As a long-time collector and aficionado of DC Comics, I’ve been eagerly awaiting Upper Deck’s Batman 85th Anniversary set. With my extensive knowledge of the caped crusader and his rogues gallery, I can confidently say that this set is shaping up to be a must-have for any DC fan.
Previously this year, DC and Upper Deck significantly broadened their partnership, hinting at a surge of fresh trading cards, board games, and collectibles. Excitingly, the collaboration is set to launch its initial products in 2024. However, there’s even more exciting news! Fans can anticipate the release of DC’s first trading card set this coming November, as Upper Deck has unveiled a sneak peek and details for an exclusive Batman 85th Anniversary set, which will be rolled out on e-Pack over a five-week period. If you want to know all about the new comprehensive Batman collection, ComicBook had the opportunity to interview Upper Deck’s Entertainment Director Travis Rhea in depth, discussing not only this special Batman set but also the first complete DC Annual trading card set, and even sharing insights on future collaborations with DC’s Absolute Universe!
Batman 85th Anniversary Set
Kick-starting our extended collaboration is the Batman 85th Anniversary collection, a peek at some of its cards is provided below. This set will unfurl across five weeks on e-Pack, introducing an array of legendary Batman figures, covers, vehicles, and more, spanning comics, films, television, and animation. The release commences on November 13th, with a fresh batch of 10 cards unveiled each week until mid-December. Similar to many e-Pack cards, these come as both physical and digital versions, allowing you to receive the tangible ones at your doorstep immediately after purchase.
Rhea mentioned that they are launching a weekly themed pack for Batman, spanning over five weeks. Each week highlights a different aspect of Batman such as comic covers, villains, or live-action movie elements. She finds it intriguing to explore the various facets of one character and believes Batman, with his rich history, is an excellent choice for this project. She’s thrilled about this venture.
[RELATED: Absolute Batman’s New Costume Turns Him Into a Walking Weapon, and Here’s Everything It Can Do]
Upper Deck chose to link the 85th anniversary of Batman with their upcoming Skybox Metal Universe Batman series. As a bonus, fans can obtain a special #0 card from the upcoming set by participating in this weekly pack release. Rhea explained that although it wasn’t initially part of their plan, they found a way to connect it with the original lineup. The Skybox Metal Universe Batman will be released next year, and this 85th anniversary weekly pack set serves as a sneak peek of the upcoming card in your collection. In essence, this is an exciting preview of the forthcoming series while celebrating the anniversary.
DC Annual
In the new epoch, the inaugural collection will be dubbed DC Annual. Glancing at some of the initial sketches, it’s evident that Upper Deck showcases contemporary artwork and narratives, which is quite remarkable given that this is the debut set and the considerable upheavals and transformations in the DC universe over the past year.
Rhea commented, “I appreciate your insight on this, as deciding when to finalize an annual collection can indeed be tricky. You eventually need to produce it, but our aim is to keep it as up-to-date and fresh as possible. This year’s collection, I believe, strikes a balance. It incorporates new and relevant content while still maintaining a sense of familiarity for long-time fans. We didn’t want to completely abandon the brand value associated with our annual releases, so you’ll notice some similarities in its structure and technology.
Rhea mentioned that among the collection, you’ll find lenticular cards and sketch cards. However, she emphasized that they put a great deal of effort into ensuring that the insert sets align well with current DC events and offer a fresh feel. The set includes Dawn of DC, Beast War, and continues to feature the rookie heroes, aiming to tell the story of numbers 23 and 24 as much as possible. Since there’s always new content coming from them, they move on to the next project after completing this one.
One thing that really piques Rhea’s interest is the DC’s All-Encompassing Universe, a series that has swept the globe with titles like Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, and soon, Absolute Superman will follow suit.
Rhea excitedly expressed how eager she was to learn about Absolute Batman,” which made me ponder how on earth they plan to squeeze Absolute Batman onto a single card. I suggested a six-card format for Absolute Batman to fully convey its scale, and with a chuckle Rhea asked, “Can we borrow that idea?” If you hear about it being implemented, remember you heard it here first!
The DC Annual collection will offer several tiers of insert cards and variations, each with increasing scarcity as you progress. For instance, there’s the Suspended Animation set, which is one of them. This set is expected to have a lot of collectors on their toes due to the presence of exceptionally rare cards. Rhea mentioned that the collection will span four levels of rarity, with approximately 20 common characters numbered around 700, becoming progressively scarcer up to the fifth and final level where only five characters are numbered to 100. This top-tier set is anticipated to create a collecting frenzy among enthusiasts who enjoy a challenge. So, it promises to be an exciting chase for everyone involved!
The Future
Looking ahead, there’s a world of possibilities, and Upper Deck has already mapped out strategies for the foreseeable future. They prefer to proceed with caution, ensuring that each fundamental collection gets the attention it deserves. In fact, they’ve been putting in a lot of effort with DC Comics to make sure each set is polished, up-to-date, and as pertinent as can be.
Rhea expressed, “The main hurdle for us, Matthew, is primarily practicing patience. We’re trying to construct something substantial, but we want to do it correctly. There’s also the getting-to-know-you phase with our licensor, ensuring we align with their brand’s requirements. We’re eager to move forward, but we understand that it’s not the appropriate time yet, and things will really pick up speed in the second half of this year. However, the first half is going to be fantastic for our team. We can hardly wait!
Would you be getting the Batman 85th Anniversary collection, and among all DC characters, who would you like to see take center stage in upcoming releases? Feel free to discuss anything DC-related and trading cards with me on Threads or Twitter @mattaguilarcb!
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2024-10-28 19:10