'Joker War' pits Batman vs Killer Croc in Detective Comics #1026 preview

DC's Batman event 'Joker War' continues in August, spilling into Detective Comics #1026.

Written by Peter J. Tomasi with art by Kenneth Rocafort and a cover by Lee Bermejo, the storyline that promises to "change the lives of The Dark Knight, his allies and his enemies forever" takes a turn down, into the sewers of Gotham City for a match-up with classic Batman rogue Killer Croc.

"As 'The Joker War' rages on, the casualties are mounting, and the underground residents of Gotham City must deal with the devastating effects of the Joker toxin that’s been pumped into the city’s old tunnel system," reads DC's official description, which rings somewhat familiar to Batman fans who remember the plot details of Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins.

In that successful 2005 relaunch of the film franchise, Ra's ah Ghul, the Scarecrow, and Carmine Falcone all conspired to put the Scarecrow's fear toxin in the Gotham City water system to manipulate its citizens to destroy the city and themselves.

"Batman must risk everything to guide them to safety, but a familiar face has mobilized these forgotten souls to rise up in anger...and Killer Croc takes no prisoners!" continues DC's description of Detective Comics #1026.

Check out the preview pages of the 'Joker War' tie-in here, on sale August 25:

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"Writer James Tynion is clearly interested in telling a really memorable story here, as the nods to Batman and Joker's history feel especially deliberate," reads Newsarama's review of the opening chapter of 'Joker War' in Batman #95. "While the title feels like one they just had lying around the DC offices, Tynion has proven himself to have some tricks up his sleeves in the past and he's laid out a compelling enough pledge here for fans to come back for more."

Newsarama is a comic book website covering news, interviews, features, deep dives, reviews and more. Now part of GamesRadar, the website was first established in 1995 by Michael Doran.