Phantasm is heading to DC Comics, as Tom King will bring the villain into the main continuity in his Batman/Catwoman series. King got his start with DC on Batman back in 2016, as part of their DC Rebirth relaunch. In the over three years of work he’s delivered, King has created several big storylines and a few that were met with great pushback from readers, such as a much discussed wedding with Catwoman.
Despite some controversial moments, King’s run with the Dark Knight has been highly praised, which is why it came as a surprise a few weeks ago when news surfaced that his run was going to be ending sooner than expected. King previously set out to tell a 100-issue tale about Batman, but it was revealed that it’ll end after issue #85. While some panicked, this was the result of a larger plan for DC Comics. The Batman series is losing King and going back to a once-a-month print schedule, but DC has given King a new series, Batman/Catwoman, to wrap up his story.
In a surprise announcement, King shared on Twitter that Phantasm is going to be involved in the closing of this Batman arc. The antagonist first appeared in the movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm in 1993. King confirmed that the Phantasm story in Batman/Catwoman will kick off in January 2020, and shared an updated cover for the series, which can be seen below.
Phantasm aka Andrea Beaumont is one of Bruce Wayne’s many exes in past iterations of the character where the two intended to be wed. These plans dissolved when she left Gotham behind, only to return as a deadly killer seeking revenge on those who murdered her father. With this role being Phantasm’s true introduction in the main DC continuity, it’s yet to be confirmed if King intends to stick to this backstory for her.
The addition of Phantasm is currently a surprise for comic readers, but that could change as King finishes up his Batman series. King is about to kick off the City of Bane portion of his story, so he could plant seeds for Phantasm’s arrival in the remaining issues. If he does stick to the past lover backstory for Phantasm, then her returning to Bruce’s life as he tries to figure out what the future holds for him and Catwoman could be significant. In any case, the addition of a fan-favorite character like Phantasm gives Batman/Catwoman an extra level of intrigue, and could give the character a future in the comics moving forward.
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Batman/Catwoman #1 will be available at comic book stores in January 2020, and direct from DC Comics.
Source: Tom King
