Meet the new Batman villain: Mr. Worth

Detective Comics #1035 cover — (Image credit: Dan Mora (DC))

A new Batman villain is being introduced in an upcoming issue of Detective Comics - one who shares a similar origin story to Batman himself.

"Introducing Mr. Worth! When his daughter is killed during the brutal crime wave gripping Gotham City, eight-foot-tall stack of muscle and money Roland Worth sets out on a path of revenge toward the prime suspect in the crime: Batman!" reads DC's description for Detective Comics #1035.

Detective Comics #1035 variant cover — (Image credit: Lee Bermejo (DC))

Bruce Wayne's parents were killed by criminals when he was a child - during a time where crime was so prevalent the area where the Wayne family was murdered was dubbed 'Crime Alley.' For Bruce, it was the loss of both parents, but for Roland Worth it's the loss of a child. While Bruce Wayne had years of training before he lashed out at those he considered responsible, Worth's loss is fresh - and he's already, as DC puts it, an "eight-foot-tall stack of muscle and money."

Gotham City has never been a paragon of safety, but in recent months it hs fallen even further with the ruinous 'The Joker War' ravaging the city, Batman being forced to relinquish his family fortune and company, a growing anti-vigilante movement among the public, and that aforementioned crime wave picking up across the city.

"The Dark Knight has been framed for murder, and to make matters worse, this grisly deed seems to be connected to yet another emerging villainous force on the horizon," Detective Comics #1035's solicitation concludes. "It’s a rogues gallery explosions and this time there’s no mansion on the hill for Bruce Wayne to mount his counterattack!"

Detective Comics #1035 goes on sale on April 27.

Roland Worth joins a huge rogues gallery for Batman. Check out our list of the 50 greatest Batman villains.

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)