It's been no secret that Batman: Arkham City would be a financial success after the buzz its predecessor from Rocksteady Studios received. Regardless, the developers are doing everything they can to convince more and more Batman fans to pick up a pre-order of the game instead of waiting until release day. They're pulling inspiration from the caped crusader's rich history to do it, and the artwork from Frank Miller's graphic novel 'Batman: Year One' is the latest design to receive the pre-order skin treatment.

It was a safe bet that fans of Arkham Asylum would be more than willing to continue playing as Rocksteady's darker, grittier version of Batman for Arkham City. So you really have to hand it to the developers, since they've given players plenty of chances to potentially change the entire tone of their playthrough of the game. Depending on what retailer they purchase the game from, that is.

The latest pre-order skin announced is a 'Year One' costume, and while it may not be as striking as the various other Batman skins announced, it is more than faithful to the black-and-white color scheme of David Mazzucchelli's art. The overall impression may not be quite as vivid as the comic book incarnation, but it does share the same 'less is more' philosophy.

Check it out below:

While it may not be as flashy as some of the other costume choices, it's obvious that the development team behind the game are staying true to the comic book roots. This pre-order skin comes from French retailer FNAC, which is made possible via a download code that will be sent to customers with their copy of the game.

It would be a waste for all of these classic and fan-favorite costumes to be made available exclusively for pre-orders, so rest assured that they will be sold later as DLC. Considering that the playable version of Robin is likely to be sold at some point, and the hints we've had at episodic content for Arkham City, the DLC offerings for the game won't leave anyone wanting more.

It's tough to tell just how much effect each of the costumes will have on the gameplay - particularly the zanier moments - but hopefully fans will get the chance to experience all of them regardless of where they buy their copy. What do you think of the new pre-order skin? Will any of these pre-order costumes have an impact on where you pick up the game?

Batman: Arkham City will be released on October 18, for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

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Source: FNAC (via arkhamcity.co.uk)