Posted in: Batman, Comic Spoilers, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: Batman Day, Dan Watters, detective comics, gotham, jim lee, katie kubert, lego batman, Rhetoric, sdcc, Sharif Robbins-Brinson
Rhetoric, The New Batman Villain, Created By Sharif Robbins-Brinson
Rhetoric, the new Batman LEGO Villain, created by DC Comics competition winner and political activist Sharif Robbins-Brinson (Spoilers)
Article Summary
- New Batman LEGO Villain Rhetoric debuts in Detective Comics #1113 after winning DC’s Building Bad sweepstakes.
- Sharif Robbins-Brinson appears to be the creator, bringing a sharply political edge to Batman’s rogue gallery.
- Rhetoric targets Wayne records tied to Gotham’s institutions, framing Batman as an agent of the status quo.
- The new Batman LEGO Villain Rhetoric uses weapon-linked telekinesis and could become a rare breakout contest creation.
Sharif Robbins-Brinson of Macon, Georgia, holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida A&M University, is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Georgia and was recently a candidate to the Macon Water Authority (MWA) Board representing District 2 on a platform focused on elevating water quality and standards beyond legal minimums.
He didn’t win, but he did get the endorsement of the Peach Power PAC. He’s pretty political. And it seems that he may have created the new Batman villain, Rhetoric. Spoiler, Spoilers, Spoilers below folks…
Earlier this year, DC’s Building Bad Sweepstakes invited “fans ages 13+ across the U.S., U.K., and Canada to enter for a chance to collaborate with DC on the creation of a brand-new Batman Super-Villain who will debut in DC’s Detective Comics #1113 this fall, appear in Batman #14, and also have a cameo in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight as part of post-launch downloadable content (DLC).” And they stated that “this marks the first time DC Comics and Warner Bros. Games have come together to give fans a direct role in shaping a new character across both publishing and games. The grand prize winner will have the opportunity to work with DC to select character traits for a new original Batman DC Super-Villain, play a role in naming the new DC character, see the character introduced in DC’s core comic book line in September 2026, see a LEGO version of the character incorporated into the new LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight game, planned for September 2026 as part of the post-launch DLC, and see the character included in a DC GO! webcomic, targeted for Batman Day (September 19, 2026)”
The winning entry was revealed by Batman editor Katie Kubert at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, named as Rhetoric. Jim Lee drew a cover with the new character.
And now he will appear in a new story in Detective Comics #1113 this Wednesday, by Dan Watters, and Scott Hepburn. And he seems rather political, going up against Batman in an ideological fashion.
As Batman is drawn to Rhetoric, destroying records, papers, and files for Wayne Enterprises and charities helping Arkham Asylum ex-patients. As one idelology comes smack up against another.
Batman, as an agent of the status quo, propping up a corrupt state, government, and system, rather than challenging it, has been a common critique of the superhero genre. Well, Rhetoric seems to be the culmination of that rhetoric, in supervillain form. And his look is a very deliberate one.
The irony is palpable, of course, given Batman’s own ideological drive. And of course, Rhetoric’s history is tied up in all of this.
A henchman with powers and a drive to make some kind of point. What powers? Limited telekinesis, linked to his own weapons. Which can be a surprise for someone just expecting the usual tech-ed up fighter…
The upcomiong Batman Day: Batman Of Two Worlds is dubbed how Batman and Absolute Batman respond to the same problem. It’s really not that much, more of a figurative comparison. But this, this back-up story in this week’s Detective Comics #1113, featuring a competition winner’s own designed Batman villain for DC Comics and LEGO might be the best case against Batman and an anti-thesis for the way he does business I have come across in a very long time. I hope the character has more legs than just a competition-winning entry would usually get.
Destroying the evidence of his own existence, treatment, and analysis. Batman should probably have worked that out, if he wasn’t blinded by what he saw as a professional affront. I think Gotham is indeed ready for this rhetoric. Now as part of the competition, the winner didn’t get paid or credited it seems, just the joy of having their character used in a promotional fashion.Sharif Robbins-Brinson knew that going in. But it might be payment enough to get such a politically motivated character into the Batman rogue gallery, and I do hope other writers see the potential here. So given that DC Comics doesn;t seem to want to credit the winner, how do we know it’s this Sharif Robbins-Brinson? Well, it’s a unique name it seems. And the comic book at least gives a hat tip…
… and Bleeding Cool does the rest. I wonder if the LEGO Batman Day webcomic also featuring Rhetoric will be quite so political? Detective Comics #1113 with the back-up strip by Dan Watters and Scott Hepburn is published this Wednesday, Batman of Two Worlds on Saturday along with the Batman LEGO webcomic.
- Detective Comics #1113
(W) Tom Taylor, Dan Watters (A) Jeff Spokes(CA) Jim Lee
TOM TAYLOR AND SUPERSTAR GUEST ARTIST JEFF SPOKES CONTINUE BATMAN’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE EPIC BAD SEEDS EVENT! Spores, vines, and lumbering floronic monsters have invaded the Dark Knight’s city. Now, as chaos runs rampant in the streets Batman has sworn to protect, Batman finds that Vandal Savage and his TUCO squads may prove even more deadly than the prehistoric flora that has taken the city for its own. Can Batman save Gotham from this lethal convergence of human evil and verdant violence before it’s too late? Find out in this can’t-miss issue that continues directly where Batman #13 leaves off! Also featuring a back-up story showcasing the winning villain design from the BUILDING BAD sweepstakes! $5.99 9/16/2026
- Batman of Two Worlds #1 One-Shot
Batman by writer Matt Fraction and artist Javi Fernández, with colors by Tomeu Morey and letters by Clayton Cowles, Absolute Batman story by writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Derington, with colors by Frank Martin and letters by Tom Napolitano. From the streets of Gotham City to the bold new landscape of the Absolute Universe, each story offers a unique perspective on Batman’s unwavering pursuit of justice. Cover by Jorge Jiménez, Nick Dragotta, and Frank Martin. $2.99 9/19/2026
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