Writer Geoff Johns has announced that the third volume of he and artist Gary Frank's Batman: Earth One Volume Three was completed in June, and they're now waiting to hear when DC plans on releasing it.
"The third volume is finished," Johns told art agent David Macho in his YouTube show Dialogos de Comic (hat tip to Leyendas del Multiverso DC). "Gary finished it up a week or two ago, so its done. So whenever DC decides to release it. I finished the script a while ago."
Originally announced to debut in 2018, this third volume of Batman: Earth One by Johns and Frank was postponed so the duo could work on the DC Universe: Rebirth one-shot and the 12-issue series Doomsday Clock.
"Far and way this is my favorite volume," Johns said this week. "Gary and I are really happy with it. I'm super excited for people to read it."
This third volume of Batman: Earth One would likely be part of its 'Black Label' grouping for its comics aimed at readers 17 and up. Back in January, then-DC publisher Dan DiDio said that the line has been "extraordinarily successful" but in an aim for consistency, they "will not be soliciting anything until we are clear that this material will come out as scheduled."
"We like the maturity, the sensibility, the quality," he continued. "The talent is going to be driving this line. We will not overproduce here, because we want to make sure this is a long-term plan."
Batman: Earth One was to be one of the inspirations for Johns and writer/actor/director Ben Affleck's solo The Batman film. Those plans were ultimately scrapped.
Batman: Earth One is part of a general 'Earth One' line of 'new reader friendly' original graphic novels retelling (and sometimes re-calibrating) the origins and early days of various DC heroes including Superman, Wonder Woman, Teen Titans, and Green Lantern. The second volume of Green Lantern: Earth One is due out August 11.
