Batman/Catwoman set to bring fan-favorite The Phantasm into the DC Universe

A classic villain will make their first mainline comic appearance in the upcoming Batman/Catwoman series.

Revealed in promotional art by artist Clay Mann on Twitter, fan-favorite The Phantasm is finally coming to the DC Universe in the pages of the upcoming Batman/Catwoman series. Originally introduced in the 1992 animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, The Phantasm has been perpetually loved by many fans despite having minimal appearances, most of which have been in the DC Animated Universe, with many even calling Mask of the Phantasm the best Caped Crusader film ever.

In Mask of the Phantasm, the identity of The Phantasm is revealed to be Andrea Beaumont, a former fiancée of Bruce Wayne, and one of the reasons why he nearly didn’t become the Dark Knight. He only dons the mask after Andrea breaks off the engagement in order to protect her father. Years later, once Batman has firmly been established as the hero of Gotham though, Andrea returns as The Phantasm, killing off the Mafia members who forced her and her father into hiding.

Post-Mask of the Phantasm though, Beaumont made scarce appearances in the tie-in comic Batman & Robin Adventures Annual no. 1, as well as in the digital comic Batman Beyond 2.0. She also appeared in the Justice League Unlimited episode “Epilogue” where she had been hired to murder Terry McGinnis’ parents in front of him, much like Bruce Wayne’s, but she couldn’t follow through. These four appearances are the only appearances the character has ever made in a significant capacity, and yet, she is still a fan-favorite character simply because her story is fascinating.

More from Comics

• X-Men: 6 reasons why Marvel’s mutants are the best superhero team
• Harley Quinn renewed for a fifth season on Max (and it’s well-deserved)
• Marvel Comics announces seven important X-Men comic books
• The X-Men were betrayed by Captain America in Uncanny Avengers
• Spider-Man: Miles and Peter team-up for their first ongoing series

It’s obliviously unclear about how The Phantasm will play into the story of Batman/Catwoman given this will be the first appearance of the character in the DC Universe, but really, the story could take many of the elements presented in Mask of the Phantasm and many would probably be perfectly fine with that. Given that Tom King has been telling a romance between the Caped Crusader and Catwoman within the pages of Batman, it would only make sense to continue that romance within the pages of Batman/Catwoman.

By throwing a character like The Phantasm into the mix, if indeed the person under the mask is still Andrea Beaumont with a similar backstory, the story sounds even more Shakespearean. With King’s writing and Mann’s art, there really is no other creative team that is perfect enough to introduce such a beloved character to the DC Universe.

Batman/Catwoman is scheduled to be released in January 2020. It is being written by Tom King, art by Clay Mann, and colors by Tomey Morey.