DC's new All In initiative is drawing ever closer – and with it comes the return of one of the biggest bads in comics.
We've known for a while now that uber-villain Darkseid is set to make a comeback soon, with writer Scott Snyder saying that October 2's DC All-In Special #1 "reintroduces Darkseid as who he should be: the greatest villain in the DCU." Well, in Batman #152, which hits stores today, we've got our first hint of what that looks like...
Spoilers for Batman #152
The new issue (by writer Chip Zdarsky, artist Mike Hawthorne, inker Adriano Di Benedetto, colorist Tomeu Morey, and letterer Clayton Cowles) continues to tie into the ongoing Absolute Power event. With Nightwing currently in charge, Batman has been despatched to track down and steal Amanda Waller's Mother Box. That means a trip down a Boom Tube to the planet Czarnia with Catwoman in tow.
This isn't an interplanetary date, however – the two heroes immediately run into Gunsmith, Black Alice, Deadeye and Bizarro. Cue a big fight, with Batman taking on Deadeye in combat (while also planting some seeds of doubt about Waller's methods and motivations). He also manages to embroil Gunsmith and Bizarro in a friendly fire situation, which neatly turns the two villains against each other.
Catwoman, meanwhile, is trying to retrieve the Mother Box while also battling Black Alice. A swarm of deadly flying scorpions eventually causes Alice to flee and Selina manages to retrieve the Mother Box, but the Boom Tube – their only path home – unexpectedly closes down. It turns out this is a failsafe (but not a Failsafe) that Waller has rigged – if anyone takes the Box it will immediately become a beacon to lure in Darkseid. Indeed, the moment that Batman realises this, a sinister figure materialises in the background...
It's only a brief cameo in the issue, but Mike Hawthorne's art does a great job at selling the ominous power of the villain. He appears entirely in silhouette, center frame, dwarfed by the ruined buildings of the Czarnian city but radiating menace. It's certainly enough to shock Batman, who looks utterly terrified in the next panel. Our final glimpse of the villain this issue comes a couple of pages later with him stood silently smiling as Batman and Catwoman flee down a new Boom Tube.
Aside from the return of this major villain, Batman #152 closes on a sweet moment of grace in the relationship between Bruce and Selina. They arrive back on Earth, materialising on the island that they spent time on in Batman #79 – apparently the last time that Batman was truly happy. It's certainly been a rocky few years for the pair, but while they both acknowledge that they may never get their "happy ever after" they agree to "grab moments where they can." Let's face it, these two are never going to have it easy in their relationship, but this is a sweet moment of calm before the storm as Absolute Power nears its end...
Batman #152 is out now from DC. DC All-In Special #1 is published on October 2.
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