Batman has gone full Webtoon in maybe the best way
DC Comics has announced the first of its new comics series created through its partnership with the popular digital comics platform Webtoon. On Wednesday, the first episode of Batman: Wayne Family Adventures is available for free at 1 pm EST.
Drawn by Starlite and written by CRC Payne — with storyboards from Maria Li, backgrounds from Lan Ma, lettering by Kielamel Sibal, and colors from C.M. Cameron, Camille Cruz, and Jean Kim — Batman. Wayne Family Adventures. That’s what the tin says. According to the official synopsis, the new series will focus on Bruce Wayne’s journey as a father figure to “an inexhaustible supply of biological superhero children,” according to the synopsis.
Promo art for the series is light on crime-fighting and heavy on family dynamics between stern and exhausted Batman and his complex web of brightly-colored kids, including Tim Drake (Robin), Jason Todd (Red Hood), Tim Drake(Robin), and Damian Wayne (“also Robin”), Cassandra Cain (“Batgirl”), Stephanie Brown (also Batgirl), Duke Thomas (Signal).
In August, DC Comics and Webtoon announced their partnership to produce “several” standalone comics in multiple languages. Wayne Family Adventures is the initial release. Webtoon, a formidable platform that offers free webcomics, often created by creators, is a strong pillar in the American comics market. DC Comics is a giant of the American direct market for comics. Recently, animated series was optioned for the webtoon Lore Olympus, which is a smash hit.
Webtoon’s top-rated soap operas are Slice of Life and Soap Opera. The DC Universe’s longest-running superhero soap opera is the Batfamily. Wayne Family Adventures seems to be taking advantage of the peanut butter chocolate combo that has been explored in Tumblr fan comics. The Batfamily slice-of-life stories have been officially licensed, but they are not yet set in current DC Comics continuity.
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