DC is weeks away from kicking off what promises to be one of its biggest comic book storylines of 2020, Joker War. In this latest and greatest showdown between the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime, Joker has all the advantages. He knows Batman’s secret identity and is finally ready to exploit that knowledge. Worse, he’s managed to steal the Wayne fortune and turn all of Batman’s resources against him. That’s the premise fueling a massive crossover linking the flagship Batman comic with other titles like Detective Comics, Nightwing, and Batgirl.
We were able to chat with Batman writer James Tynion IV and Batman group editor Ben Abernathy to learn more about what Joker War holds in store for the Bat-family, including how new characters like Punchline and Clownhunter complicate an already dangerous status quo for Gotham City. You can check out our video interview with the duo in the player above, or read on to learn more about what could very well be the final battle between Batman and Joker.
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Gotham City in Turmoil
Joker War comes roughly half a year after DC wrapped up its previous Batman epic, City of Bane. The climax to Tom King’s long-running Batman saga, City of Bane saw the titular villain cast a broken Batman out of Gotham and take complete control of the city. Though Batman eventually toppled Bane’s regime and confronted his father’s dark doppelganger (otherwise known as the Flashpoint Batman), that victory didn’t come without a heavy cost. The Bat-family was left to mourn the death of Alfred Pennyworth, while Gotham itself struggles to recover from the collective trauma of living under months of Bane’s rule. Needless to say, those dark events are playing directly into Joker War.
“I’ve always been fascinated with Gotham City as a character, and how it reacts to all of these huge events that really, really rip it to its core,” said Tynion. “Starting with my first issue of Batman, we started seeing how is Batman emotionally reacting to the death of Alfred and the events of City of Bane. But also very specifically, what was he doing to try to fix Gotham to prevent another event like that from happening.”
Tynion continued, “This is not just a breaking point for Batman and how he’s been operating as a crime-fighter in Gotham City but also, it’s the story of how Gotham City is starting to react to all of this happening over and over and over again. And the ways in which it changes and the ways it starts to react. And that’s why certain characters like Clown Hunter and Punchline – they speak to different corners of Gotham City starting to change in the face of living in a world with Batman. And that sets the stage for so much story that’s really going to be our roadmap leading forward.”
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Why Does Joker Care About Batman’s Secret Identity?
The idea that Joker now knows Batman’s secret identity isn’t necessarily a new one. At several points during writer Scott Snyder’s New 52 Batman series, it was hinted Joker may have learned that secret years ago. But there’s a reason Joker has never acted on that information before now. He only cares about Batman. Acknowledging the man beneath the mask would simply spoil their never-ending game. But as Tynion explained, Joker no longer cares about prolonging the fun. That’s essentially why DC has been teasing this as the final showdown between Batman and Joker. Joker is ready to bring this age-old rivalry to its inevitable conclusion.
“The real heart of this is in the fact that I think he’s bored with the game,” he said. “And I think he sees that Batman is also at this turning point, where Batman needs to make a lot of decisions about what sort of crime-fighter he’s going to be in the future. Batman has literally just started building crazy machines that can print Batmobiles. He’s stepped up his game in this huge, huge way that we’ve been seeing. And now we’re going to see that elevated even further, we are going to see all of that turned against him.”
Tynion continued, “And really, that’s the thing that Joker’s doing, he’s turning every aspect of the Batman mythos against Batman. And trying to prove how dangerous it all is, and how much of a hypocrite Batman is for having fought that way. Because he sees Gotham City as something that has been waiting to shed itself of Batman for a long time. So the real question is… and this is something that we’ll see voiced by Punchline in particular, is Punchline thinks that Joker is done with that, that this is meant to be the final step in their battle, where basically he’s going to make his final thesis statement, and then move on. And we’re going to see how true that is. But Joker really has… What he is planning to do to Gotham City is devastating. And he’s doing it to dig deep into the heart of Batman.”
Explaining Joker’s Master Plan
Recent issues of Batman have established how exactly Joker plans to destroy Batman once and for all. Joker is using his knowledge of Batman’s secret identity and a scheme first conceived by a villain known as the Designer to steal the Wayne fortune.
As revealed in Batman #93, Bruce has surprisingly little recourse for recovering his pilfered fortune. He’s always kept the vast majority of his money hidden in offshore accounts and under false identities. While this has allowed him to fund his war on crime without prying eyes, this means he’ll have a hard time proving the stolen money was ever his to begin with. Joker now has $100 billion to play with, access to the full Wayne Enterprises arsenal, and even control of Gotham City Hall.
