DC May Be Teasing the Return of a Surprising Villain

An unexpected DC villain might be making their return. DC recently released their solicitations for December 2023 and early January 2024, which reveal the first details surrounding Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3. The miniseries is written by Robert Venditti with art by Riley Rossmo, and has been chronicling the adventures of the titular vigilante in relation to the current Justice Society of America ongoing series. As the new synopsis for Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3 hints, Wesley's ongoing mission will bring about the return of The Fog, who is apparently using Wesley's gear for malicious purposes.

WESLEY DODDS: THE SANDMAN #3

• Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
• Art and cover by RILEY ROSSMO
• Variant cover by JEFF LEMIRE
• 1:25 variant cover by DANI
• $3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
• ON SALE 12/12/23
• Wesley's search for answers brings him to the city morgue as he learns the man who broke into his home didn't die from the fire. But the clues he finds land him face-to-face with the true villain, and he's already begun using the Sandman gear. Enter: the Fog!

Who Is DC's The Fog?

The Fog was first created by Roy Thomas, Paul Kupperberg, and Arvell Jones in 1985's All-Star Squadron #44, as one half of a duo of Nazi supervillains. He subsequently appeared in a two-issue arc of Young Justice in the 2000s. The moniker of The Fog was later repurposed by Byron Shelley, a member of the Brotherhood of Dada who often went toe-to-toe with the Doom Patrol. A genderbent version of the character, Shelley Byron, was portrayed by Wynn Everett on the Doom Patrol television series. There's no telling at this point if Wesley Dodds: The Sandman's version of The Fog will be an exact continuation of either characters, or some sort of new incarnation.

What Is Wesley Dodds: The Sandman About?

Wesley Dodds: The Sandman shows the titular character as a pacifist. He has given up on the hope of a peaceful world, but he hasn't stopped believing that people can be better to each other, if they're only given the right tools. Possessing a scientist's optimism and romanticism, he is convinced that humanity can invent cures for its own ills. Having learned about the battlefield horrors of World War I from his father, he sought to create a sleep gas that would allow for "humane" warfare. During his research, he recorded all of his attempts in his science journal – even those with horribly deadly consequences – swearing to never show them to the world. Now his journal has been stolen, and he must find the culprit and stop them before his deadly mis-inventions fall into the arsenals of the belligerent nations threatening to pull the United States into the next world war.

"It's long past time that the heroes of the Justice Society had their own titles again," Geoff Johns said in a statement when the titles were first announced. "At the same time, they had to be special, important, and emotional stories, each one exploring character, revealing secrets, and introducing new heroes and villains to the DC Universe."

"Tim has crafted a beautiful and shocking origin story for Alan's greatest enemy, the Golden Age Red Lantern, that is both heartbreaking and inspiring," Johns added. "Jeremy has created a fun, emotional adventure celebrating the reunion of Jay Garrick with his long lost daughter, Judy, set firmly in the DC Universe of today and Rob will present a mystery tale of The Golden Age Sandman's earliest days through the lens of Oppenheimer. These three series will all tie back into Justice Society of America and a few other titles we've got brewing."

Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #3 is set to be released wherever comics are sold on Tuesday, December 12th.