DC Comics has released the first preview for I Am Batman #6, the beginning of a new story arc beginning February 8th that relocates Jace Fox's Dark Knight from Gotham to the Big Apple in New York. Award-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years A Slave, American Crime, Let It Fall) and artist Ken Lashley will help the Fox Family regroup after the strenuous events of The Joker War and Fear State, while also helping to establish Jace Fox as Batman away from the large shadow (Bat symbol) cast by Bruce Wayne and the rest of the Bat-Family.
Ironically, Bruce Wayne's Batman is also missing from Gotham, with the new creative team of writer Joshua Williamson and artist Jorge Molina reintroducing Batman Inc. But as far as I Am Batman is concerned, the preview pages for Issue #6 show Jace fighting crime with the lower half of his cowl exposed, letting the world know he's a Black man. He also takes down one criminal suspect with a wrist-grappling cord while he's trying to escape. Amazing covers by Olivier Coipel, Francesco Mattina, Khary Randolph, and Emilio Lopez also put DC's new Batman in the spotlight. There is also a special Black History Month variant cover by Alexis Franklin that pairs Jace Fox with his father Lucius.
"I'm incredibly excited about charting this new direction for Jace and the Fox family," Ridley said when DC first announced The Next Batman was on the move to New York. "This new setting is a great opportunity to do some really creative world building and give Jace his own allies, adversaries, and challenges that will continue to shape and define him as his own character under the cape and cowl."
A description of the issue reads:
"From The Joker War to Fear State, happenings in Gotham City have left deep scars on the Fox Family. From Lucius Fox' Joker toxin infection at the hands of Punchline during The Joker War, to Tanya Fox aligning with Mayor Christopher Nakano and the Magistrate initiative, to the tragedy that put Tamara Fox in a coma, Jace Fox has been in the trenches, fighting for his family and the soul of the city as Batman.
After all the chaos the Fox family has endured, no doubt that a change of scenery would benefit everyone involved, especially with Jace's sister Tamara needing intensive therapy to overcome the trauma injuries she sustained. With one Batman being more than enough for Gotham, Jace decides it's time to pull up stakes and accompany his mother and sisters in their move to New York and continue the legacy of Batman in the Big Apple."
I Am Batman #6 goes on sale February 8th. A preview of the comic can be found below.