DC is gearing up for the start of Joker War, an epic new crossover featuring what is said to be the final showdown between Batman and Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime knows Batman’s secret identity, and he’s finally ready to end their long dance and bring Gotham burning down around them. But he won’t be doing it alone. Joker has a brand new ally in the form of Punchline.
Thanks to the release of new books like Batman #92 and The Joker: 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, we now know much more about Punchline’s origin and how she fits into Joker’s grand plan. Read on to find out how this new Batman villain came to be and why she’s not just a replacement for Harley Quinn.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Batman #92, The Joker: 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, and Batman: Secret Files #3!
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Among the many stories featured in The Joker: 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, one features writer James Tynion IV and artist Mikel Janin chronicling the origin of Punchline. This story reveals she was once a seemingly ordinary college student named Alexis, albeit one with an unhealthy fascination with the Joker. After her school holds a “Dress like your favorite hero” event in response to Joker’s latest crime spree, Alexis courts controversy by dressing like her role model. And when the school’s dean attempts to talk sense into her, Alexis lets her dark side spring free.
Alexis poisons the dean with her own homemade Joker toxin and reveals her desire to destroy the world and usher in a new era of chaos and anarchy. As it turns out, the Joker is hiding in Alexis’ closet and watching the whole performance. Now satisfied she’s worthy of being his partner, Joker officially welcomes her into the fold and agrees to make her part of his latest and greatest plot to destroy Batman. Thus, Punchline is born.
This story reveals two crucial differences between Punchline and Joker’s former flame Harley Quinn. Whereas Harleen Quinzel was a well-meaning psychiatrist corrupted through her sessions with Joker, Alexis was well on the path to villainy before ever actually meeting Joker. And while Harley was treated more as Joker’s sidekick and punching bag, Joker seems willing to accept Punchline as a true partner-in-crime.
What exactly are the two villains planning? As Batman Secret Files #3 reveals, they’re going after the money. A story by Tynion and artist Sumit Kumar flashes back a month before the events of the current “Their Dark Designs” storyline, as Joker and Punchline approach Deathstroke with an offer. Joker wants to steal the Wayne fortune and use it to fund his war on Batman. In exchange for his help, Deathstroke will receive the beneficiary trust Bruce set up for Dick Grayson.
Even as Deathstroke has been among the hired assassins working for the Designer, it seems Slade has had ulterior motives.
If Joker wants to steal the Wayne fortune, he may have to get in line. Batman #92 (by Tynion and artist Guillem March) serves as the penultimate chapter of “Their Dark Designs,” which deals with a villain called the Designer manipulating Batman, Catwoman, Riddler, and Penguin as part of a larger plot to rule Gotham. The Designer once showed Catwoman a way to steal the Wayne fortune and become Gotham’s richest resident, and now Selina is desperate to stop him from carrying out that plan himself. Unfortunately, she and her temporary partner Harley Quinn are stymied when they bump into Punchline, who’s also looking to do a little bank robbery. Needless to say, Harley isn’t amused by Joker’s biggest fan.
With only one issue remaining in this storyline, we’re getting a much better picture of how Joker plans to strike at his nemesis. If all goes according to Joker’s plan, Batman will find all his wealth and resources turned against him and wielded by an enemy who knows his secret identity.
Look for Joker War to officially begin in Batman #95, which is currently scheduled for release on Tuesday, July 8.
For more on the future of the Batman franchise, find out why Three Jokers is a spiritual sequel to Batman: The Killing Joke and which iconic Batman: The Animated Series villain is finally making their DC Comics debut. Then see which series and creators were included among the 2020 Eisner nominations.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Who Is Punchline? Why Joker's New Partner Is No Harley Quinn