August's Detective Comics introduces a new supervillain team and whatever the heck is Task Force Z

Detective Comics #1041
(Image credit: DC)

Gotham City has perhaps the highest supervillain-per-capita rate in the entire DC Universe, but now in August Batman is going to have to deal with what happens when they team up. 

In August 10's Detective Comics #1041, writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Dan Mora reteam to introduce the Jury, a team-up of Mr. Worth, the Penguin's criminal empire, the Party Crashers gang, and the Falcone crime family. 

"As Gotham's Dark Knight Batman is seen as judge and executioner of the city's vilest villains. Well, it's time for him to meet the Jury!" reads DC's description of Detective Comics #1041. 

Mr. Worth initiates the creation of the Jury in a "last-ditch effort to avenge his daughter's death," who are determined to bring the Bat crashing down to their level—and cause chaos on the streets of Gotham City."

(Image credit: DC)

Then in August 24's Detective Comics #1042, "Batman rampages through the underworld of Gotham!" 

"Driven to a violent madness courtesy of the Jury’s 'Vile' serum, the Dark Knight crushes bones, makes a scene, and gives costumed vigilantes in Gotham a very bad name," reads the description. "But will the Jury's plan backfire? Can a violent rage-machine packed with money, weapons, and an insatiable bloodlust possibly end well for Mr. Worth and his Jury? That giant plunge from a building might be the answer..."

Check out the cover for who might be taking that giant plunge. 

August's Detective Comics issues also feature a two-part backup story by writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Darick Robertson. 

Starring the Red Hood and titled 'The Countdown to Task Force Z,' by the sound of it, Gotham City might be getting a zombie version of the Suicide Squad. Of course, DCU readers in good standing know the official name of the Suicide Squad is Task Force X. 

"...because in a town like Gotham, there are a lot of good uses for a corpse. Don't miss the beginning of a new, terrifying chapter for Gotham City's criminal underworld," DC says of the back-up tale. 

(Image credit: DC)

In Detective Comics #1041's part one: "Deb Donovan is on the trail of some weird happenings in Gotham...missing bodies from the morgue...tales of shady criminal activity the likes of which Gotham has never seen...and the person trying to keep her quiet is...Batman?"

The story will also follow up on the death of Bane at the hands of the Joker in Infinite Frontier #0

In Detective Comics #1042's part two: "When Red Hood shows up at your apartment, you know you've done something drastically wrong. Jason Todd teams with Deb Donovan to uncover the mysterious disappearances in Gotham, and their search brings them to the missing body of Bane! Look alive, because death seems to be knocking at the door..." 

Both August issues of Detective will have main covers by Mora and a variant card stock cover by Lee Bermejo. 

Have you been asking yourself what are the best Batman stories of all time? Good news, Newsarama did the research for you!

I'm not just the Newsarama founder and editor-in-chief, I'm also a reader. And that reference is just a little bit older than the beginning of my Newsarama journey. I founded what would become the comic book news site in 1996, and except for a brief sojourn at Marvel Comics as its marketing and communications manager in 2003, I've been writing about new comic book titles, creative changes, and occasionally offering my perspective on important industry events and developments for the 25 years since. Despite many changes to Newsarama, my passion for the medium of comic books and the characters makes the last quarter-century (it's crazy to see that in writing) time spent doing what I love most.

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