WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Next Batman: Second Son #3, by John Ridley, Mark Morales, Travel Foreman, Deron Bennett and Rex Lokus, on sale now.
The Next Batman: Second Son has dissected the Fox family moving on in the wake of "Joker War," with Tim "Jace" Fox harboring dark secrets, and Luke Fox trying to figure his future as Batwing out. However, it's also shown Mayor Nakano's sinister plans for Gotham City, which involves him offering Jim Gordon's traditional job as police commissioner to a classic DC hero.
While it seems like Renee Montoya is going to accept the offer, The Next Batman: Second Son #3 has already hinted she could be facing her deadliest enemy ever as the Infinite Frontier era kicks off.
Following the attack on Arkham Asylum and many inmates and innocents being killed in a slaughter that's being coined "A-Day," Montoya visits Mayor Nakano at the scene. He's confident Batman will retaliate and people will be caught in the crossfire. Ironically, as much as Montoya wants to defend Batman, Nakano has a point. She does let him know, though, once she's in the hot seat, her cops won't be turned into vigilante killers.
Nakano slyly replies all she has to worry about is protecting citizens; everything that involves masks, well, he's got a certain plan for that. After reaffirming that Montoya won't have to bend or break rules, they shake on the deal, with Montoya naively believing she's not his pawn.
What's even more interesting is that Nakano has already met with Simon Saint to discuss the Magistrate program. Even worse, the new mayor has a weird obsession with Scarecrow and fear, and evidence points to him possibly being behind the A-Day deaths. After all, this incident will make people paranoid and allow him to install his anti-vigilante laws easily, which shapes Nakano as possibly one of the most diabolical puppet masters around.
Ironically, in Joker #1, Gordon did say the new commissioner was no one big and that Nakano was basically acting in the position, so that might foreshadow Montoya not lasting long in the job. Still, there's an ominous feeling over how A-Day is pushing his plans forward so seamlessly, hinting that the martial law seen in "Future State" will happen soon.
The fact that Batwing also takes down a high-level Joker henchman, who suggests the Arkham chaos to come isn't perpetrated by the clown hints that Nakano really set it all up to kickstart the Magistrate Program. And if he and his seedy little cabal could pull this off, murdering the likes of Bane and such, Montoya may be in over her head. She has the skill, intelligence and aptitude to figure it all, but it may come at a cost. Her life will definitely be at risk the closer she gets to the truth behind the conspiracy and uncovers just how conniving Nakano can be.
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