As early as the first issue of its relaunch, the mainline, ongoing comic book series Batman has been fully committed to introducing brand-new characters to the Dark Knight’s mythos. This includes Batman’s Dr. Annika Zeller, who has been profoundly significant as a budding love interest and, more importantly, the inventor of the Crown of Storms.
Moreover, Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s Batman run has been debuting compelling and unique antagonists like Minotaur and Ōjō. The run is not nearly as concerned with tackling classic Batman villains beyond seeing them positively affected by Annika’s work, and Batman is slated to introduce a handful of villains in one of its last issues of the summer.
Batman’s Rogues’ Gallery Is Bursting At The Seams
Batman only just released issue #9, but Batman #12 has been revealed with a few covers and a solicitation. The main cover will feature a character who may or may not be brand-new, depending on who she is actually revealed to be, but a variant cover by artist Ryan Sook gives readers their first look at the six assassins/killers who will make an appearance in issue #12. Oddly, Sook’s cover curiously only features five of the six assassins, who are admittedly tough to accurately describe when they appear in the form of gigantic chess pieces and lack sufficient definition:
- A woman with horned heels, a skull for a face, and a scorpion’s tail.
- A muscular, shirtless man.
- A smaller individual with Albert Einstein-esque hair who holds a beaker.
- A woman with a sharp pixie hairstyle and glasses, wearing a mini dress, and featuring eight spider-like appendages that stem from her back.
- A character wearing a trench coat and a stitched mask with large goggle lenses (reminiscent of Spider-Man Noir) while wielding a knife.
The elephant in the room is that one assassin is missing from this cover, though that might suggest they are more significant and withheld as the final assassin Batman encounters.
Most interestingly, however, is how this batch of killers either purposefully or inadvertently parallels Spider-Man’s Sinister Six. Indeed, even though Spider-Man does not have exclusive rights to villains who are animal-themed, it does seem conspicuous that Batman’s newest batch of villains is six in total, with one being scorpion-themed and one being spider-themed.
Batman #12 Is Going To Be A Game-Changer
Even then, it is impossible to predict what any of these assassins’ abilities will be, and it is unlikely that they will be around long enough to be added to Batman’s rogues’ gallery roster on a rotating basis, considering that Batman will be abruptly whisked into the Batman: Bad Seeds Poison Ivy event later that same month. The solicitation for Batman #12 reads as follows:
SIX ASSASSINS. ONE CITY. COUNTLESS WAYS TO DIE! Six of the world’s deadliest killers have descended on Gotham City at once — but who hired them, and who’s the target? Surely, it can’t be the Batman…
As the Caped Crusader races to uncover who set this deadly plan in motion, the late Alfred Pennyworth provides a gift from beyond the grave with the arrival of a brilliant new ally to the Bat-Family at a time when it needs one most.
A lot is sure to happen in the run between now and Batman #12, so perhaps there will be some semblance of worldbuilding for these six assassins while the Ōjō returns for a rematch. Plus, it will be fascinating to see who the Bat-Family’s new butler character turns out to be, whether it is Daphne Pennyworth or someone else entirely.
Batman #12 is scheduled to be released on August 5, 2026.
- Created By
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Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- Alias
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Bruce Wayne
- Alliance
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Justice League, Outsiders, Batman Family
- Race
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Human
- Franchise
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D.C.
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.