Writer Chip Zdarsky began his Batman run by killing the Penguin, framing the Caped Crusader for murder, and introducing the previously-dormant robot Failsafe. Oh, and he nearly killed Tim Drake-Robin, sending Bruce into an even deeper crisis.
Now, DC has teased the winter finale of the 'Failsafe' arc… and it seems like life in Gotham is about to get even darker.
Batman #129, written by Zdarsky and illustrated by series artist Jorge Jiménez, will see Batman up against the wall – and possibly going off-world in order to defeat Failsafe. The new foe has countered every move Batman and the Justice League make, so Bruce may be out of options – at least, on Earth.
The backup story in this issue, written by Zdarsky and illustrated by Leonardo Romero, will revisit Batman's early years and his first attempt at creating a backup protection system called Zur-En-Arrh.
If that sounds familiar, it's because of the story 'Batman RIP: Zur-En-Arrh' by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel. When Batman is poisoned by the villain Doctor Hurt, it activates a 'backup personality' built into Bruce Wayne's mind called Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. Bruce created this psychological program to control his body if his actual personality was ever altered, subverted, or subdued.
Then in the final issue of the 'Failsafe' arc, Batman #130, Batman has just one option left to defeat Failsafe… and he may walk away from it in what DC describes as the story's "brutal and stunning conclusion."
Batman #129 will be available November 1, with cover art by Jiménez, Gabriele Dell'Otto, Francesco Mattina, Simone Di Meo, and Jock. Batman #130 will be available December 6, with cover art by Jiménez, Dell'Otto, Stjepan Sejic, David Marquez, Jock, and Laura Braga.
Here's a gallery of 8 additional variant covers for both issues:
Stay tuned for DC's full November solicitations, coming later this month at Newsarama.
Take a look at all the new Batman comics, graphic novels, and collections from DC in 2022 (and 2023).