Tynion explained, “In my first story arc, ‘Their Dark Designs,’ we see Joker having dragged up this case from many years ago, and this very frightening character, the Designer, he’s unleashed this old plan against Gotham City, all as a kind of subterfuge to get the Wayne fortune away from Batman. And so now Batman has none of his resources, and Joker has all of them… Batmobiles, Batcycles, Baterangs are being handed to the most dangerous gangs of Gotham City, who have all joined Joker’s gang. And on top of all of that, he is using the Wayne fortune to freeze City Hall, and basically make it so he can act with impunity. And this is definitely he’s showing how dangerous all of that money can be right now. And that is, I think, the little “next” tag at the end of issue #93, which I loved, was “Joker’s Billions.” [a callback to the classic “Joker’s Millions” story] And we’ve never seen Joker this empowered and so ready to use everything.”
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A Batman Without Money
Batman is a hero defined by an ability to overcome his limits. He may not have superhuman powers like the rest of the Justice League, but a combination of willpower, training and incredible wealth has allowed him to become one of the greatest heroes in the DC Universe. In Joker War, we’ll see what happens when the wealth is removed from that equation.
The goal isn’t necessarily to transform Batman into a Peter Parker-like figure – a hero who struggles to pay his bills when he’s not out on the street fighting costumed villains. As Tynion explained, it’s more about bringing the character back to basics and reminding Batman he doesn’t need those wonderful toys to keep Gotham safe.
Tynion said, “That’s something that I think is really important, because when Bruce went around training around the world, he wasn’t using his fortune, the world thought he was dead. And at many points during his career, he’s operated in a much more streamlined, much more down-to-earth way. And this is something that, as much as the Joker is showing the ways in which he has over-relied on all of this technology, and the reach of the Wayne fortune, this is also meant to be this moment where he re-centers himself, and is just like, ‘I do not need to be a billionaire to be Batman.’ And that, I think, is an important moment, and I think is part of the core evolution of the character that we’re hoping to play with here.”
Where Is the Justice League?
Readers may be wondering where the rest of the Justice League fits into the Joker War puzzle. If Joker has taken control of Gotham and the Wayne fortune, why can’t Batman simply call up Superman, Wonder Woman or Flash to help deal with the problem? To an extent, that’s always a problem when it comes to shared superhero universes, but Abernathy points out that Batman sees this Joker problem as a personal mission only he can fix. And for that matter, Batman may still have an ace or two up his sleeve.
“My take is, ultimately, that I don’t ever see Batman calling Superman or even the Justice League for help, necessarily, while he is still, essentially, has a play,” Abernathy said. “Whatever the fight is, the Joker War, etc. Gotham City is his domain, the way I see it, and he handles his business there, as he has always done. I mean, if there’s an extreme situation, obviously Batman has called Superman or the Justice League for help in the past, but this is a deeply personal battle, with him and the Joker. And he is going to see this one through to the end alone, or ultimately with the help of the Bat-family.”
Tynion added that while Batman may not call on the Justice League in Joker War, he has other allies closer to home. The story will hinge on the Bat-family’s willingness to put aside their differences and come together at long last. 2012’s Batman: Death of the Family saw Joker drive a huge wedge between Batman and his allies like Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl, one that’s never fully healed in the years since. Ironically, Joker may wind up being the catalyst that finally restores a united Bat-family.
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Batman’s Need for Accountability
There’s another side to the “Batman without money” equation being explored in Joker War, and one that’s arguably more relevant than ever in 2020. Is it right for someone like Bruce Wayne to use his wealth and play the role of a vigilante with no oversight or accountability? Should Batman have to answer to the law? The fact that Joker’s plan has succeeded precisely because Bruce kept his money hidden in offshore tax havens suggests that maybe it’s time for Batman to reexamine his methods and his relationship to the people he’s sworn to protect.
“If you were a person living in the real Gotham City, how would you feel about someone having all of that power?” Tynion asked. “At the end of Joker War, as we’re setting up the groundwork for the next year, I think that where this story takes Bruce is going to be a very interesting place, and I think it’s going to lead to some really, really good stories.”
He continued, “Because really, when Bruce became a billionaire, it was just because he used to be a millionaire, and then the word ‘billionaire’ became bigger than ‘millionaire’ and became more common, so then Bruce got bumped up to being a billionaire. But being a billionaire in the real world has a lot more connotations in all of that, and I think that to make Batman this paragon that we want to look up to, I think that we should be analyzing that, and we should be looking at it. But it’ll be analyzed and looked at in the context of really exciting stories, and people in costumes punching each other.”
