Future State: The Next Batman #2

Mar 2021 · DC · 7.99 USD

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★ 1st appearance — Dee-Dee

About this Issue

Future State: The Next Batman #2 is a pivotal chapter in DC's two-month line-wide Future State event of early 2021, deepening the world-building around Jace Fox as a Black Batman operating against a militarized private police state — a concept John Ridley explicitly tied to real-world debates about over-policing and the privatization of law enforcement. Beyond the lead story, the issue hosts the debut installment of the 'Batgirls' backup, which introduces the Future State team-up of Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown and — in a significant narrative reveal — first discloses that Barbara Gordon is being held prisoner by the Magistrate, serving as a trap for the Bat-Family. The Gotham City Sirens backup simultaneously introduces D.D. ('Domestic Droid'), a self-aware android who joins Catwoman and Poison Ivy as a new third Siren in place of Harley Quinn, marking the character's first appearance anywhere in DC continuity. Together, these three anthologized stories made the issue one of the densest single-issue contributions to the Future State tapestry, directly seeding narrative threads that carried forward into the Infinite Frontier era.

In "The Next Batman Chapter 2," Cassandra Cain, a key figure in the Gotham Resistance, finds herself trapped in a Magistrate Detention Facility alongside both allies and enemies. With her mission hanging in the balance, she must reach out to Stephanie Brown—once a trusted ally, now a hardened adversary—forcing a tense and uncertain alliance. Written by Vita Ayala and illustrated by Aneke, with colors by Trish Mulvihill and letters by Becca Carey, this issue deepens the stakes of a fractured Gotham. The cover, by Ladrönn, captures the moment’s intensity with stark, dramatic lines.

Contains 3 stories

The Next Batman Chapter 2

22 pp · Superhero

Vol (voice only)Louis Jershefsky (deceased)The Magistrate [Captain Stanz]Detective Mike TellezEric (father of Jershefsky's victim)Sara (mother of Jershefsky's victim)

Batgirls

20 pp · Superhero

In the shadowed halls of a Magistrate Detention Facility, Cassandra Cain—now a hardened member of the Gotham Resistance—faces a dangerous gamble: she’s been captured on purpose, and her only hope lies in reaching out to Stephanie Brown, a former ally now on the opposite side. With trust as fragile as the prison walls, their reunion could be the key to breaking the system—or sealing their fate.

Ladies' Night Out Part One

20 pp · Superhero

Dee-Dee [Domestic Droid] (android)Slam Bradleythe MagistrateCybersDax DiltonAnna CampagnaVixen (cameo, look-alike)Ragman (cameo, look-alike)Robin (cameo, look-alike)Bagirl (cameo, look-alike)John Constantine(cameo, look-alike)Zatanna(cameo, look-alike)Green Arrow(cameo, look-alike)Batwoman(cameo, look-alike)

In "Ladies' Night Out Part One," Catwoman and Poison Ivy take on a high-stakes mission to dismantle a tech magnate fueling the Magistrate’s cyber android army—using one of his own creations as an unlikely ally. The story unfolds with sharp wit and electric tension, as old alliances are tested and new ones form in the shadows of Gotham’s future.

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (NM) $2

CGC 9.8 · 266 in census $20

CGC 9.6 · 33 in census $20*

CGC 9.4 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 9.2 · 2 in census $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

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History

Future State was a two-month line-wide DC event running through January and February 2021, replacing all ongoing titles with forward-looking speculative stories spun out of the aftermath of Dark Nights: Death Metal; it was orchestrated during a period of significant editorial transition at DC, which saw the departure of Dan DiDio and the promotion of Marie Javins to Editor-in-Chief. Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley — already at work on The Other History of the DC Universe — was brought in to write the lead 'Next Batman' feature, with editor Ben Abernathy, and the series was conceived as an opportunity to establish Jace Fox, son of Lucius Fox, as a full-fledged Batman who would carry forward into the Infinite Frontier publishing line. Issue #2 saw a notable shift in the lead story's art, with Laura Braga taking over finished pencils from Nick Derington's breakdowns after Derington had served as the primary artist on issue #1 — a change that drew comment from reviewers who noted the distinct tonal difference in visual style. The 'Batgirls' backup in this issue was written by Vita Ayala and drawn by Aneke, while the Gotham City Sirens story was written by Paula Sevenbergen with art by Emanuela Lupacchino.

Trivia · 9 facts

Lead story ('The Next Batman, Chapter 2') written by John Ridley, with breakdowns by Nick Derington and finished art by Laura Braga — a handoff from Derington's full pencils on issue #1.
'Batgirls' backup written by Vita Ayala, art by Aneke: first appearance of Cassandra Cain (Orphan) and Stephanie Brown (Spoiler) as the Future State 'Batgirls' team, imprisoned together in the Magistrate's detention facility.
The 'Batgirls' story contains the first reveal that Barbara Gordon — not Bruce Wayne — is the prisoner being held below the Magistrate's detention facility, hooked into machines and apparently used as a lure for the resistance.
'Gotham City Sirens' backup written by Paula Sevenbergen, art by Emanuela Lupacchino: first appearance of D.D. ('Domestic Droid' / 'Dee-Dee'), a self-aware android who joins Catwoman (Selina Kyle) and Poison Ivy as the third Siren in place of Harley Quinn.
The lead story features Tanya Fox in a key scene with Mayor Christopher Nakano, establishing her awareness of — and personal animosity toward — the new Batman, adding emotional complexity to Jace's civilian world.
Detective Adriana Chubb, introduced in issue #1, continues her recurring role investigating the new Batman's activities alongside the Magistrate, serving as a moral counterpoint to the Peacekeepers.
The main story chapter ('The Next Batman, Chapter 2') was later reprinted in the collected edition Batman by John Ridley: The Deluxe Edition; the full issue's contents are also collected in the trade Future State: The Next Batman (ISBN: 978-1779510648).
Stephanie Brown's apparent 'betrayal' of the Bat-Family — revealed in this issue to be a deep-cover mission — directly set up narrative threads continued in Future State: Gotham and the eventual Batgirls ongoing series.
The issue had a Francesco Mattina variant cover and a Doug Braithwaite variant cover in addition to the standard edition; a second printing was released February 2, 2021.