James Gunn DC Slate Comic Book Inspirations: Batman, Superman

It’s been an exciting week for fans of superhero movies, especially if you love DC Comics. This week, James Gunn and Peter Safran, who together run DC Studios at Warner Bros., revealed the start of their 8-10 year plan to bring DC heroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman back to their rightful place on the mountaintop of comic book culture.

But that plan—10 projects, five on HBO Max and five in theaters, making up the first part of chapter one in a larger, connected universe—won’t be starting for a while. The first movie, Superman: Legacy, isn’t scheduled for release until July 2025. That’s a long way away. So, in the meantime, to help quench some of that thirst and excitement for these properties, Gunn took to Twitter to give fans an idea of the specific comic runs that are inspiring the movies he and his team are developing for Superman, Batman, Supergirl, and Swamp Thing, as well as the big-screen debut of Wildstorm’s team, the Authority.

Gunn didn’t give links to those but that’s why we’re here.

First, not seen there but mentioned, is Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King. You can get that at that link. Then there’s All-Star Superman: The Deluxe Edition which you can get at that link, Batman by Grand Morrison Omnibus Vol. 1 available at that link, and Absolute Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, available there.

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Unfortunately, The Authority Omnibus Gunn put in his tweet is out of print but the stories in it are available in other editions. You can find more about that here.

And, again, it’s important to consider the other part of Gunn’s tweet. While these runs with these characters, writers, and artists are inspiring the DCU in their “feel,” “look,” and “tone,” don’t expect the exact stories to be brought to theaters. These are just the “touchstones.”

For more on the brand new DC Universe slate, click here. To read more from Gunn and Safran about their vision, click here.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.