Toyman brings his deadly arsenal of playthings to Gotham in an upcoming Batman story starting in Batman #131.
The classic Superman villain, under the hand of Chip Zdarsky with art by Miguel Mendonça, begins as a backup story entitled “The Toy Box.” In Batman #131, he is first hinted at during the aftermath of the “Failsafe” plot, featuring Tim Drake and Jon Kent as they try to determine what became of Batman in the Arctic. Although the plot revolves around the weapon used on Batman by the rogue AI, both heroes conclude there is only one man who could tell them about it but is listed as deceased, and it’s followed by a silhouette that is obviously Toyman.
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In “The Toy Box,” Winslow Schott is revealed to have upgraded his methods by creating entire toy-based worlds for his victims as part of his pursuit of the fun in creating worlds with toys. “Those precious moments when I was a boy creating worlds and battles. Now those worlds are real. Now the toys are everything. And I am their god.” The story concludes with Jon informing Tim that Schott had died by suicide, but left clues behind about the weapon.
This is not the first time Toyman was taken in a dark direction. Created in 1943 by Don Cameron and Ed Dobrotka, Winslow Percival Schott was initially a whimsical, toy-based prankster that abducted children and pestered Superman. But in the 90s, Schott became a child killer, having murdered Cat Grant’s young son and assumed a shaven head and black suit. This was later retconned to be one of Schott’s lifelike toy robots gone rogue, as he had never harmed a child before.
Here is a synopsis of the upcoming issue:
Batman #132
(W) Chip Zdarsky (A) Mike Hawthorne, Adriano Di Benedetto (CA) Jorge Jimenez The mean streets of Gotham City have gotten meaner as the likes of Harvey Dent and Killer Croc roam free, brutalizing the population. Where is Batman and why hasn’t he responded to the cries of a city in peril?! Can Bruce Wayne find the answers before the mysterious Red Mask captures him? And in the backup story, Tim Drake’s hunt for Batman continues. Will Metropolis’s newest Superman, Jon Kent, be able to help the Boy Wonder with this Multiversal mystery, or will they both run afoul of an overpowered Toyman?!Â
Batman #131 is currently on stands and online.
Official Source – DC Revives Classic Superman Villain for Wild New Batman Story (comicbook.com)
