The Dark Knight is about to face the wrath of the Arkham Knight as a new era begins for Batman in this exclusive preview of Detective Comics #1001.

Bats thrive in the darkness, but Batman’s newest foe is about to throw the Dark Knight into the bright light of day in the biggest fight of his life. The Arkham Knight has arrived in Gotham City and in this exclusive preview of Detective Comics #1001 he sends Batman a chilling harbinger of what’s to come.

Batman celebrated his 80th birthday on March 30 and with that big event he also reached a historic milestone with Detective Comics #1000, but everyone knows that the Dark Knight isn’t one to rest on his laurels. In fact, the consensus is that fans love Batman because he keeps getting up after every fight, no matter what is thrown in his way. In Detective Comics #1001, the stakes are higher than ever and time is of the essence.

The Arkham Knight has arrived in Gotham City and he’s not alone. He brought his acolytes and they’re ready to fulfill their mission. They’re the Knights of the Sun, and they’re about to wipe out the darkness in Gotham City.

In our exclusive preview of Detective Comics #1001 the Arkham Knight commissions the Knights of the Sun, and as they set out to bathe the city with the blinding light of truth they send a message to Batman in the form of dead bats. Thousands and thousands of dead bats.

Commissioner Gordon gives Batman a call before dawn to let him know that there are dead bats all over the city. Batman acknowledges that he suspected as much, given that he and Alfred are dealing with the mysterious death of their own bat colony. Now it’s a race against the clock to figure out why it happened and what it means.

The final preview page features a look at the Arkham Knight in all his glory after his Knights of the Sun give Batman a taste of their power. After suffering through the slings and arrows of such an outrageous attack, Batman looks like he’s been through hell and back. Only this time around, hell is a bright shiny day.

Despite the gravity of the situation, writer Peter J. Tomasi manages to capture a bit of dark humor between Gordon and Batman as the old friends discuss the situation. With so many dead bats all over the city, Gordon knows exactly who to call. (Naturally, there isn’t much of a discussion when you’re talking to the Dark Knight, and that’s what makes their banter even more amusing.)

Brad Walker and Andrew Kennessy evoke something sinister with their artwork, capturing hundreds of dead bats with intense attention to detail while colorist Nathan Fairbairn plays with the light and darkness in every panel to foreshadow the fight that’s coming.

Courtesy DC Comics

Story and Words: Peter J. Tomasi

Penciller: Brad Walker

Inker: Andrew Kennessy

Colorist: Nathan Fairbairn

Letterer: Rob Leigh

This is the first issue of Detective Comics to feature the title’s new logo, which was revealed at WonderCon 2019 during the Batman birthday celebration. The new logo and the arrival of the Arkham Knight both help to usher in this bold new era for Batman.

Detective Comics #1001 is available in comic shops on April 10, 2019.