MAM
AOL, DC Comics launch online daily ‘Batman’ comic strip
VIRGINIA: The cape figure is going from strength to strength courtesy the internet. An original online Batman comic strip has been created for America Online by DC Comics. The detective, Gotham City and AOL members will soon have a new nemesis an Eastern mythic figure Sin Tzu.
Batman: Shadow of Sin Tzu will appear online on AOL five days a week. This new Batman ongoing storyline was developed especially for the online environment and for KOL, AOL’s new experience for kids, which will be available to consumers later this year.
Gotham’s most notorious villains have joined hands. Batman must discover who is behind this diabolical conspiracy before an all-out war descends on the city. It could Sin Tzu or Two-face or perhaps the Joker. As the mystery unfolds, kids can go online each weekday and get a new episode in this exciting year-long serial. Through the venture DC Comics is looking to bridge the generational gap between parents who grew up reading Batman stories in comic books and watching him on television and their kids who will now be able to check out Batman’s daily adventures online.
AOL and DC Comics have also joined forces to offer a host of additional special content and features for AOL’s new experiences for its kids and teens audiences. When KOL launches kids can check out special Batman and Superman comics online as well as access other features related to the superheroes. In addition, each weekday, kids and teens can get Spy vs. Spy comics and wacky excerpts from the classic Mad Magazine.
Besides Batman DC Comics also owns Superman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman.
Brands
Jubilant Foodworks to end Dunkin’ franchise in India
Pizza chain operator will not renew agreement when it expires at end of 2026.
MUMBAI: When the doughnuts stop turning and the coffee goes cold, even a global giant like Dunkin’ can find the Indian market a tough brew to crack. Jubilant Foodworks has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with Dunkin’ when the pact expires on 31 December 2026, according to a Reuters report. The operator, best known for running Domino’s outlets in India, said it would evaluate options for its existing Dunkin’ stores, including a potential sale or transfer of franchise rights, in consultation with the US-based brand.
The decision follows years of underperformance in a market where local tastes and intense competition have made it difficult for international coffee-and-doughnut formats to gain traction. Jubilant, which has increasingly focused on its core pizza business and newer bets like Popeyes, indicated that the exit would not materially affect its financial or operational position.
Dunkin’ accounted for just 0.61 per cent of Jubilant’s revenue in the fiscal year ending 2025 and recorded a loss of approximately Rs 191 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company operated 27 outlets as of December 2025, having shuttered seven stores over the preceding year.
The retreat comes even as Jubilant’s broader business shows signs of momentum. The company reported a 65 per cent rise in quarterly profit for the October to December period, reaching Rs 70.9 crore, up from Rs 42.91 crore a year earlier.
For Jubilant, the exit reflects a sharpening strategic focus. For Dunkin’, it marks another setback in a market that has proven resistant to imported café concepts without significant localisation.
In the cut-throat world of Indian quick-service restaurants, sometimes the sweetest deals are the ones you quietly walk away from leaving more room for the brands that truly rise to the occasion.
