DC Comics has revealed more details on their upcoming YA graphic novel Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero by author E. Lockhart and artist Manuel Preitano.
As the title suggests, it’ll introduce a new hero to Gotham, Whistle, who fights crime with her dog, Lebowitz. It will also feature several Gotham villains, like Killer Croc, Poison Icy and the Riddler, who is a “family friend” and plays a big part in the story.
Here’s the description: When she’s not on the streets protesting City Hall’s neglect of her run-down Gotham neighborhood, Willow’s working nights at the local dog shelter. But as much as she does for the world around her, she’s struggling at home taking care of her sick mother. Without health insurance and money running out, a desperate Willow reconnects with estranged family friend E. Nigma — ex-addict, party promoter and real estate tycoon. Nigma opens the door to an easier life, offering Willow a new job hosting his glamorous private poker nights with Gotham City’s elite. Now, Willow is able to afford critical medical treatments for her mother. Plus, the job gives her a taste of the high life she’s never had… but is it more than what she bargained for?
“I love the Gotham City rogue’s gallery and it was a challenge to choose the villains who would be the best dark mirrors for Whistle’s heroism. I picked the Riddler because I love puzzles and word play, and gave him a back story that connects him to my hero’s family history. He’s a complex villain with a sweet side readers may not have seen before! Poison Ivy is a villain who crusades for something she believes in, “ said Lockhart. “As an academic and an activist (of the most destructive sort), she serves as both a mentor and an antagonist for Whistle And Killer Croc — well, a girl with dog-related superpowers would naturally go up against a crocodile man! And my version of Croc, like Whistle, sees himself as a protector of their Down River neighborhood. Only Croc protects it by going on a murder spree, while Whistle uses more positive methods.”
Here’s a look at the three villains:
Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero arrives in stores Sept. 7.