DC Comics announced on Thursday, that a new version of Batman will star in his own miniseries as part of their upcoming Future State, line-wide event. In the announcement, it was revealed Bruce Wayne's death will lead to a new person taking the mantle of Batman and protecting Gotham City in the future that's banned all masked vigilantes.
The Future State event will spin out of the pages of Dark Nights: Death Metal and has been teased to inject new life into the DC Universe. The two-month event will feature a combination of monthly (and twice monthly) oversized anthologies that feature different arcs for future versions of familiar characters. In the Future State: The Next Batman, the book will feature The Next Batman by John Ridley, Nick Derington and Laura Braga, Outsiders by Brandon Thomas and Sumit Kumar, Batgirls by Vita Ayala and Aneke, Gotham City Sirens by Paula Sevenbergen and Emanuela Lupacchino, and Arkham Knights by Paul Jenkins and Jack Herbert.
DC Comics teased what's next for Batman. In the Future State: The Next Batman, Gotham is taken over by a new villainous regime. Masked vigilantes have been banned and the city is under surveillance. Bruce Wayne's Batman has been killed and Gotham's next batch of heroes will need to fight to take down the newest threat. The Next Batman arc in the oversized comic by Ridley will feature a new Batman who hasn't been identified yet. It has been revealed that the new Batman will be a person of color and past hints suggested that either Luke or Duke Thomas will dawn the cape and cowl.
The new Batman's identity may not be revealed, but the status quo is about to take a seismic shift at DC Comics. Introducing a new Batman (and killing off the original one) is a bold move. But starting fresh in this Future State timeline is a really interesting and brilliant move. The new Batman will have his own chance to shine and establish himself out of the shadow of Bruce Wayne. It's great to see someone new (assumably) get a chance at protecting Gotham.
Check out the solicitation for The Next Batman below.
- Future State: The Next Batman #1-4
- Written by John Ridley
- Art by Nick Derington and Laura Braga
- In this future, Gotham City is controlled by the Magistrate. This villainous regime has taken control of the city, now under constant surveillance. All masked vigilantes have been outlawed and Batman has been killed. But led by an all-new Batman, a new assembly of Gotham’s guardians rise to give hope to all of those who lost it!
- The full title lineup will feature a combination of monthly and twice-monthly oversize anthologies, as well as a monthly schedule of miniseries and one-shots.
- In stores January, the two-month event will extend through February 2021.