DC’s Bat-Signal Returns in an Unexpected Way in Future State

Full spoilers for DC’s Future State event below! One of the recurring storylines in Future State: The Next Batman is one about a new team of protectors in Gotham City, dubbed “The Arkham Knights.” Lead by Astrid Arkham (descendant of Amadeus Arkham and the Arkham Knight herself) the team consists of the likes of mostly B and C list Batman villains including Anarky, Clayface, Copperhead, Doctor Phosphorous, Humpty Dumpty, and heavy hitters like Killer Croc, Mr. Zsasz, and Two-Face. The third issue of “Next Batman” saw the conclusion of their story from writer Paul Jenkins and artist Jack Herbert, with a surprise appearance by the Bat-Signal.

The issue is framed around an important mission for the Arkham Knights, who make plans to hit the evil Magistrate and Peacekeeper-01 where it hurts. They’re convinced that the group is planning to attack their weapons reserve but are surprised when they make an unexpected turn and enter a building that they don’t even use and which has been unoccupied for some time. As it turns out, that building was none other than the old Gotham City Police Department, and they were there to take the old Bat-Signal. The group takes the Bat-Signal and makes some modifications to it, changing the logo to one of their own that resembles the sun, which they shine into the sky to let Gotham know that someone is still out there protecting them.

It’s unclear if this team will make any kind of appearance in future DC Comics, but the dynamic is really unlike anything else that they’re publishing. The crusade that Astrid Arkham leads of redemption with these former inmates is something worth exploring, not to mention a more rigid and heroic team that sits in direct contrast to say, The Suicide Squad, seems ripe for DC to continue in some form. The issue does conclude with the phrase “Never The End,” so there’s hope yet.

In the mean time you can find the full solicit for Future State: The Next Batman #4 below!

Art by: Aneke Emanuela Lupacchino, Laura Braga
Written by: Paula Sevenbergen, Vita Ayala, John Ridley
The next Batman goes head-to-head with the Magistrate’s shock troops to protect the…guilty?! It’s a savage running battle across Gotham City, and it will have the next Dark Knight fighting overwhelming odds to prove that justice still lives in the heart of a broken city. In the finale of “Batgirls,” after discovering the person locked in the high-security cell is the one who’s been sending out “Batman Lives” signals to the Resistance, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain must work together to make sure they take that person when they escape their prison! Plus, in the conclusion of “Gotham City Sirens,” Catwoman and the new android Siren hide out in Poison Ivy’s newly built paradise, where they discuss their past relationships, including what Catwoman has-or had-with Batman. But when Peacekeeper forces arrive, the new Siren will have to make a sacrifice to save her friends.