What The…: DC Reveals WTF Gatefold Cover For Batman #19

Several months ago, DC Comics announced that April would be their official “WTF Month,” in which every issue would include a special gatefold cover and a guaranteed moment to make readers say, “What the fuck?”

We here at Crisis On Infinite Midlives did not report on this exciting new development in the implied use of the word “fuck” when it was announced back in January because:

• We are busy people with a limited number of hours in the day to write about comics news, and not every marketing move by a major publisher is exciting news just because it implies the use of the word “fuck.” We are not immediately impressed by the word “fuck.” We fucking use “fuck” all the fucking time, for fuck’s sake.
• There have been plenty of moves by DC Editorial that have made us say, “What the fuck?” without requiring a special stamp on any special cover.
• The whole thing sounded pretty fucking contrived. We could just picture scripts being sent back to writers with “bigger fuck!” written in classic “Harras Red” ink.
• Fuck it.

Well, despite our initial feeling of, “meh,” DC has continued with their plan, and today they released the first complete gatefold “WTF” cover, for Batman #19, by artist Greg Capullo. And you can see the full cover, gatefold and all, after the jump.

Well, seeing Bruce Wayne with a handgun (assuming that is Bruce) certainly is surprising, but I’d hardly call it a “What the fuck?” moment. A man in a suit with a gun stopped being shocking within six months after the home video release of Reservoir Dogs. And considering I found this cover on the Internet, where if I sneeze too hard on my keyboard I will be automatically redirected to autopsy photographs of syphilitic amputee hookers, it’s gonna take a little more than this to make me say, “What the fuck?”

Now if on the first page, Bruce drops the gun, followed by his pants, and then drops to his knees, hugs a sheep, bursts into tears and whimpers, “Make the voices stop telling me to do those things near schools, Selina!”, well, now you’re cooking with gas.

Batman #19 drops April 10th.

(via DC Source)