Fans of Tim Fox as the Next Batman are in for a treat as DC Comics just announced that it will be continuing his adventures even after the publisher's line-wide Future State event. The Next Batman: Second Son will be a digital-first miniseries that will offer readers a more in-depth look at and insight into the new man behind the cowl.
The ongoing Future State initiative from DC is exploring the potential futures for scores of its legacy characters, some in the not-too-distant future (like the Batman and Harley Quinn titles), while others take place eons from today. DC announced in December that the Future State version of Batman will be none other than Tim Fox, son of Bruce Wayne's trusted and longtime ally Lucius Fox. And he's not the only character taking up a classic DC hero mantle. Jess Chambers, Yara Flor and Andy Curry will also be stepping into the hero role as the future versions of Flash, Wonder Woman and Aquawoman, respectively. But while Fox may be the new Dark Knight, that doesn't mean Bruce Wayne is sitting on the sidelines, he's currently operating as the Dark detective in a future Gotham overtaken by the totalitarian Magistrate regime.
DC has announced that not only will Fox appear in a short story in Batman: Black and White #3, releasing February 23, but that the same day will see the launch of the new miniseries that will then release on a weekly basis. Like Future State: The Next Batman, Second Son will be penned by Academy Award-winning writer John Ridley and feature art from Tony Akins, Travel Foreman and Mark Morales. The series will explore the origins of Fox's Batman, how he connects to the larger DC universe and focus largely on his strained relationship with his family. The first three chapters of the digital comics will be collected in a print edition schedules to release April 6.
The announcement shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as Tim Fox has become somewhat of a standout star among the Future State lineup, with Future State: The Next Batman being so popular among fans that it necessitated a second round of printing of the first two issues to meet demands. Ridley already teased in an interview with CBR that plans were in place to continue Fox's story even after his four-part Future State saga concludes.
"There is a very exciting plan in place," Ridley said. "This project is the result of more than a year of thought, planning and improvising, as well as test driving things. What we want to do with Tim is provide him with an infrastructure, a support system, and go into what's been going on with Tim since his absence from the Batman corner of the universe."
Ridley likened his approach to future Tim Fox stories to his approach to his DC Black Label series The Other History of the DC Universe, which revisits foundational moments throughout DC history through the eyes of people of color. "We're... using elements that were already there but never fully explored and embracing them."
If all this wasn't enough to quench Tim Fox fans' thirsts, DC also Batman by John Ridley Deluxe Edition, deluxe, 128-page, hardcover compiling all of Ridley's works on the character, as well as yet another original Tim Fox Batman yarn. Expect that to hit shelves June 29.
So while things may not be looking good in the now-dystopian Gotham City in DC Comics' Future State, the future is looking brighter and brighter for fans of Tim Fox's Next Batman.