DC's Future State event will arrive at the beginning of next year, and DC Comics have already begun to release their previews and solicitations for its upcoming titles. The event will be line-wide, putting a pause on the majority of DC's current narratives in order to show the whole scope of the near future that lies ahead for the DC Universe. One example is Gotham City, as it's been teased that it will transform into a grim fascist state, under the complete control of a new organization known as Magistrate. One title taking place within this darker Gotham will be Future State: Catwoman, and its second issue will see none other than the serial killer Onomatopoeia attempting to track down and kill Catwoman herself.
Onomatopoeia was created by Kevin Smith and artist Phil Hester during their run on Green Arrow back in 2002, though he would evolve and become a Batman foe as well in Smith's Batman: Cacophony miniseries. A sinister serial killer who targets masked heroes, Onomatopoeia hunted those vigilantes and superheroes who don't have any powers, repeating and imitating comic-book sound effects, all while wearing an unsettling black mask with white concentric circles. Though his identity remains a mystery, Onomatopoeia leads a seemingly normal life with a wife and kids, though he secretly brings home trophies of his kills to add to a hidden shrine, keeping their masks as mementos (while also having empty spaces open for Batman and Green Arrow). One of his more notable kills was the murder of Silver St. Cloud, a frequent love interest of Bruce Wayne, who Onomatopoeia killed right in front of him. He also tried to kill Conner Hawke, but was defeated by Green Arrow.
Now, Onomatopoeia is set to make a return in the new Gotham City in Future State: Catwoman #2 from writer Ram V with art from Otto Schmidt. Apparently, Onomatopoeia will be after Selina Kyle as she's trying to free prisoners of the Magistrate. Here's the synopsis and cover art from Liam Sharp:
- FUTURE STATE: CATWOMAN #2
- written by RAM V
- art by OTTO SCHMIDT
- cover by LIAM SHARP
- card stock variant cover by HICHAM HABCHI
- ON SALE 2/16/21
- $3.99 US | 32 PAGES | 2 OF 2 | FC | DC
- CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US
- Catwoman has clawed her way through half of the Magistrate’s bullet train, but her fight has only just begun! Now, with Onomatopoeia in tow, Selina makes her way toward the car carrying a ghost of her past, and Gotham’s as well. It’s Bruce Wayne… but is it really him? And with Talia al Ghul on board as well, will this be a long-awaited reunion between the Bat and the Cat, or will Selina’s mission to rescue the Magistrate’s prisoners go off the rails?
As fans might know from other solicitations and previews for Future State, Bruce Wayne's Batman will have been believed to be dead for some time, while a new Batman will have risen to take on the cape and cowl. However, it's also known that Bruce will still be alive under a new vigilante identity as the Dark Detective. As a result, it's possible that Selina could indeed be rescuing the real deal Bruce Wayne... though perhaps not. It could also be an impostor or trap set by private police force Magistrate, or could even be Hush, disguised as Bruce Wayne as the villain has done in the past. Hush has also clashed with Green Arrow in the past, rescuing Prometheus from a fatal attack by the hero, so it's possible he's teamed up with Onomatopoeia for as yet unrevealed reasons.
Either way, Catwoman is certainly going to have her hands full, and not just with the return of Kevin Smith's Onomatopoeia. The synopsis also reveals that Talia al Ghul will be on the train full of prisoners Selina's trying to liberate, which will certainly make things interesting, given the two were recently at loggerheads over Catwoman's relationship with Bruce Wayne. Whether Selina reunites with the original Batman or not, here's hoping Catwoman can handle the dark future that awaits her and Gotham City in DC's Future State.