Batman Forever Evil Solicitations Reveal Joker, Bane and More

The first solicitations have begun to be released for DC Comics's New 52 event Forever Evil, beginning in September, and revealed that the Batman family of titles will see The Joker, Bane and more given their own titles for the month. With Guillem March and Jason Fabok splitting duties on 3-D motion covers, September will see Batman's monthly title go weekly, featuring four separate issues. Each comic will run the fans $3.99 and feature work from a different creative team. Batman #23.1 will be The Joker #1 by Andy Kubert (writer) and an as-yet-unannounced artist. The Clown Prince of Crime is back to his pre-New 52 look on this cover, so take that as you will. Maybe it'll be a flashback, an alternate universe spinning out of the multiverse opening up at the end of Trinity War, or maybe there's an in-story explanation as to how he got the skin back on his face. Scott Snyder and Ray Fawkes will take on The Riddler in Batman #23.2, with art by Jeremy Haun; that jives with long-standing reports that the character will be at the center of Snyder's Batman: The Zero Year, which is getting a break for Villains Month.

Frank Tieri will write and Christian Duce will draw The Penguin #1 (Batman #23.3), while Peter J. Tomasi and Graham Nolan will take on Bane in Batman #23.4. Nolan, who drew a good chunk of the Knightfall saga which has defined Bane's personality, will return to the character in a story that seems likely to tie into the earlier-reported Forever Evil: Arkham War, which will begin the next month and also be written by Tomasi. "Batman is gone, and the inmates of Arkham Asylum are running wild in the streets!" The solicitation says. "Bane is in Gotham City with one goal…to take it over no matter who he has to break!"