While Batman may have previously been seen as one of the most prolific loners in the superhero universe, it seems that modern interpretations are throwing as many supporting characters alongside him as possible. At the Comic Con panel for Batman: Arkham City, the developers of the much anticipated sequel have confirmed that Talia al Ghul will be appearing in the game. While making the presence of the female assassin official, and releasing the first image of her character, the developers are keeping the role she'll play under wraps.

Fans of the comic books are well aware of just how complicated a history Batman has with the daughter of Ra's al Ghul, with the pair's romantic past a constant source of tension and drama in the Batman saga. While the comics had Batman fall in love and father a child with Talia, just how much of a factor the 'daughter of the demon' will have in the campaign of Arkham City is still unknown.

The news gets even better for the nerd community, as it was also revealed that Talia would be voiced by none other than Stana Katic, best known for her role as Detective Kate Beckett on ABC's Castle. Considering the other half of that crime-solving duo is geek god Nathan Fillion, it's fair to say that more than a few Arkham City fans will be delighted with this news.

Besides helping pull Castle into a fourth season amidst a slaughtering of hour-long cable dramas, Katic has most recently appeared in the Polish Brothers' For Lovers Only. You may not have heard of the project, but after being made with no budget whatsoever the film has already grossed over $200,000. That alone should convince skeptics that the developers of Arkham City have chosen a more than capable starlet.

We'd love to give you more information on just what context the character will be appearing in, but the developers refused to go into detail, claiming that any information divulged would give away far too much of the game's story. With Catwoman confirmed to be a playable character, it's unlikely that Talia will be given the lion's share of romantic tension or face time. However, the casting of a bonafide actress does point to a significant performance, and given the length of Arkham City, anything is possible.

What is certain is that players won't be short on any references to characters from the comic books, with Talia al Ghul joining Penguin, the Riddler, and Robin as familiar faces set to make an appearance in Arkham City's story. With that star-studded a roster, and with Rocksteady already having proved that they're up to the task of delivering a spectacular Batman adventure, it seems that the upcoming sequel might just eclipse Arkham Asylum in more ways than one.

What's your take on the first image and casting of Talia al Ghul? Do you think the appearance will be a brief nod to fans of the comics, or a serious plot point in the game's story? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Batman: Arkham City will be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 18, 2011.

Follow me on Twitter @andrew_dyce.

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Source: Entertainment Weekly, Reuters