DC Future State's new Batman has finally been unmasked, courtesy of a variant cover.
Frankie's Comics will feature an exclusive cover for The Next Batman #1. The cover by Ken Lashley and Juan Fernandez features the new Batman holding his cowl in his hands, while the original Batman looks on in the background. The cover has yet to go on sale.
Future State takes place years into DC's timeline, featuring various new incarnations of its heroes. The new Batman's identity is unknown, but fans have speculated that it is an adult Luke Fox. Luke is the son of Batman's ally Lucius Fox, and briefly took up the mantle of Batwing during the New 52 era.
Gotham City has been taken over by the militarized police force known as the Magistrate, who Batman group editor Ben Abernathy has compared to Star Wars' Sith Lords. The Magistrate has transformed Gotham into a police state and outlawed all forms of vigilantism, which has forced Gotham's heroes to go underground. Long thought dead, Bruce Wayne will take up the mantle of the Dark Detective in this new future -- leading to the birth of the next Batman.
The Next Batman is also written by prolific screenwriter John Ridley. Ridley is no stranger to DC, as he is also writing the Black Label series The Other History Of The DC Universe. He will also provide a story for Marvel's Wolverine: Black White & Blood miniseries.
DC Future State begins in Jan. 2021.