Batman is returning to the blockchain with the latest edition to its ‘Bat Cowls’ non-fungible token collection.
The news was announced by Candy Digital, a sports and entertainment collectibles platform, via X on March 8th. According to the announcement, the ‘Legacy Cowls’ NFT collection blends “the rich history of Batman with Web3 technology,” and will serve as a “portal to an immersive adventure…into the heart of Gotham City.”
The collection is being launched by DC Comics and Warner Brothers Discovery Group on the Palm blockchain, an Ethereum scaling network. It drops on March 29th on Candy Digital’s website for $49.99 per NFT, and consists of 11,544 Batman-themed NFTs that commemorate the 85th anniversary of the legendary superhero’s first appearance in DC Comics.
Besides the 3D artwork created by DC artist Pablo M. Collar and writer Dan Abnett, NFT holders will be granted access to future drops, augmented reality (AR) experiences on Meta platforms, and the chance to vote on future creative decisions.
The original collaboration between Palm NFT Studio and DC occurred in April 2022, and saw the release of 200,000 NFTs with 3D renditions of Batman’s famous mask, or “cowl.” The move marked the first DC comic to appear on the blockchain, and holders of the NFTs were invited to contribute to and collaborate on the development of the story.
According to Candy Digital’s Chief Creative Officer Straith Schreder, the Bat Cowls project is responsible for the “first DC supervillain created through fan voting.” He added that it signals a future where “creativity is collaborative.”
Famous IP Arrive to the Blockchain
Fans of Web3 and Batman should be excited about the latest NFT drop from DC Comics. But this is isn’t the first time we’ve seen iconic intellectual property (IP) hit the blockchain. At Rarity Sniper, we’ve reported several stories about IP being transformed into digital assets. Here are three of the most recent headlines.
First, about two weeks ago, MixMob, a gaming platform on Solana, acquired the licensing rights to the Stormtrooper IP from the 1977 film “Star Wars: A New Hope.” In the second quarter of 2024, the IP will be integrated as non-fungible tokens into MixMob’s popular Racer 1 card game.
Next, in January, Futureverse, an AI and metaverse company founded by Ernest Cline (author of the book Ready Player One) and Dan Farah (producer of the film by the same name), announced plans to build a new metaverse focused on Hollywood IP. To kick things off, they are transforming the IP of Ready Player One into digital assets for the new metaverse.
Finally, also in January, an interesting twist for IP in Web3 occurred when multiple NFT projects were launched based on the expired IP rights of early Mickey Mouse cartoons, which expired after 95 years. Based on a short film called “Steamboat Willie” that debuted in 1928, the IP of Mickey Mouse was the first to enter the public domain, and the NFT collections trended after launch.
While some creators in the NFT space seek to launch entirely unique projects and ideas, the creation of digital assets based on well-established IP is also becoming more popular. We’ll have to wait to see if the Legacy Cowls NFT collection is successful, but the move shows DC Comics is bullish on Web3, and that’s a win for the entire space.