Batman v Deathstroke with Joker in the wings in Batman Secret Files #3 preview

(Image credit: DC)

After nearly two and a half months on the sidelines due to the impact of COVID-19 on comic book distribution, DC's Batman returns to store shelves and digital platforms with this week's Batman #92 by writer James Tynion IV, the continuation of his initial "Their Dark Designs" story arc leading up to "Joker War" beginning in Batman #95. 

Batman #92 will be accompanied this week by Batman Secret Files #3, which according to DC "sheds some crucial light on the five assassins who have come to Gotham to create trouble for Batman, including Deathstroke, Cheshire, Merlyn, Mr. Teeth, and Gunsmith. How did they get involved? What are their motivations? And in the case of the brand-new Mr. Teeth and Gunsmith, who the heck are they?"

The oversized special features stories by a team of creators, including Tynion, Mariko Tamaki, Dan Watters, Phillip K. Johnson, Vita Ayala, Sumit Kumar, Riley Rossmo, Victor Ibanez, John Paul Leon, and Andie Tong.

Monday DCcomics.com posted a first look at Tynion and Kumar's story co-starring Deathstroke and featuring a bloody fight with the Dark Knight.

"Why would an assassin who prides himself as a professional fall in line with someone as unpredictable as the Joker?" asks DC. "What are we missing? And how much pain will Batman be in when this is all through? (Let’s not forget. Deathstroke is one of the people who’s beaten Batman in the past.)"

Check out the preview pages and stay to the end for an appearance by Joker and Punchline.

Newsarama is a comic book website covering news, interviews, features, deep dives, reviews and more. Now part of GamesRadar, the website was first established in 1995 by Michael Doran.