the grim and gritty nature of the Dark Knight and does a complete 180, painting the world of Gotham City and its delightful denizens in a more fun and adorably miniaturized light. From Damian Wayne shouting "It's Crime Time" to Jason grumbling about how no one ever saves him a seat at Thanksgiving, every installment is full of fun adventure and gleefully entertaining dialogue.

2. A Huge Cast

The members of the Bat-Family make appearances (in super cute form, obvs), but the cast of characters that can and do appear doesn't stop there. In the Halloween issue, eagle-eyed readers can catch a number of DC Comics-inspired costumes—including a Darkseid eating donuts and drinking a soda, something we're sure the regular Darkseid does whenever he's not trying to destroy all of creation.

3. Damian is Hilarious

This is less of a reason and more of just a statement of fact.

4. Dustin Nguyen's Art

We've always been a fan of Dustin Nguyen's stylized artwork and the unique tone it brings to the world of the Dark Knight. With Batman: Li'l Gotham, he shrinks down characters like Batman, Robin, the Arkham Inmates and more—but even though they've diminished in size, the art is still just as powerful. Nguyen conveys a level of excitement and emotion that leaps off the page, and he includes fun little details that perfectly capture each character.

5. The Potential Holiday/Villain Combos

As we mentioned, each installment of Batman: Li'l Gotham takes place during a particular holiday. But each installment also centers around one of the Gotham villains—which makes us excited to see the potential combinations. A Joker-themed April Fool's Day? Poison Ivy teaching us the important of Earth Day? Mad Hatter's Easter Adventure? Or even Calendar Man dressed as a Groundhog going crazy and chasing after the other villains for stealing his shtick?

5.1 Christmas is Coming!

5.2 We Reiterate: Crazy Cute

They say crime doesn’t sleep, but in Gotham, it does enjoy the occasional holiday.

Batman: Li’l Gotham is a brand new, digital first series from artist and author Dustin Nguyen and co-writer Derek Fridolfs. But if you’re expecting this to be a traditional take on Batman, you might want to think again. Batman: Li’l Gotham showcases Dustin’s stylized, watercolor take on the heroes and villains of Gotham, and each new installment will be set against the major holiday of each month. You can look for the debut installment tomorrow, just in time for Halloween.

So what inspired such a different and fun approach to a Batman series? We figured it was best to let the creative team behind it answer that.

“This has been a passion project of mine for some time now, and for anyone that’s followed my work, I’m sure it’s more of an ‘its about time!’ explained Dustin Nguyen. “The look and style is a slight departure from my usual (think the exact opposite of serious), but the idea has always been the same—to take our favorite existing Gotham characters, place them in fun scenarios without having to be tied to just one continuity or look and feel. It’s basically a Batman book for fans, by two huge fans.”

Derek Fridolfs shares his collaborator’s sentiment. “At times in various platforms, Batman has been extremely dark and taken very seriously,” he elaborated. “So respectfully, we’re going in the opposite direction and having a bit of whimsical fun with a whole city of characters beloved by fans and especially ourselves. Li’l size...big enjoyment.”

Equally unique is the choice to tie the series to holidays, but as editor Sarah Gaydos explains, it actually provides a wealth of opportunity. “Tying each story to that month's holiday gives us a really fun opportunity to play with the themes and traditions of each holiday,” she said. “Dustin and Derek bring something special to each and every page. There are SO many ‘Easter eggs,’ so make sure to keep your eyes peeled!”

You can expect Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s installments to follow up tomorrow’s Halloween debut. And whether you read it on your own or share it with the younger DC fans in your life, it really comes down celebrating these holidays and characters together in a fun way. As Sarah puts it, “I love Dustin and Derek's take on Gotham, and I cannot wait for the readers to see what we have in store for them over the coming months.”