DC Comics and Madefire Team on Batman Digital Graphic Novel

Batman Arrives on the App Store in Epic New Interactive Graphic Novel ‘BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS – A DC2 MULTIVERSE GRAPHIC NOVEL’

Groundbreaking Storytelling Experience Created by DC Entertainment and Madefire Based on Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s New Game BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS

Blockbuster Digital First Comic INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US Also Re-mastered for Madefire Platform with new Motion and Sound Elements

BURBANK, Calif. & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DC Entertainment, the most prolific digital comic book publisher, and cutting edge digital studio Madefire unveil a new partnership today that will take digital comics to the next level of interactivity through a new app, BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS – A DC2 MULTIVERSE GRAPHIC NOVEL. The new iOS app is the first DC2 MultiVerse title featuring a multi-path reading experience. The graphic novel tells the prequel story to the recently released game from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS.

BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS – A DC2 MULTIVERSE GRAPHIC NOVEL immerses readers into the world of Batman through dynamic artwork and action sounds integrated with a full soundtrack. The graphic novel is divided into eight chapters available for individual purchase or as an entire series. A new chapter will arrive every two weeks and each will offer dozens of possible story outcomes, with multiple story branches. Some choices will successfully lead to Batman’s next mission and carry through to the following week’s episode. Other choices could have deadly consequences. Readers who complete the series will be rewarded with two skins for the BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS game: Injustice Batman and the exclusive New 52 Metallic Batman. Or, customers can purchase a series pass in advance and be rewarded with both skins upfront.

“DC2 MultiVerse is the latest in a series of innovations that demonstrates how we work with digital partners like Madefire to organically enhance comics and the digital storytelling art form,” stated Jim Lee, Co-Publisher, DC Entertainment. “With the launch of the BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS – A DC2 MULTIVERSE GRAPHIC NOVEL app, fans can choose the destiny of their characters – and follow both Batman or his rogues gallery of Super-Villains, all within an immersive reading experience tied to the actual game through prequel storylines and an exclusive skin.”

“We have supercomputers in our pockets – we should expect more than just scanned in print,” stated Ben Wolstenholme, Madefire CEO. “It is immense to have DC Entertainment bring Batman and Superman onto the Madefire platform.”

As part of its new partnership with Madefire, DC Entertainment’s blockbuster Digital First title INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US has been re-mastered and features new, innovative storytelling elements including dynamic artwork and sound effects. The newly re-imagined INJUSTICE comic provides the perfect opportunity for fans to revisit the record breaking series prior to its return in January 2014 with all new chapters written by red hot, up-and-coming scribe, Tom Taylor. INJUSTICE is available for download on the Madefire app as well as on deviantART.com, the largest creative community in the world.

About DC Digital:
In addition to offering its Same-Day-Digital print line-up, DC Entertainment’s unparalleled line-up of Digital First titles includes DC2 titles BATMAN ’66, and TEEN TITANS GO!, along with INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT, SMALLVILLE, the BEYOND series, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, BATMAN: LI’L GOTHAM, and SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED: A CRISIS OF IMAGINATION. Additionally, DC Entertainment has the most expansive digital distribution of all comic publishers, including deals with comiXology, Kindle Store, iBookstore, Google Play, Nook Store and now Madefire.

About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes—a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes—to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

About Madefire
Founded in 2011 by Ben Wolstenholme, Liam Sharp and Eugene Walden, Madefire provides artists and writers a publishing solution for iOS and web reading allowing them to build their stories in an exciting new format called Motion Books. Madefire has signed with top publishers in the comics and graphic novel industry to create Motion Books with their top IP, including DC Comics, Dark Horse, IDW, Top Cow, Boom, and iTV Studios America. Madefire is backed by Toni Schneider at True Ventures, The CEO of Automattic makers of WordPress, with angel investors including Sina Tamaddon, former Senior Vice President of Applications for Apple Inc--both of whom are on Madefire’s Board of Advisors. The Advisory Board also includes industry leaders Mike McCue, CEO and Founder of Flipboard, Dave Gibbons, co-creator of Watchmen, the bestselling graphic novel of all time, and Bill Sienkiewicz, widely recognized as one of the greatest innovators of sequential art. For more information go to madefire.com.

About BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS Game
Published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by WB Games Montréal, BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS is based on DC Comics’ core Batman license and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the first two critically acclaimed games of the franchise. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young, unrefined Batman as he faces the defining moment of his early career and sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships. The game is available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii U™ system and Windows PC.

BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS software © 2013 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.