Batman Pays Tribute to Kagurabachi in New Cover Art

A new variant cover for DC’s upcoming Batman comic reboot is turning heads with a direct homage to one of modern manga’s biggest hits, Kagurabachi. The artwork comes from renowned DC Comics artist Dan Mora for a special Fanexpo exclusive edition. The cover features Batman in a pose nearly identical to Kagurabachi protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira from the manga’s first volume cover, with a swarm of bats circling him as he takes on a horde of villains including Joker, Scarecrow, Bane, and others.

In an Instagram post, the official shopfanexpo account revealed the cover and asked fans to guess which manga series the comic cover is paying homage to, stating, “Also, can you guess what this cover is paying homage to? The winner will receive a free copy of the Trade edition!” The post also hyped the new series, describing it as a bold new era for Batman. “A new day dawns for the Dark Knight Detective as Eisner Award-winning writer Matt Fraction (Hawkeye, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen) joins forces with superstar artist Jorge Jiménez (Batman, Summer of Superman Special) for an unforgettable new era of Batman!”

Here’s the Kagurabachi cover that Batman is paying homage to:

Even before its first chapter was officially translated, Kagurabachi became a viral sensation and a widespread meme, with fans ironically hailing it as the greatest manga of all time. However, the series quickly proved the hype was more than just a joke. It consistently ranked in the top 10 on Shueisha’s Manga Plus service, often outperforming established hits and demonstrating its legitimate appeal to readers worldwide. This massive online popularity led to an official English print release being fast-tracked by Viz Media. Kagurabachi‘s critical acclaim soon matched its popular success, culminating in a major victory in August 2024, when it won first place in the Print category at the prestigious Next Manga Award and later the 4th Magademy Awards too. The manga, written and illustrated by Takeru Hokazono, began serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in September 2023. It tells the story of Chihiro Rokuhira, the son of a master swordsmith who seeks revenge against a cabal of sorcerers using his late father’s final creation: an Enchanted Blade. An anime adaptation for the series is reportedly in the works by Cygames Pictures.

Source: Anime Hunch.