“Comics are for everyone.”
This is a credo that we at DC hold very dear, and one we strive to keep in mind with everything we publish. And it’s an easy principle to stick to because history and the world around us have proven it demonstrably true. Every culture throughout the world engages in the storytelling medium of sequential art in their own way, with their own unique modes of expression. Wherever you go in the world, you’ll find comics. Those comics may look and feel different than the ones you may be familiar with, but each of these international traditions represent the boundless potential of what comics can do.
With Batman: The World , DC is bringing that idea to the public like never before, uniting artists from fourteen different nations to deliver their perspective on the world’s most popular superhero, Batman. Over the next few days at DCComics.com, we’re providing a companion guide to the different countries you’ll see represented in this anthology: their history with comics, their contributions to DC in particular, and a little bit of background on the creators you’ll see showcased in this new graphic novel. We hope you’re prepared to travel because it’s a beautiful day to see the world.
France
One half of the Bandes dessinées scene, some of the talent France has brought to the DC Universe includes You Brought Me the Ocean artist Jul Maroh, the Superman: Metropolis Elseworlds trilogy author Jean-Marc L’officier, DC Comics Bombshells artist Marguerite Sauvage, Injustice: Gods Among Us inker Julien Hugonnard-Bert, and co-creator of the timeless Vertigo series The Sandman, Mike Dringenberg.
Some of the greatest and most widely known all-ages comics have emerged through the adventure and history-driven culture around the Franco-Belgian comic pipeline, a duality of French-published comics which have captured the imaginations of children for generations. The Adventures of Tintin, The Smurfs, Asterix & Obelix and Lucky Luke are all products of French comics culture, legendary titles which continuously grow over decades under the auspices of a single creator or creative team. Bandes dessinées, or “drawn strips,” first found popularity within French speaking territories in the 1960s, and typically emphasize exploration and discovery of the unknown balanced with visual humor, as opposed to the more American-centric battle of good versus evil.
Representing France in Batman: The World is Thierry Martin, a French-Lebanese artist who gained notoriety through his serialized work Dernier Souffle, a daily black-and-white Western comic strip on Instagram. He is joined by writer Matthieu Gabella, perhaps best known for his biographical work on important historical figures such as Charles de Gaulle and graphic novel adaptations of great literary works such as Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island. Here, he’ll be taking on a different kind of literary icon.
To learn more about the different areas that are represented in Batman: The World, head over to DC Comics!
Have you checked out Batman: The World yet? Let us know in the comments! 
