Launched back in June, you may have missed the launch of a stunning Batman crossover set in London, pitting the Caped Crusader against The Joker and Killer Croc, alongside top Italian comic character, the paranormal detective Dylan Dog. But that’s hardly surprising, because it wasn’t released by DC Comics, but by international partner Sergio Bonelli Editore, in Italy, in Italian.

Written by Roberto Recchioni and drawn by Werther Dell’Edera and the award-winning Gigi Cavenago, with colour from Joanna Niro, an English language edition is, we gather, due to follow, but for now, those of us who don’t speak Italian will have to content ourselves with savouring the glorious art.

Should you speak Italian – or simply just want to buy this latest Batman and Dylan Dog crossover anyway, then copies of the first issue of the 64-page L’ombra del pipistrello (“The Shadow Of The Bat”) are still available direct from Sergio Bonelli Editore in standard, sketch cover and foil variant format.

Copies of #2, All’Inferno e Ritorno, (“To Hell and Back”), published in Italy just last week, are available here.

#3, L’incubo di Gotham (“Gotham’s Nightmare”) will be released on 26th August – and you can pre-order it here.

You can also pick up copies of previous crossovers, too, the first in 2019.

Do note that customs duties may apply for anyone ordering from outside Italy or the European Union.

You may also be interested to know that Italian artist Gigi Cavenago is a guest at this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival later this year (Friday 29th September to Sunday 1st October), tickets on sale for the weekend-long event in Bowness-on-Windermere available now.

Acclaimed by fellow comic artists such as Charlie Adlard and Sean Phillips, Gigi has worked exclusively for the Italian market for over 15 years, making his debut in American comics with The Magic Order Volume Three, written by Mark Millar, published by Image Comics earlier this year, soon to be a major live action Netflix show.

His work for Sergio Bonelli Editore in Italy includes several issues for series such as Cassidy (2009) by Pasquale Ruju, Orfani (2013) by Recchioni and Mammucari, and many Dylan Dog adventures, the best-selling, highly acclaimed horror comic book created by Tiziano Sclavi in 1986 that counts for 10 per cent of the Italian publisher’s output.

Besides this amazing new Batman series, Gigi has drawn Dylan Dog stories such as “Mater Dolorosa” (2016), the issue that celebrated 30 years of the series, immediately after he becomes the official cover artist until 2021; and he he worked on the first issue of “I Racconti di Domani” by Tiziano Sclavi.

He also works as a concept artist for cinema and TV, and as a tutor for the Ideas Academy.

• Follow Gigi Cavenago on Instagram: @gigicavenago | DeviantArt

• Watch an interview in Italian with Gigi Cavenago on the Pop Culture – tutte le anime della cultura pop channel

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

Categories: Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, US Comics

Tags: Batman, DC Comics, downthetubes News, Dylan Dog, Gigi Cavenago, Horror Comics, Joanna Niro, Roberto Recchioni, Sergio Bonelli Editore, Superhero Comics, Werther Dell'Edera