Published May 7, 2026, 8:00 AM 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.
It is practically tradition to see a comic book character endure various changes, in both personality and looks, with some boasting their peak appearance in modern times. DC just unveiled artwork that proves that to be especially true for a certain Batman villain.
The cover art for Catwoman #87 boasts an illustration of Black Mask that many are calling the most striking depiction of the Gotham gangster yet.
Image via DC ComicsThe image, looking like a painting of cosmic proportions, sees the notorious criminal, otherwise known as Roman Sionis, seated and brandishing a long blade covered entirely in blood of a bright-red shade matching the glowing eyes behind his signature veil. Standing behind him and placing an arm on each of his shoulders is that ghostly figure of a woman who, according to Screen Rant, is implied to be Selina Kyle's friend, Holly Robinson.
The cover, easily one of the unique comic book covers to accompany a DC story in recent memory, is the work of Sebastián Fiumara, who is famous for specializing in painting dreamlike and even unsettling covers depicting beloved characters such as Superman, Zatanna Zatara, and, of course, Catwoman. He has worked on Marvel titles like Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's 2010 Loki run and X-Factor, as well as Dark Horse's Hellboy universe, starting with 2013's two-part miniseries, Lobster Johnson: A Scent of Lotus.
The aforementioned Holly Robinson serves as a focal point in the plot of Catwoman #87, according to the official synopsis, which teases that the woman is being used as a pawn in a game that Black Mask has crafted for Selina Kyle. Of course, the stealthy, anti-heroic burglar and on-and-off lover of Batman has endured a brutal rivalry with Sionis that dates back to the early 2000s, when she disrupted his plans to control Gotham's East End, to which he retaliated by having her family captured and tortured.
Catwoman #87 is the latest chapter in an arc penned by Norwegian writer Torunn Grønbekk, who has also worked on Marvel Comics titles such as Carnage and Valkyrie, as well as Red Sonja for Dynamite Comics. Davide Gianfelice of Earthdivers and Daredevil: Reborn fame illustrates, with coloring by Patricio Delpeche, known for Image Comics' Void Rivals.
How Black Mask Has Looked In The Past
Image via Warner Bros.Without even taking recency bias into account, it is not difficult to see why fans would be quick to call Sebastián Fiumara's drawing of Black Mask for Catwoman #87 the character's best look yet. Then again, there are plenty of interesting appearances to choose from.
Created by writer Doug Moench with artist Tom Mandrake, Roman Sionis made his DC Comics debut in Batman #386 in 1985, boasting a disguise that, indeed, is the color of night, but also boasted more human facial features. The signature skull-like design would emerge in the late 1990s as part of the Batman: No Man's Land storyline.
However, what is arguably the most iconic Black Mask appearance was designed by Matt Wagner and used as the cover art for Batman #636 in 2005. It was even repurposed 15 years later for a collection of the character's most famous tales called Batman Arkham: Black Mask.
Black Mask has made several appearances in film, TV, and video games, and notably made his live-action cinematic debut in
Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn), as played by Golden Globe-winning Scottish actor Ewen McGregor. More recently, Nick Dragotta crafted one of the gangster's most distinct designs when he and writer Scott Snyder introduced him as the first real super villain of their smash hit series, Absolute Batman.
Catwoman #87 is set to hit the shelves on July 2.
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