Her name is Bryce Wayne, a corrupted version of the Batman we know. She has merged with Aquaman and risen from a malformed "lower-tiered world" with one mission: to baptize Amnesty Bay, and our world, in the drowning waters of the Dark Multiverse.

A Dark Nights: Metal tie-in, Batman: The Drowned #1 continues the event currently rocking DC Comics with a story that pits Aquaman and Mera against yet another nightmare amalgam of Bats and other familiar characters. And the action kicks off with a fallen heroine who rises from the waters as a villainess on a rampage -- but she also reveals that the visitors from the Dark Multiverse may have some interesting motivations.

Available on October 16, The Drowned is written by Dan Abnett with art by Philip Tan and a cover by Jason Fabok. And in a SYFY WIRE exclusive, Abnett provided a sneak peek of seven interior pages of the book and told us why this title is one to pick up -- and how it ties into the larger Dark Nights: Metal story. Check out what he has to say and check out the pages below.

Set up the action in this issue, and why it's one to pick up.

Dan Abnett: This issue showcases The Drowned, one of the extraordinary Dark Knight characters coming out of Metal. She’s coming to Amnesty Bay, Aquaman's home, and she means serious trouble. We learn her origin and background, and we get some monumental action too as she hits the ground. I think one of the key things about this issue -- apart from Philip Tan's amazing art -- is that it fills out a little more about the motive and backstory of Metal as a whole.

What is your favorite panel/page/line in this issue?

Philip's just blown me away with this. If I had to pick a favorite moment … it would be really hard, but there’s a double-page spread of Aquaman and Mera riding into action on armored sharks that melted my brain.

Tease how this connects to Dark Nights: Metal? How does this set up the action in the next installments?

It's another piece of the puzzle, and it shows us more of the motive behind everything. The Dark Knights are monsters, absolutely, but not beyond our sympathy. They are people who have been cursed by their own flaws and mistakes and then led astray into apocalyptic extremes. This issue ploughs on into the event, and things happen here that would definitely make me want to read on and find out what happens next!