DC Comics has revealed the man behind the hood at their upcoming Future State event.
In a press release touting the upcoming Future State: The Next Batman, it has been revealed that Tim Fox, the son of Batman’s henchman and tech guru Lucius Fox, will become the Dark Knight of the future.
DC Comics announced details of its Future State event early last month. Beginning with DC’s current event, Dark Nights: Death Metal, Future State will take readers into the future DC Universe, spanning multiple future timelines. The event will see new heroes take up the mantle of inherited heroes, such as Flash (Jess Chambers), Wonder Woman (Yara Flor), and Aquawoman (Andy Curry). The Future State event will run for two months across the entire DC editorial line, set time to shake up the DC status quo as attention will be diverted from faces fans are familiar with when introducing something entirely new to accompanying the ancient heroes.
Future State: The Next Batman from John Ridley, Nick Derington, and Laura Braga, will feature Tim Fox as the crusader in the cape. DC Comics has made the announcement with the unveiling of a new variant cover by Doug Braithwaite and Diego Rodriguez that features Tim as the new Batman. Tim (who also goes by the name Jace) first appeared in Batman # 313 (1979) and last appeared in Batman # 101 during James Tynion IV’s Joker War arc as Lucius’s estranged son and brother of Luke Fox.
Tim being the next Batman is quite a surprising choice, as he has played quite a minor role in DC comics history. But that’s probably why Ridley decided to choose him: he doesn’t have great continuity – he can become his own character when he becomes Batman in Future State. It remains to be seen how Tim goes from Lucius’s estranged son to the next Batman, but considering his family’s connection to the superhero (Luke was Batwing in the past), that’s not surprising either.
Regarding this announcement, it may be interesting to see a new version of Batman far from the one we already know. Tim’s story could go literally a million different directions, as it is unclear what his reason is for defending Gotham as he plunges into the oppressive rule of the mysterious Magistrate. Fox will also play Batman in the upcoming Batman: Black & White anthology, which will be published on February 23, 2021, and will be written by Ridley and drawn by Olivier Copiel, who made the Family Ties story in Batman: The Joker War Zone.
Tim Fox will officially make his debut as Batman in Future State: The Next Batman No. 1, which will be in stores and digital platforms in the American market on January 5, 2021, with new issues available every two weeks (number 2 on January 26, number 3 on February 2 and number 4 on February 16). Each issue will feature 64 pages including supporting stories from other Gotham City heroes and villains who face the oppressive magistrate’s government and its war on vigilantes.
