Start Here: Batman (2016) # 1 (DC Comics 2026)

Start Here: Batman (2016) #1 (DC Comics 2026)

Issue Summary: The "Senses-Shattering" Debut of Gotham and Gotham Girl

• A "Mind-Bending" High-Altitude Crisis: The issue opens with a heart-pounding airborne disaster over Gotham City. A surface-to-air missile strikes a passenger jet, forcing Batman to execute an impossible, suicidal solo rescue operation to steer the burning plane away from populated skyscrapers.
  
  
• The "Weird and Twisted" New Protectors: Just as the Dark Knight prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice to land the airliner safely in the river, two mysterious, powerful meta-humans step in to save him: Gotham and Gotham Girl. Flying, super-strong, and clad in glowing suits, these enigmatic new heroes claim they are here to save the city—setting off a deep tactical mystery for Bruce Wayne.
  
  
• Visceral Interior Art: David Finch and Matt Banning deliver masterclass pencils and heavy inks, rendering rain-slicked Gotham skyscrapers, explosive jet engines, and intense superhero scale with a dynamic "visual fluidity" that remains truly "stupefying."
  
  

Creative Team & Specifications

• Writer: Tom King
  
  
• Penciler: David Finch
  
  
• Inker: Matt Banning
  
  
• Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
  
  
• Letterer: John Workman
  
  
• Cover Artist: David Finch
  
  
• Release Date: September 2, 2026
  
  
• Publisher: DC Comics
  
  
• Page Count: 32 Pages (Special $1.00 "Start Here" Reprint)
  
  
• Rating: Rated Teen – For readers seeking "senses-shattering" superhero blockbusters, detective mysteries, and masterclass art.
  
  

Key Highlights & Collectibility

• First Appearance Key: As a direct reprint of the 2016 DC Rebirth premiere, this issue contains the official origin and first full appearance of Gotham (Hank Clover Jr.) and Gotham Girl (Claire Clover), making it a "stupefyingly" essential key for modern DC character debuts.
  
  
• The $1.00 Gateway Key: DC’s "Start Here" program gives readers a budget-friendly, zero-risk opportunity to sample Tom King's award-winning, 85-issue run before committing to trade paperbacks or omnibus editions.
  
  
• Finch's Dynamic Visual Fluidity: This premiere issue showcases the jaw-dropping synergy between Tom King's cinematic pacing and David Finch's detail-heavy, muscular pencils, bringing absolute "visual fluidity" to every page.
  
  

Why Shop at White Dragon Comics?

• Pristine Condition: Even our $1.00 promotional and "Start Here" special reprints are kept uncirculated—no spine ticks, just "senses-shattering" perfection.
  
  
• Secure T-Folder Shipping: Every order is packed in high-tech specialized mailers to ensure your "investment-grade" issues arrive "stupefyingly" pristine.
  
  
• Independent Expertise: We specialize in tracking down every "weird and twisted" gateway key, scarce variant layout, and hard-to-find back issue, helping you fill the gaps that big-box retail chains leave completely empty.