Batman may be Gotham City’s number one costumed hero, but one new character looks to be giving the Dark Knight a run for his money this December. Commander Star makes his debut in the story arc “The Dying City,” which kicks things off with Batman #153 next month and promises to be another epic Bat-saga for the ages.

Releasing this December, Batman #157 will be the fifth and final part of the story-line, beginning with #153 and #154 – which starts the monthly title switching to a bi-weekly release schedule in October for the duration of the story.

With a story-line involving a plot by the Riddler, the Court of Owls and the murder of one of Gotham’s “greatest citizens,” the “Dying City” arc is sure to be jam-packed with twists and turns that will flip Batman’s world right on his pointy ears. The addition of an all-new hero in Commander Star at odds with the Dark Knight also promises to be a showdown of epic proportions.

Meet Commander Star

Has Batman Finally Met His Match?

Little is known about Commander Star ahead of his debut in next month’s Batman #153, but with future solicitations promising that the new hero will be “sowing the seeds of discontent” and “stoking the flames of civil unrest,” it’s easy to assume the character will be a rabble-ro of sorts. With the new storyline also involving a Wayne Enterprises public initiative to improve Gotham City, it’s easy to see a character like Commander Star riding a wave of populism to turn the masses against Bruce Wayne and Batman.

While the character is seemingly entirely new, Commander Star’s name and costume does recall the earlier DC hero Commander Steel. A possible connection between the new character and the classic DC hero isn’t entirely out of the question, which could give fans some context into Commander Star. The original Steel was created by Gerry Conway and Don Heck, making his first appearance in 1978’s Steel: The Indestructible Man #1. Intended to be DC’s answer to Captain America, the original Commander Steel was soldier Hank Henway, who received experimental steel devices implanted into his body by his biology professor after being injured in an attack by Baron Blitzkrieg.

Who Is Commander Star?

DC’s New Hero Could Be Connected to Older DC Characters

Other characters would take up the mantle of Commander Steel in the subsequent decades, including Heywood’s grandsons Henry Heywood III and Nathan Heywood, who would serve as of Justice League Detroit and the modern Justice Society of America, respectively. Whether or not Commander Star has any connection to the WWII hero or his descendents remains to be seen, but the new hero should nonetheless prove to be a challenge for Batman when he debuts in the “Dying City” story-arc next month.

Batman #157 is on sale December 4th from DC Comics