It’s always exciting when DC introduces a new villain to Batman lore. Will they be a one-hit wonder like Bedbug or the Globe, or will they ascend to recurring status like Professor Pyg and the Court of Owls? As a new foe takes on the Dark Knight, here’s everything we know.
Batman famously has the best rogues gallery in comics, with the likes of Bane, the Riddler and Mr. Freeze stalking Gotham’s streets. It takes a lot for a new villain to earn their place among the best of the worst, but it’s not impossible, and longtime fans love to watch it happen.
Thankfully for them, the recently begun Batman Volume 4 has been serving up as many new foes as possible, with a ‘full adventure per issue’ attitude that’s wowing readers. Now, creators Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez are trying something truly ambitious…
New Batman Villain The Poisoner Debuts
In a new preview of Batman #12 – from Tomeu Morey and Clayton Cowles, alongside Fraction and Jiménez – fans meet Der Giftmörder, aka the Poisoner. An elderly professor named Anton Anker, Der Giftmörder is a scientific genius who doesn’t just invent totally new poisons but also new ways to administer them, testing his creations as one of the world’s deadliest assassins.
Unlike many of Batman’s foes, Der Giftmörder isn’t much of a physical threat. The danger he poses comes from his creativity as a killer. In the preview, he takes out a target by having them handle a specially designed chess piece that delivers a fatal poison.
Several of Batman’s villains use poisons – Joker, Scarecrow and Poison Ivy among them – but none are based on the theme in this way. Der Giftmörder is an exciting addition to the Gotham ecosystem… and just one of SIX new villains debuting in this issue.
Six New Batman Villains Hit DC Lore This Week
The plot of Batman #12 will see six world-class assassins hit Gotham, with Batman trying to save their target. The issue’s summary reads:
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.
Little is known about these new assassins, but Ryan Sook’s recently released variant cover, above, shows what they look like:
- A woman with spider legs extending out from her back
- A scorpion-tailed woman wearing a skull mask
- A bald, muscular man
- A diminutive scientist holding a beaker who may be Der Giftmörder, but appears to be a different character due to his mustache
- A knife-wielding killer in a half-mask with goggles – drawn surrounded by moths in David Aja’s variant cover, below
There’s a clear mix of physical and mental threats, as well as skill and muscle. All of these villains appear to be new additions to Batman lore, though the scorpion assassin bears a resemblance to obscure Batman foe Scorpiana.
While some may lose their lives to each other during the issue, it’s clear that at least some will live on as permanent additions to DC lore. In that, they won’t be alone…
Batman Also Has a Permanent New Ally
The preview for this issue also shares more about Verity Pennyworth, confirming her as the grandniece of Batman’s former butler Alfred. It also explains more about the Society of the Midnight Key – a group of people who work for and safeguard superheroes. Hired according to Alfred’s last wishes, Verity intends to become the majordomo of Pennyworth Manor (the Bat-Family’s new home.)
While Verity isn’t intended to act in a combat role, she has been specifically trained to replace Alfred as Batman’s ‘man in the chair,’ coordinating his missions and keeping the Bat-Family in fighting shape. It’s likely that the six assassins descending on Gotham will prove to be a baptism of fire for Verity, testing her ability to coordinate Batman‘s superhero family against a range of diverse and deadly threats.
Batman #12 is coming August 5 from DC Comics.
- 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.
