Actor and Batman alum Danny DeVito is taking his talents from the big screen to the printed page. DC Comics has announced that the star — who appeared as The Penguin in 1992’s Batman Returns — will make his debut as a comics author with their all-new Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant. The story will be featured as part of a larger anthology, bringing together a who’s who of comic storytellers to celebrate the villains of Batman’s rogues’ gallery.
The announcement came as part of DC Connect #16, the publisher’s magazine previewing upcoming issues and announcements for future works. According to the magazine, DeVito will author an exclusive story focused on Oswald Cobblepot — better known as The Penguin, the character he played to eerie perfection in Batman Returns.
The story, celebrating the anniversary of The Penguin’s appearance in the Batman comics, will join stories by G. Willow Wilson, Philip Kennedy Johnson, and others, focusing on Batman’s most famous rivals, including Poison Ivy, The Scarecrow, and Ra’s al Ghul. Gotham City Villains will also bring together a smorgasbord of DC artists to illustrate the villains’ antics, including Dan Mora, Wes Craig, Emma Rios, Ariela Kristantina, and Jill Thompson, among others.
Also announced in DC Connect #16 were a number of new offerings for Wonder Woman and Gotham City Sirens fans, including a look at Yasmine Putri’s art for Wonder Woman: Evolution by Stephanie Phillips, Selina Kyle’s adventures in Catwoman #37, and a peek at Harley Quinn facing off against The Scarecrow in Harley Quinn #9. Also spotlighted were Jock’s upcoming Batman: One Dark Knight miniseries, and the Robin & Batman limited series from Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen.
The standard cover of Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant, drawn by Lee Bermejo, will be available in comic shops everywhere, along with a 1:25 variant cover by Francesco Mattina, and a 1:50 variant by Chris Burnham. All three covers will go on sale on November 30, with the standard cover retailing for $9.99, and both variants going for $10.99. For more information, readers can check out DC Connect #16 on DC Comics’ website.
via Collider