DC Comics will bring in the new year with its highly-anticipated two-month event, Future State, which explores its iconic heroes set in a world outside the confines of the Multiverse, within a future where new visions of heroes exist parallel to DC's older origin stories.Batman will be reimagined by award-winning writer, John Ridley within a four issue arc titled, The Next Batman. Recently, DC Comics released the second variant cover for the series' inaugural issue, illustrated by Olivier Coipel, as shared by DC's Batman Twitter account.RELATED: DC's Black Batman Is Unmasked on Limited Edition Variant Cover

Future State's The Next Batman #1 variant cover by Oliver Coipel

Coipel's cover shows a battered Batman, with blood and grime on his fancy armored suit. The image suggests that his upcoming battle will not be easy and perhaps he will need to leave behind the gadgets and gear he's known for, for something altogether different.

The Next Batman is set within a world where vigilantes are outlawed and citizens are highly monitored digitally, forcing Batman to reevaluate how much he relies on technology. Ridley's take on the caped crusader envisions a Batman that relies instead on his physical strength and cleverness than necessarily high-tech gear, battling a technologically advanced and oppressive government called the Magistrate.

"You have a Batman who has to operate in a space where the only advantage he can have is to be analog. When you start removing those digital tools, you're like a caveman fighting computers... the only thing you can really do is go back to the original Batman — the shadows are your friend. Night is your ally. The city is your battleground," Ridley said within a DC Future State preview.

RELATED: DC Reveals an Intriguing Detail About Its New Batman

The Next Batman #1's first variant cover was also recently released, created by Ken Lashley and Juan Fernandez, which confirmed that Ridley's arc will be the first time a Black man will wear the iconic cape and cowl.

Although the identity of the Batman has not been revealed yet by Ridley nor DC Comics, Ridley confirmed that the series will feature a member of Lucius Fox's family at its center. Fans speculated that it'll be Lucius' son under the cowl.

RELATED: John Ridley Reveals How DC Approached Him for a Batman Story

DC Future State is a two-month, line-wide event beginning in January 2021. February will feature a combination of monthly and twice-monthly oversize anthologies, as well as a monthly schedule of miniseries and one-shots starring current and future DC heroes.

The Next Batman is written by John Ridley and illustrated by Nick Derrington. Its first issue will debut in January 2021 from DC Comics. Ridley is also currently writing DC's Black Label series, The Other History Of The DC Universe.

KEEP READING: DC Reveals an Intriguing Detail About Its New Batman

Source: Twitter