Batman vs. Failsafe, Round 1

Fan favorite writer Chip Zdarsky has taken the reins in Gotham, and it appears that's bad news for the Dark Knight. In a new batch of preview pages from Batman #126, we get the first extended glimpse of Batman's new villain Failsafe, who promises to make life hell for the Caped Crusader.

Batman #126 is the second issue of Zdarsky's first arc in the main Batman title, which began with the brutal murder of several of Gotham's social elite. The World's Greatest Detective is on the case, but he's got plenty of other things weighing on his mind. For one thing, Bruce Wayne is having horrible nightmares about the future of his city. For another, the Penguin framed Batman for his murder.

Then there is a growing rift between himself and other members of his family.

In the preview pages Batman #126, we get a glimpse of the tension in the Bat-Family in an interaction with Robin, where Batman scolds his young sidekick for not foreseeing an attack that nearly killed him in Batman #125. Later, we see Batman deep in thought about the future of his city and his family, when a haunting and deadly figure appears behind him.

Check out our preview of interior pages, plus the main cover of the issue by Jorge Jimenez.

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Fans already know that this villain is Failsafe, who Zdarsky has teased as a kind of "Doomsday for Batman." Clearly that's accurate in the way the robotic enemy fights, as just two pages into the battle it's apparent the Dark Knight can't physically compete with his foe. Still, it appears Bruce still has some tricks up his sleeve, and just like so many times before, he's going to need the Batmobile to get out of this jam.

Oddly, however, Batman doesn't seem to immediately recognize what Failsafe is, which is noteworthy given the assumption Failsafe was the creation of Bruce himself, as the robot emerged from a mechanical cocoon hidden in the Batcave.

Could Alfred have mustered the technical expertise to create a Batman 'failsafe' protocol and hidden it from Bruce's notice? He seems to be one of the few characters that would have had the access. But we'll see where the story goes.

Batman #126 is drawn by Jimenez, written by Zdarsky, colored by Tomeu Morey, and lettered by Clayton Cowles. It is on sale in comic shops and digital platforms everywhere August 2.

Tim Drake lived, but Jason Todd died in Batman: A Death in the Family, one of the best Batman stories ever.

Grant DeArmitt is a NYC-based writer and editor who regularly contributes bylines to Newsarama. Grant is a horror aficionado, writing about the genre for Nightmare on Film Street, and has written features, reviews, and interviews for the likes of PanelxPanel and Monkeys Fighting Robots. Grant says he probably isn't a werewolf… but you can never be too careful.