When word broke in mid-October that Warner Bros. Interactive would be releasing a Lego Batman sequel in 2012, we were both ecstatic (because we love Batman) and cautious (because the first game was good, but not great). But with the recent uncovering by Lego fansite Bricktuts of the image above, we're mainly feeling intrigued.

Though we're not quite sure what this image is from (box cover? promotional materials?), we're going to assume it's real, given that neither Warner Bros. nor Lego-game developer Traveller's Tales has publically deemed it fake in the week-and-a-half since its release. So, with that assumption in place, we can apparently expect Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes — clearly featuring The Joker, Superman, and Wonder Woman (all visible in the teaser pic), as well as Green Lantern and "all of DC Comics' characters," reports Bricktuts.

That broader focus opens up lots of fascinating questions. Will the Justice League and other non–Bat-characters be playable, or simply NPCs or A.I. companions? Will we see villains outside of the usual Bat-universe (e.g., Doomsday, Doctor Psycho, Sinestro)? And will the DC Super Heroes angle lead to environments we wouldn't necessarily see in a game with just Batman and Robin — like, say, levels set in outer space or on other planets?

2006's Justice League Heroes game (shown above) wasn't particularly great, but it did have novel missions set in space and on Mars. Lego Batman 2 could do the same...

Pondering the possibilities, we've concocted a quick list of hopes for Lego Batman 2:

(1) That we can play as, at the very least, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. (The first two would be great brick-busting characters, causing all kinds of fun environmental destruction. Meanwhile, Green Lantern's object-creating abilities are a natural fit for a series based around building Lego objects. And, of course, being able to fly around as Superman and Green Lantern [and possibly as Wonder Woman, too] would be good fun.)

(2) That Bricktuts' mention of four heroes means Lego Batman 2 will be the first Lego game with four-player cooperative play, rather than just two-player co-op. We're not necessarily counting on it, but we'd love to see it. At the very least, let's hope that whatever co-op play we get, it's Xbox Live–compatible out of the box, instead of via a patch that comes out months after the game (as occurred with Lego Indiana Jones 2 and Lego Harry Potter).

(3) That this sequel is full of the same goofball humor that made Lego Batman a refreshingly light-hearted take on the Dark Knight. Clayface spinning himself silly in a chair, Robin cringing at a Batman-Catwoman smooch...we want more of those shenanigans.

(4) That Wonder Woman isn't the weak victim suggested by that image above (where she's locked helplessly in a robot's claw). We like her best when she's a noble warrior who's almost as mighty as Superman.

(5) Speaking of Superman, can he get a haircut? (Not likely, given the similar hairstyle seen on this figure displayed at this year's Comic-Con.) Sure, he's rockin' the spitcurl, but those long locks almost remind us of his mid-'90s mullet!

(6) Finally, the obvious: we want to play as some other sweet DC characters that haven't been mentioned. Let us zip around Lego levels as The Flash, or be a fun lesser-known like Animal Man (who could be accompanied by a Lego monkey or other appealing mammal — oh, the co-op potential!). Heck, even underwater missions with Aquaman could be fun with a Lego bent.

Have your own wishes for Lego Batman 2? Concerns about what it might include? Share your thoughts in the comments below!