Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman/Superman #20!
Etrigan. This comes on the heels of a chaotic few issues, delving into the mysterious Archive of Worlds. Now, with Batman and Superman aware of the orchestration and puppetry at hand, they are off to find the truth. Guided by Lex Luthor, Batman/Superman #18 sees the world's finest heroes cross over into "the reality behind all realities."
With Batman and Superman, who originate from within the Archives, aware of nearly everything, it would seem that their journey is just beginning. Back on the outskirts of Earth-0, Auteur.io, the puppet master behind the Archive of Worlds, has the real Batman and Superman in his grasp. It looks very likely that Batman and Superman will be ing forces with their counterparts. Teaming up in order to stop the maniacal Auteur.io, they are sent into a new story within the Archive of Worlds that promises to be the darkest of them all.
In the solicitation and cover art for Batman/Superman #20 by Gene Luen Yang, Ivan Reis, and Danny Miki, Batman and Superman are plunged into hell. They meet a familiar face to fans of Justice League Dark. Etrigan is unleashed on the two heroes as Auteur.io sends them on their "most horrific story." Eagle-eyed fans might recall that in Batman/Superman #18, Lex Luthor's homeworld was obliterated in an apocalypse. The s showed his escape, breaking through the magic-infused celluloid film. In that , Etrigan features as a horde of demons chase after Lex. Check out the cover art below:
Batman/Superman #20
- story by GENE LUEN YANG
- pencils by IVAN REIS
- inks by DANNY MIKI
- cover by IVAN REIS and DANNY MIKI
- ON SALE: 7/27/21
- $3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
- variant cover by: JENNY FRISON Price US $4.99 (card stock)
- The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight need time to recover from their manic melee through the Archive of Worlds, but the heroes won't rest for long! Despite the efforts of new friends El Diablo and Alanna, Auteur.io, the cybernetic architect of these alternate realities, seems to have the upper hand! And to make matters worse, the Archive of Worlds unleashes its most horrific story ever put to magic-infused celluloid: the dark and twisted tale of that demon from the depths: Etrigan!
The story that Batman and Superman are sent to is more than likely to be Lex Luthor's world. Considering that the book's creators already introduced the idea of Etrigan, they set it up with the intention to circle back. Utilizing the darkness that comes with Etrigan, sending Batman and Superman down to hell on Earth seems reasonable. As teased in the cover art, the duo are in for a ruthless fight. They will have to wade their way through swarms of hellish creatures to try and escape.
Just like all the previous issues, here, the cybernetic villain still has the upper hand on Batman and Superman. Plunged into the depths of hell, Batman and Superman don't stand much of a chance. There's always a chance that they get Etrigan to come around and help them escape, due to the demon's past connections. However, it must be noted that this is an alternate version of the demon. Therefore, it's possible that he is just as dark and relentless as the solicitation teases. Ultimately, this is just the next step in Batman and Superman's whirlwind adventure. What celluloid tale will Auteur.io send them into next? Find out when Batman/Superman #20 releases on July 27.
