Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham is a four-part limited series from DC Black Label in which Rafael Grampá pits a young Bruce Wayne against a serial killer, a murder cult and his own damaged psyche. Though it first launched in 2023, Grampá finished the comic this year and a hardcover deluxe edition is now available in stores, making it the perfect time to finally wrap up this buzzy new take on Batman or knock it out in a single binge.
 

The Premise:

Some people enjoy Adam West’s Batman, or the schlock of Joel Schumacher’s nippled batsuit. Some people, as Leonard Cohen sings, “want it darker.” If you’re of the latter persuasion, it’s hard to get much darker than Gargoyle of Gotham.

Gargoyle’s Bruce is not the seasoned billionaire playboy charmer who can navigate Gotham’s social scene as deftly as he can the city’s rooftops. This is a younger Bruce, and though good-looking and musclebound, he cares little for life beyond brooding in his cave and fighting crime. He’s impetuous, and more than a little rude (even to Alfred). He’s relentless in his fight against this darker Gotham's sadistic villains, who thrive on violence and chaos—a bill he’s not entirely certain he doesn’t also fit.

Though Martha Wayne’s pearl necklace makes its usual tragic appearance, Gargoyle offers a gut-wrenching twist on why Bruce dons the cowl in the first place and the dichotomy he faces when contemplating man versus beast. When we meet him, he’s no longer interested in the man. Much to Alfred’s chagrin, Bruce is actually planning to fake his own death and assume his Batman identity full time.

But first, he’s got to solve this serial killer thing.

He’s got allies, even if he’s reluctant to admit it. Jim Gordon still roots out corruption, but he’s pathetic, isolated and seeking redemption through recklessness. Young progressives, fighting against the class stratification that has long permeated Gotham, rage against the machine in their own occasionally effective ways.

Together, they follow a cycle of violence that’s been brewing for years and is about to manifest as something unspeakable.
 

Let’s Talk Talent:

Brazilian artist, author and filmmaker Rafael Grampá serves as both writer and illustrator. You may know him from 5, an Eisner award-winning anthology he co-authored, or his many covers. He also illustrated Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child. He’s joined by colorist Mat Lopes and letterer John Workman.

Grampá’s art brings a fresh look to an often-dreary Gotham. He doesn’t rely on Batman’s usual rogues gallery, instead offering an inventive lineup of villains whose character design is a standout part of this series.

Crytoon, a villain modeled after a character from a slapstick TV show (think Tom & Jerry), is particularly unique. He’s all-in-black and perpetually weeping. While his cartoonish acts of violence could be played for laughs—at one point, he hits Batman with an anvil—they’re honestly horrifying. Another villain is clothed in moths, while Jim Gordon’s arc has him following a woman who appears in spiritual visions. Both are striking on the page.

These nightmarish scenes pair well with lines like, “You stay with me in Hell,” which Batman utters to a villain he rescues. We said it was dark!
 

A Few Reasons to Read:

• One of Grampá’s most interesting illustrations is born of necessity: Batman spends most of his time in a very high-tech suit—even for him—that allows him to be careless and impulsive. Yet when his suit is damaged, his allies craft him a new one out of scraps. It has nails sticking out of it, yet it looks badass and the man makes it work.
   
• As mentioned, most of Batman’s usual rogues gallery is absent, but you will catch a glimpse of their origins. This opens the door for future storytelling in this world.
   
• People who are often frustrated with Bruce’s stalwart reasons for not just killing the bad guy already may enjoy a tale that paints his “goodness” as redemptive, something he needs to cling to in order to reconcile his past. He’s occasionally hard to like, and Alfred’s a saint for not giving him a good slap.
   
• Batman is a pop culture icon that’s been reimagined countless times over the course of decades. If you never tire of a new spin, this one’s pretty different from those you know, even if you think you thought it couldn’t get broodier than Robert Pattinson.
   

Why It’s Worth Your Time:

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham is a short read that ends on a hopeful note but dispels with the major-key charm of modern superhero fare. It’s nasty, it’s gritty and it feels much more like watching Se7en than Superman. If you liked the violence and twistedness of The Penguin, but could go for something a bit more surreal, Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham should be right up your blood-stained alley.
 

Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham by Rafael Grampá with Mat Lopes is available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers in a hardcover deluxe edition graphic novel. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Juliet Bennett Rylah writes about horror, Vertigo and the dark side of superheroes for DC.com. Follow her on Bluesky at @JBRylah.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Juliet Bennett Rylah and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.