Batman becomes the Dark Doctor in Detective Comics #1045 preview

Detective Comics #1045 excerpt
Detective Comics #1045 excerpt (Image credit: DC)

November 16's Batman #117 may have been the final chapter in the Scarecrow and Simon Saint's 'Fear State' campaign against Gotham City, but the crossover story arc isn't done quite yet and that means Batman hasn't left Gotham yet either. 

Well, sort of...

(Image credit: DC)

In addition to the Fear State: Omega special scheduled for November 30 that will do a lot to establish the post-'Fear State' status quo in Gotham, November 23's Detective Comics #1045 continues the story, albeit in events that take place around the time of September's Batman #113

Hey, comic book time!

As the following preview pages show, Batman and his adversary, Mayor Nakano, have freed themselves from the parasite-infected Gotham City sewer system with some medical intervention from the Dark Knight (who we don't believe is licensed to practice medicine like his dad). But the parasites are still getting larger and heading to the streets above and it looks like Batman and Nakano are going to have to put aside their differences to stamp out the infestation, with an assist from Oracle, Orphan, and Nightwing. 

Now we kind of already know they succeed given the events of Batman #117, but DC promises the events of Detective Comics #1045 will alter Batman and Nakano's relationship "and cast an eerie shadow over the next major Bat-event to come…" which is a reference to the upcoming 'Shadows of the Bat.'

Detective Comics #1045 is written by Mariko Tamaki and Stephanie Phillips and drawn by Dan Mora and David Lapham with a cover by Mora and a variant cover by Lee Bermejo. 

Check out the preview and Bermejo's cover in our gallery,

The Dark Knight's upcoming departure from Gotham City may well make Newsarama's list of the biggest changes to Batman in his 80-plus year history.

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.

Read more
Absolute Batman.
Absolute Batman #5 pays homage to an iconic scene from The Dark Knight
Batman is the Dark Knight.
All the new Batman comics, graphic novels, and collections from DC in 2025
Commander Star looks on as chaos erupts in Gotham City.
Who is Commander Star? Batman #156 reveals the secret identity of Gotham’s sinister new hero
Absolute Batman in the snow.
Absolute Batman writer Scott Snyder teases the arrival of Robin, crossovers with Superman and Wonder Woman, and building up to the Joker
Young Bruce and Selina run.
Absolute Batman #3 teases a new origin for the Riddler and delves into Bruce and Selina's childhoods
Batman (2025) #1
DC’s new Batman relaunch finally has me excited to follow the Caped Crusader again
Latest in Dc Comics
Absolute Batman in the snow.
Absolute Batman writer Scott Snyder teases the arrival of Robin, crossovers with Superman and Wonder Woman, and building up to the Joker
Cover art from Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma #1.
13 years after his New 52 series ended, cult DC hero Resurrection Man is back in Quantum Karma
Jo Mullein on the cover for Absolute Green Lantern #1.
Absolute Green Lantern puts Far Sector's Jo Mullein front and center as a cosmic mystery comes to Earth
Batman (2025) #1
DC’s new Batman relaunch finally has me excited to follow the Caped Crusader again
Peacemaker and Eagly.
DC's new Peacemaker comic takes place in the universe of the show – and James Gunn was its story consultant
Absolute Wonder Woman in a vortex.
Absolute Wonder Woman's new lasso changes everything
Latest in News
Jack Quaid in Novocaine
The Boys star Jack Quaid's commitment to the bit is unmatched as his latest marketing stunt for upcoming action movie Novocaine goes viral
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again had Disney Plus' biggest premiere of 2025, but its viewership is lower than Agatha All Along and The Acolyte
Beyond the Ice Palace 2
After 37 years, this Commodore 64 classic returns with a new Metroidvania sequel that gives serious old-school Castlevania vibes
The House of the Dead first look 'Test Subjects'
Resident Evil director offers update on his horror movie adaptation of Until Dawn-sounding video game from over 20 years ago: "It's going to be very, very scary"
Official art for Hopetown, featuring a group of miners looking towards the camera.
The battle to steal the Disco Elysium successor's spotlight continues as former and current ZA/UM devs reveal teasers for their new RPGs simultaneously
True Detective
Matthew McConaughey still thinks his own season of True Detective is the best one: "It was one of the great events in TV"