Published May 6, 2026, 1:30 PM EDT
Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.
While he already has one of the most diverse and iconic rogues' galleries in comic book history, Batman always has room for a few extra challengers. Now, fans have been invited to take on the challenge of adding to that crew of criminals.
DC Comics is offering its readers the chance to create a new Batman villain with a contest called the Building Bad Sweepstakes.
The winning character, which will be chosen through a random drawing, will make its debut in Detective Comics #1113 in Sept. 2026. That same month, it will also become a downloadable and playable character for the upcoming video game, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, which releases on most consoles on May 22.
Also in September, DC Comics is putting out a DC GO! comic exclusively on DC Universe Infinite, to coincide with this year's Batman Day, which will feature the selected fan-made character. Furthermore, this new threat to Gotham City will also make an appearance in the 14th issue of writer Matt Fraction and artist Jorge Jimenez's acclaimed Batman run, which is expected to hit the shelves in October.
On top of all of that bewildering exposure for their creation, the winner will also receive a $10,000 prize. According to the official rules for the Building Bad Sweepstakes, the contest is eligible to citizens of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom who are at least 13 years of age and have until the end of May to enter.
DC's History of Encouraging Fan Collaboration
Image via DC ComicsThe Building Bad Sweepstakes is sure to be an exciting venture for DC and for its readers alike, as it gives lovers of the comic book medium the chance to live out their dreams of contributing to the world of one of the most popular superheroes of all time. Of course, this contest to find the next great Batman villain is far from the first time that the company has invited fans to engage in the creative process.
In fact, fan collaboration in the industry dates back to the Golden Age with the incorporation of the "letter to the editor" section. Not only would publishers print comments sent in by their readers, but they would also take their thoughts into account as to how to direct the stories moving forward.
One notable example of how public opinion would help shape DC's creative approach is the launching of the Crisis on Infinite Earths arc in the mid-1980s. The influential crossover event spanning multiple alternate realities across the DC Multiverse, and which would inspire multiple screen adaptations, was bred from fans' complaints that the publisher's main continuity had grown convoluted and difficult to follow, convincing DC to start from scratch.
Of course, the most famous — or, more accurately, infamous — instance of fan participation occurred later that decade in 1988, when DC was running writer Jim Starlin and artist Jim Aparo's Batman: A Death in the Family storyline. The company held a call-in poll asking fans to dial one number to ensure that Jason Todd would survive by the end of the arc or another if they would rather see the second Robin pass away at the hands of the Joker.
Ultimately, the votes decided that A Death in the Family would be the end of Jason Todd (for a while, at least). Yet, despite it clearly being a decision left up to the public, many fans still reacted negatively to the tragic outcome, eventually leading to the decision to resurrect the character as Red Hood decades later.
Hopefully, the winning character of the Building Bad Sweepstakes does not prove to incite such controversy.
The winner of DC's Building Bad Sweepstakes will be announced on June 2.
First Film Batman: The Movie
Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane
Upcoming Films The Batman – Part II
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