If you haven’t been reading Detective Comics during DC Rebirth, you’ve been missing out on some of the best Batman Family stories in decades. Over the past year, Batman and Batwoman have been putting the younger crime fighters like Red Robin, Spoiler and Orphan through a “Bat Boot Camp” to better prepare them for a harsh future, and it hasn’t been easy. In just a year, writer James Tynion IV has put Bruce Wayne and his surrogate family of costumed vigilantes through the wringer.

Batwoman/Kate Kane had to choose between her father and her loyalty to the Bat, Cassandra Cain/Orphan had to fight her birth mother (the assassin Lady Shiva), and Red Robin/Tim Drake died (well, not really, but Batman thinks he’s dead). Because of Red Robin’s death, his girlfriend Stephanie Brown, a.k.a. Spoiler, decided the vigilante life wasn’t for her, and that Batman and his sidekicks actually make Gotham City worse, not better. But regardless of her feelings on Batman and his soldiers, Steph has to put the Spoiler costume on once more to take on a deadly villain–and do it without Batman’s help.

You can check out our exclusive preview of the first five pages from Detective Comics #957, together with both variant covers down below in our gallery.

Publisher: DC Comics

Writers: James Tynion IV, Genevieve Valentine
Artist: Carmen Carnero
Cover Artists: Alvaro Martinez (Variant) Rafael Albuquerque

Here’s the official synopsis:

Detective Comics #957  is due to hit stores on Wednesday, May 24.

Are you looking forward to the return of Stephanie Brown? Let us know what you think down below in the comments.

Images: DC Comics