As previously mentioned by Scott Snyder, DC is expanding his now seven-issue Dark Nights: Death Metal footprint in August with the Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook and Dark Nights: Death Metal Legends of the Dark Knights #1 one-shot specials.
Both specials compliment Death Metal #3 (on-sale Aug. 11) before the event takes September off for a skip month.
The first special, the Death Metal Guidebook, goes on-sale on August 17, with stories by Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Becky Cloonan, Vita Ayala, Chip Zdarsky, Christopher Priest, Doug Mahnke, Dan Panosian, Eduardo Risso, and Khary Randolph.
Featuring a cover by Yasmine Putri, the Guidebook‘s stories showcase “the new factions of Earth and explore the mystery of what happened to the Justice League after their battle with Perpetua.”
“As Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and other heroes fight to survive in the strange new landscape of an Earth turned upside down and shrouded in a realm of darkness, one cloaked figure has been observing from the sidelines, creating a guidebook to this new world and its evil leaders,” reads DC’s official description.
“Find out how Wonder Woman became the queen of Hell! Discover how Batman finds the Black Lantern ring! And see what happens when Harley Quinn takes charge of the Wasteland, finding love in the process! All this and more in this jam-packed issue exploring the new world order.”
A week later on August 25, DC drops Death Metal Legends of the Dark Knights #1, featuring stories by Snyder, Tynion, Williamson, Peter J. Tomasi, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Daniel Warren Johnson, Frank Tieri, Jim Cheung, Joëlle Jones, Riley Rossmo, Francesco Francavilla and Tony S. Daniel, who also provides the cover.
“In this collection of short tales where demons dwell and reality is overrun by monstrous versions of the Dark Knight, learn the terrifying secrets of the new Bats Out of Hell and other creatures of the night like Robin King, whose origin is unimaginable!” reads DC’s description. “Plus, read about the secret buried beneath Castle Bat, the sentient Batmobile, and…how did Batman turn into a killer robot dinosaur?”
Death Metal #1 by Snyder, Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion launches June 24.
DC’s full August 2020 solicitations will be released Friday.