Down the rabbit hole we go. The third installment of the Arkham franchise will feature a very different Batman than many are used to. He's a little younger, a little more inexperienced, but just as morose. The game is set five years before Batman: Arkham Asylum, but don't let the name fool you, it actually seems to have very little to do with Arkham this time around.

In fact, it will be taking place in Gotham City - finally fulfilling the wishes of every fan since the series' inception. The story is set on Christmas Eve where eight professional assassins are all vying for a bounty on Batman's head, put out by the crime lord Black Mask. Throw in some classic villains, like Mad Hatter, and we can expect a pretty big game.

This month's issue of Official Xbox Magazine will feature Warner Bros. Interactive's Batman: Arkham Origins as a cover story and Photobucket user rileywhite97 (not to be confused with our own Riley Little) snapped a few photos of the pages that reveal the Mad Hatter will be joining the onslaught of villains trying to take the caped crusader out - or at lease impede him. Mad Hatter will be joining the recently announced Copperhead (who is a lady!) in the upcoming prequel. By our count that brings the number of Batman cameos up to 4,125.

While Mad Hatter didn't quite make our list of top 10 villains we'd like to see, he could pair wonderfully with Cheshire, who would fit the assassin motif nicely if she is included. Not much else is known about his role in the story, but if the part he plays is anywhere close to as surreal and creepy as his first appearance in Arkham City, gamers are in for a treat.

As we patiently wait to see who else is revealed in the days ahead, check out our hands-on preview of Batman: Arkham Origins and be sure to sound off in the comments below and tell us who you'd like to see.

Batman: Arkham Origins will be available on Wii U, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC October 25, 2013.

Follow me on Twitter @8BitBomb.

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Source: Photobucket