We are thrilled to feature the talented Sergio Sandoval in this Artist Spotlight. Sergio made his debut in the early 1990s drawing comic books and covers for Comic Forum (Spain). Since then, he has worked on several DC projects and is no stranger to capturing the legendary “Dark Deco”, bold silhouettes, and moody noir inspired aesthetic fans of Batman™: The Animated Series know well. Sergio Sandoval’s contributions to the Enemies of™ Gotham City™ game brings the atmospheric tension of Gotham City™ directly into the players’ hands. Join us as we go behind the scenes with Sergio Sandoval!
Product depicted for demonstration purposes only and is subject to change without notice. ©2026 The Upper Deck Company.
BATMAN and all related characters and elements ©2026 & ™ DC. WB SHIELD: © & ™ WBEI. (s26) AGES 14+
The box packaging serves as the front facing introduction to the game’s world, utilizing Sandoval’s signature angular lines and bold, modern comic style. We asked Sandoval how he gave each of these iconic villains their own spotlight on the box art, despite their competingly large personalities. Sergio responded “You have to think about each character’s personality, their special abilities, and how they face their enemies. Once you have that clear, you have to think about the sizes of each of them, so that they are all different, but occupy a similar space in the illustration. If the character is very small, you can add more striking elements, and if it is very large, you can place it behind the other characters. The composition must be balanced and none of them should stand out too much above the others”. Sandoval also emphasized how important shadows, highlights, and colors are when depicting Batman™: The Animated Series’ Gotham City™. Sergio explained, “Batman™: The Animated Series is a work with a very defined character in terms of color and drawing. But Gotham™ is a very dark city, which contrasts with its blue and electric red skies. This influences the very strong lighting for the characters, as if they were illuminated by a flashlight in the dark. This gives them very vivid colors and very defined shadows”.
Product depicted for demonstration purposes only and is subject to change without notice. ©2026 The Upper Deck Company.
BATMAN and all related characters and elements ©2026 & ™ DC. WB SHIELD: © & ™ WBEI. (s26) AGES 14+
Sergio Sadoval was also the mastermind behind creating the Villain Boards for the Enemies of™ Gotham City™ game. We asked him how he used background art to add to the story and emotion tied to each villain. To which he responded, “That was a really easy task, since these characters have so many stories behind them and it was very easy to capture the scenes that Ricky Le (Art Acquisition Coordinator at Upper Deck) and Caleb Cleveland (Visual Art Specialist at Upper Deck) proposed to me”. Sergio’s favorite Villain Board to work on was Clayface™. He said “He’s a character who, despite having a fairly specific anatomical structure, is very irregular and very brutal. This gives me a lot of flexibility to exaggerate the different aspects I like best, such as his big arms or hands, and draw the roughness of his skin however I want. I love it!”.
Product depicted for demonstration purposes only and is subject to change without notice. ©2026 The Upper Deck Company.
BATMAN and all related characters and elements ©2026 & ™ DC. WB SHIELD: © & ™ WBEI. (s26) AGES 14+
Before we wrapped up, we asked Sergio what he wants players to be most excited about when they see the box art for the first time. Sergio replied, “Show them a cover dedicated solely to the villains! Highlight how exceptional Batman’s™ villains are and that this time they are the center of attention. A great villain must be on par with a great hero”. From the striking presence of the box art on your shelf to the captivating detail of each Villain Board, this game is a dream come true for fans of Batman™: The Animated Series. Whether you are a die hard fan of Sandoval’s iconic illustrations or a tabletop game enthusiast, the Enemies of™ Gotham City™ release is one you won’t want to miss! Follow along to learn more about the various artists that contributed to the creation of Enemies of™ Gotham City™.
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