New Batman Comic Series Will Feature a Black Man as The Caped Crusader

Batman is arguably one of the most iconic superheroes of all time and has appeared in countless comics, as well as many TV shows, films, and video games. While most of us know Bruce Wayne to be the man behind the mask, several other characters have donned the batsuit, and DC has announced Tim Fox, an African-American, will be fighting crime as The Dark Knight.

Set in a future Gotham City where vigilantes have been outlawed and the original Batman has been killed, the story will follow Tim Fox, the son of Bruce Wayne’s business manager Lucius Fox, as he becomes the latest incarnation of Batman. The series is being penned by the screenwriter of 12 Years a Slave, John Ridley, and will feature art from Nick Derington and Laura Braga.

Ridley said in an interview with the New York Times that his writing for a black Batman was the first time his sons had been “genuinely excited” about his work. “They appreciate the things that I do. They’re happy for me. They’re great supporters. But they would much rather see Black Panther than 12 Years a Slave, let’s be honest. So to be able to write the next Batman, for them to know that this next Batman is going to be black, everybody else on the planet can hate it, have a problem with it, denigrate it, but I have my audience and they already love it.”

Tim Fox made his debut in the Batman comics back in 1979 and will now have access to Bruce Wayne’s gadgets and tech after his father inherits Wayne Enterprises. He will make his debut as Batman in the four-issue series Future State: The Next Batman, which will begin in January. His story will then continue in February with the Batman: Black & White anthology series.

The series is part of a two-month event called the Future Series, where new characters will step into the boots of iconic superheroes such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.