How 'Batman Unburied' reinvented the Dark Knight for a global audio audience

How do you breathe new life into one of the most adapted comic book characters of all time, who already has countless iterations? Naturally, you make a podcast about him.

"Batman Unburied," a scripted audio series created and executive produced by David S. Goyer, which stars Winston Duke (Bruce Wayne/Batman), is unlike any Batman story to come before it.

"This isn't completely bingeable and it didn't all drop at once, so we were very deliberately messing around with the narrative," Goyer said. "You can get halfway into the story and actually not know who the real villain is — which has been really fun."

Just days after its two-episode premiere on May 3, the superhero audio drama skyrocketed to No. 1 on Spotify's U.S. podcast charts — knocking off "The Joe Rogan Experience" along the way. "Batman Unburied" has remained a fixture at or near the top of the chart as its five-week run now comes to an end.

Thanks in large part to its simultaneous release in nine markets worldwide — Spotify's largest podcast launch yet — the audio series quickly became a