The Umbrella Academy's Creator Had An Unmade Batman Comic Pitch That Looks Incredible

The Umbrella Academy creator Gerard Way once pitched a twisted take on Batman comics to DC, and the concept art is fascinating.

The Umbrella Academy's Creator Had An Unmade Batman Comic Pitch That Looks Incredible

By Devin Meenan

March 1, 2026 8:00 am EST

[Cover page excerpt from Batman: Kingdom of the Mad]

DC Comics

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Most people are lucky if they get to live one dream job — writer and musician Gerard Way has two. Growing up in New Jersey as a comic book fan, Way intended to pursue an art career. But during his Cartoon Network internship in New York City, the 9/11 attacks happened and left Way as shaken as the rest of America. He pivoted to music and co-founded the pop-punk/rock band My Chemical Romance (which includes his bassist brother Mikey Way).

Through the success of My Chemical Romance, Way has been able to re-enter comics. Acclaimed Scottish writer Grant Morrison was his comic-writing mentor, while The Smashing Pumpkins first inspired the Way brothers to start a band. Between his two careers, Way is the heir to both Morrison and the Pumpkins' Billy Corgan.

Way's most acclaimed comic, "The Umbrella Academy," (drawn by Gabriel Bá) is about superpowered (and dysfunctional) adoptive siblings. Boosted in popularity by the Netflix TV series adaptation, "Umbrella Academy" is like "X-Men" meets Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums" (an influence cited by "Umbrella Academy" showrunner Steve Blackman). As a comic writer, Way also left his mark on the Spider-Verse:

Even with My Chemical Romance's temporary break-up, Way is a busy person — and because of that, he never managed to write his pitch for a Batman mini-series to DC: "Batman: Kingdom of the Mad." DC approved the series for its Vertigo publishing line, but it still never happened.

While Way has revealed some concept art and story details for the unmade series over the years (see a cover page below), that'll only make you sadder that he never actually brought Batman into the "Kingdom of the Mad."

[Batman: Kingdom of the Mad cover page concept art]
Gerard Way/DC Comics

How Gerard Way would've reimagined Batman

[Concept art of Batman in Batman: Kingdom of the Mad]

DC Comics

Gerard Way posted the "Batman: Kingdom of the Mad" concept art on his Twitter account in 2013, and responded to several users asking for more details. Per Way, "Kingdom" would've been a six-issue limited series, each issue having a one-word title. The first issue title? "Rats," because that's all this version of Bruce Wayne eats!

It's clear Way wanted to write a Batman who was truly unwell, mentally. If you're familiar with the often self-flagellating and death-fixated emo music of My Chemical Romance, that's not a shocker. The concept art notes that Bruce thinks he's a bat, and accordingly hangs upside down like one. According to Way, his Batman actually can turn into a bat, and also possesses clairvoyant superpowers (though no-one believes Batman about them).

These details suggest an homage to "Dracula" — Batman turning into a bat evokes the vampire's shapeshifting, while his diet of rats evokes the Count's familiar, Renfield. The pure black leather Batsuit resembles the texture of Catwoman's (Michelle Pfeifer) costume from "Batman Returns," but with some extra eccentric details. There is an ancient Crusader cross emblem sewn into the cape, perhaps symbolizing Batman as a crusader for justice and/or sweet revenge. According to Way, "the inside of the cape has a massive drawing of a magical kingdom that [Batman] made up, like his version of Heaven." Could that be from where the title "Kingdom of the Mad" derives?

This Batman also explicitly applies black eye makeup under his mask. Yes, Way had this idea years before 2022's "The Batman" depicted Batman (Robert Pattinson) painting his tear troughs black. Many joke that Pattinson's emo Batman looks like he listens to My Chemical Romance, but Mr. MCR himself was going for an even weirder Batman in "Kingdom of the Mad."

Batman: Kingdom of the Mad featured a killer Joker redesign

[Concept art of Joker in Batman: Kingdom of the Mad]

Gerard Way/DC Comics

"Kingdom of the Mad" also would have featured many A-list Batman villains; my personal favorite of the designs is a punk reinvention of the Joker. This Joker is only 19-years-old, but the concept art suggests he's no less vicious or insane than the classic Joker. He's also colored in black and white, rather than the Joker's usual purple suit and green hair. He appears to be wearing a hospital gown, the kind they'd put on patients in Arkham Asylum.

A long-standing rumor is that, in "Kingdom of the Mad," Bruce Wayne was sentenced to Arkham Asylum after the death of his parents. Way does not appear to have confirmed this, but an asylum setting would fit with the title "Kingdom of the Mad" and some of the character design choices (like Joker).

Way also later wrote a comic set in a surreal hospital facility: 2025's "Paranoid Gardens," co-written by Shaun Simon with art by Chris Weston. Not for nothing, one of Grant Morrison's "Batman" comics — "Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth," art by Dave McKean — featured Batman plunging into the dark depths of Arkham. "Kingdom of the Mad" could've been to "Arkham Asylum" as "The Umbrella Academy" is to Morrison's "Doom Patrol."

Another villain design facing revision if the book had moved forward was Two-Face. This Harvey Dent is reimagined as a police officer with an early 20th century beat cop style uniform. Traditionally, Dent is a Gotham City's District Attorney before he becomes a super-villain, so this would've tweaked his law enforcement background. Going off the concept art, Way was considering giving Harvey's bad side blue skin, a la Bruce Timm's Two-Face design from "Batman: The Animated Series."

Gerard Way's redesigns of the other major Batman rogues

[Concept art of Riddler in Batman: Kingdom of the Mad]

Gerard Way/DC Comics

The Riddler designed for "Batman: Kingdom of the Mad" has a green suit, cane, and bowler hat, looking not far off from Frank Gorshin's Riddler in the 1966 "Batman" series. The main addition to his costume is a mask: a white plastic bag with a question mark emblazoned on it. Gimmicky, perhaps, but definitely a cool addition.

There's a fair bit of Tim Burton's Batman in the "Kingdom of the Mad" concept drawings, and that influence is clearest with the Penguin (see below). Oswald's proportions and Victorian gentleman outfit make him look like he'd fit right into Burton's stop-motion movie "The Corpse Bride." It appears he was also envisioned as the mayor of Gotham City, a position The Penguin (Danny DeVito) ran for in Burton's "Batman Returns."

[Concept art of Penguin in Batman: Kingdom of the Mad]
Gerard Way/DC Comics

Way also called himself a fan of the Joel Schumacher Batman films, so he wanted to include "Batman & Robin" big bad Mr. Freeze. "Batman: The Animated Series" reinvented Mr. Freeze with a design from Mike Mignola, and a new backstory where he's driven by grief for his ill wife, Nora. Way wanted to put a new, gruesome spin on Freeze's robotic armor (see the art below).

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