DC Comics delays Grant Morrison's "Batman"

By: Karl Schneider
Date: Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Source: DC

DC Comics has announced that Grant Morrison's Batman will be delayed, again, with the four-issue fill-in arc by Ostrander and Mandrake moving up a month.

The previously announced next issue for the title was scheduled to be a Joker-focused issue with art by John Van Fleet.  The move by DC will delay the release of the issue for at least three months. 

All issues will be re-numbered to fit the changes: Issue #659 (originally the John Van Fleet issue) is now #663. Issues #660-663 are now #659-662.

The official press release:

DC Comics announces that the next four issues of BATMAN will have a change of contents, with the 4-part story "Grotesk," written by John Ostrander and illustrated by Tom Mandrake moving up an issue to begin in BATMAN #659.

Each of these issues will keep their original Diamond item codes and instore dates.

Regular series writer Grant Morrison will return in February with BATMAN #663, featuring the story previously scheduled to appear in BATMAN #659, illustrated by guest artist John Van Fleet.

• BATMAN #659 (SEP060191), featuring part one of the 4-part story "Grotesk," is scheduled to arrive in stores on November 29.

• BATMAN #660 (OCT060154), featuring part two of "Grotesk," is scheduled to arrive in stores on December 13.

• BATMAN #661 (OCT060155), featuring part three of "Grotesk," is scheduled to arrive in stores on December 27.

• BATMAN #662 (NOV060174), featuring part four of "Grotesk," is scheduled to arrive in stores on January 10.

Writer Grant Morrison returns in February with BATMAN #663 (DEC060180), illustrated by guest artist John Van Fleet. In this issue, the Joker makes his triumphant return to Gotham City to take revenge on Batman! BATMAN #663 will be solicited in the December Previews (Volume XVI #12) and is scheduled to arrive in stores on February 14.

Because of these changes, DC will make BATMAN #659-662 returnable at a later date.

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