Earlier this year, Upper Deck and DC joined forces on their first major trading card set, 2023-24 DC Annual, to bring the comic giant's biggest heroes and villains to life in a collectible form. It marked the beginning of a new collaboration between Upper Deck and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products to establish the storied trading card brand as the go-to source for fans looking to get into the hobby with some of the familiar superpowered faces they know and love. Now, Upper Deck is welcoming DC into its premium Skybox Metal Universe brand for the first time with a new set dedicated to The Dark Knight himself. Collider is excited to partner with the company to show off a few cards from the Skybox Metal Universe Batman collection and preview everything within this Gotham City-set package.
The Skybox Metal Universe line has typically placed sporting icons from across a wide range of professional leagues against a more colorful, metallic, or space-themed background to make each player pop. Batman and his rogues' gallery will now get the same treatment, pulling from some of the Caped Crusader's most famous and beloved runs on the page for the images on each card. As with any good trading card set, there's also no shortage of special card types that the most avid collectors will want to keep their eyes peeled for, like the gorgeous Precious Metal Gems that hold a shiny metallic finish, and the distinctive, rounded Jambalaya cards. One such character in the latter set is one of the Robins, Tim Drake, shown leaping into the fray with the word Jambalaya standing out in the background to add to the comic aesthetic. Upper Deck takes some of the design principles from its sports cards, including some original sketch cards that pay homage to the creation of the comics, as well as autographs featuring the signatures of some of Batman's most impactful creators.
Batman's new Metal Universe set won't just be an adaptation of the Upper Deck sports cards with Bruce Wayne and The Joker in place of icons like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, though. Alongside the regular cards is a wide range of unique and rare inserts that capture more than just characters, but also memorable moments in Batman's long comic history and signature locations. A few, like From the Diary of Alfred Pennyworth booklets and Gotham City metal technology cards, push the boundaries of what a trading card typically is and provide a richer window into the world of DC's gritty hero. There are also Comic Cuts and collectible thematic inserts entirely unique to the character or location depicted, like the Clown Prince of Crime, who gets a dark and twisted 3D lenticular card with lime green lettering that leans into his aura as Gotham City's most intimidating criminal. Other possible inserts include a Secret Identity card, Arkham Asylum, and a Poison Ivy Touch card, with many more waiting to be discovered within.
Upper Deck and DC Have Big Plans to Expand Their Trading Card Empire
Upper Deck's goal when partnering with DC was to capture a corner of the trading card market that had been relatively underserved. DC fans finally have the opportunity to start their own collections featuring everyone from Superman to Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and more. More sets are still to come, like Fleer Ultra Superman and DC Unbound, which will further widen collectors' options from the trading card company. For now, the Skybox Metal Universe Batman set covers Gotham City and offers high-end options for the hardcore collectors seeking Dark Knight-themed Precious Metal Gems cards and other inserts that have been so highly sought after among Upper Deck's sports offerings.
In addition to all the new cards, Upper Deck is also looking to revive one of its signature card games with the DC pantheon. Legendary, the deck-building game that thrived for over a decade, is now getting a DC iteration, releasing its first sets in 2026. This new variant brought back game designer, Devin Low, to recapture the strategic, easy-to-pick-up gameplay that made past versions so beloved, creating a game that unifies players against one single villainous Mastermind either competitively or cooperatively. It's built to be familiar for those who have played in the past, while still capturing what makes each of DC's heroes and villains so unique. Between Legendary DC and the collectible sets, Upper Deck and DC have their eyes on a trading card empire.
Retail packs for the Skybox Metal Universe Batman collection are available on the official Upper Deck website now, while fans can pick up hobby boxes at local trading card and comic book stores. Check out the cards in the gallery above and visit the link below for information on how to purchase a box.
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