Sean Murphy’s Batman: Curse of the White Knight debuts this July

Following the success of Sean Murphy’s Batman: White Knight, DC Black Label will release the next chapter of the saga in July.

The highly anticipated sequel to Sean Murphy’s Batman: White Knight has been announced by DC Comics. The eight issue Batman: Curse of the White Knight will be released under DC Black Label on July 24, 2019. The next chapter in this Bat-saga follows Jack Napier uncovering a secret about the Wayne legacy. How will the truth affect Batman, who is already persona non-grata in Gotham? Here is the plot, as per DC’s press release:

"Murphy is putting a new spin on this upcoming series, with The Joker recruiting a new, savage partner to help him expose a shocking revelation about the Wayne family’s legacy. As Batman rushes to protect the city and his loved ones from this corrupt conspiracy, the Dark Knight will come face to face with the horrifying truth."

Who the ‘savage partner’ is remains to be seen, but fans will no doubt be excited by the prospect of more Batman villains appearing in Batman: Curse of the White Knight. The critically acclaimed series is set in a world where the Joker has been reformed and now goes by Jack Napier, the White Knight of Gotham. His mission, with Harley Quinn by his side, is to rid his city of all crime. Murphy’s compelling first volume turned the tables on the two rivals – Batman came across as an obsessed man with a violent vendetta against Napier, while Napier shone like a hero in front of Gotham’s citizens and the police force.

In Murphy’s alternate universe, many of Batman’s relationships are different. Jason Todd was revealed to have been the first Robin (which Murphy confessed was a mistake he made due to his lack of comics knowledge) who died at Joker’s hand. Dick Grayson also spent the majority of Batman: White Knight arguing with his mentor before finally betraying him. Since this series isn’t part of the main continuity, however, Murphy has plenty of lore to play with and subvert.

The Joker’s newfound contrition was heavily debated by Gothamites in Batman: White Knight – will his actions divide the city again in the sequel? To pique readers’ curiosity, DC has also shared some preview art from Batman: Curse of the White Knight. It’s time to begin speculating about what’s going on in the below pages.

Batman: Curse of the White Knight cover (Credit: DC Comics)

Batman: Curse of the White Knight Page 5 (Credit: DC Comics)

Batman: Curse of the White Knight Page 9 (Credit: DC Comics)

Batman: Curse of the White Knight Page 11 (Credit: DC Comics)

Batman: Curse of the White Knight Page 13 (Credit: DC Comics)

Batman: Curse of the White Knight Pages 14-15 (Credit: DC Comics)

Sean Murphy’s Batman: Curse of the White Knight will be available from July 24, 2019. Stay tuned on Bam Smack Pow for reviews of each issue.