How Punchline is Different From Harley Quinn
Joker won’t be waging war on Gotham all by himself. In addition to rallying many of the city’s worst gangs to his cause, Joker has a new partner in the form of Punchline. As we’ve already learned in the buildup to Joker War, Punchline isn’t just a Harley Quinn replacement, but someone who sees herself as an equal partner in Joker’s plans.
“I find Punchline a deeply fascinating character,” Tynion said. “I laid it out the most clearly in the Joker 80th Anniversary Special, where we see who Alexis Kaye was before she became Punchline. And she is a very dangerous person, and dangerous in I think a very modern way. Because what I was interested to play with, with the character, is the idea of a young person who’s been radicalized by a dangerous ideology. Someone who has found, through the internet, the ideas of the Joker. And now she’s looking to embody those ideas. So her following of the Joker and her relationship with the Joker comes from this place of almost fanatical devotion.”
Tynion continued, “And the thing that makes her really interesting, especially as a kind of dark mirror to Harley, is that Harley always believed that there was something at a core human and sensitive and vulnerable inside of Joker. Punchline has never believed that. She thinks there is this beautiful ideology inside of the Joker that the Joker embodies, and that he’s looking to present to the world. The truth is, neither of those things are true. Joker is… He’s the Joker card. He can assume any value against anyone to make him see what he wants them to see. And that’s what makes him so dangerous. And seeing these two characters who come at the Joker with the different beliefs that made them essentially fall in love with the Joker, the idea of the Joker, come from such different angles. So that’s the root, and that’s what makes me so excited about her as a character, and that’s what I think is going to make her a very dangerous and vibrant addition to the Batman Rogues Gallery moving forward.”
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Who is Clownhunter?
While Punchline has already debuted in the buildup to Joker War, this crossover will also introduce another important new character in the form of Clownhunter. As his name suggests, this new vigilante is firmly against Joker and his clown army, though he’s not exactly on Batman’s side, either.
“Clownhunter is a character I’m very, very excited about,” said Tynion. “Clownhunter is meant to represent the voice of the people of Gotham City, the ones who feel like the city has reached a breaking point, and who feel like they can’t wait for the Bat-family to solve their problems, they need to get out in the streets and solve them themselves.”
Tynion also spoke about the unique visual design of the character, revealing he, Abernathy, and artist Jorge Jimenez have drawn as much from the manga realm as traditional superhero comics.
“Clownhunter is a character with DNA of a lot of my favorite media. Ben and I talked a lot about Akira when we were creating the character, and I think there’s a bit of [Casey Jones’] DNA in there, and a little bit of Deadpool in there. We wanted to create a really interesting young character who doesn’t necessarily agree with the core Batman ideology of not killing the bad guys. This is someone who’s so sick of what’s happening to his city that he’s just going to go out there and he’s going to kill some clowns. And his actions are their own condemnation of Batman himself as a concept.”
On Artist Jorge Jimenez
Tynion has plenty of praise for artist Jorge Jimenez, who will be drawing all six issues of Batman during the Joker War crossover.
“I just want to say, overall, how freaking phenomenal Jorge Jimenez’s art is on this entire story,” said Tynion. “Jorge has been a rising star at DC Comics for years. I got to work with him a little bit on Justice League. I actually worked with him for the first time years ago on an X-Men issue, my only X-Men issue, but I’m not allowed to talk about that while I’m promoting Batman. But honestly, I think Jorge is one of the best artists in comics, he perfectly embodies the spirit of everything I’m trying to bring to the book, the youth, and vibrancy that I think is evident in Gotham City, and that’s why we’re introducing new, young characters, it’s why we both have strong influences from manga, and we’re both drawing those influences in.”
And as Abernathy noted, having one artist draw the complete storyline is a novelty for a series that tends to rely heavily on a rotating art team to accommodate its twice-monthly shipping schedule.
“I’m incredibly, incredibly proud of Their Dark Designs, but sometimes necessity means that a big storyline that is double-shipped, you’ve got to work with an army of incredibly talented artists, but Joker War is drawn by Jorge Jimenez… Jorge’s work has been phenomenal. I’ve known Jorge for at least 10 years, and I like to think that the last 10 years have been literally preparation for Joker War, and his coming on Batman, because the guy is phenomenally talented, I think he works seven days a week, he is committed and he’s just an amazing collaborative partner for James, and to be able to edit the two of them together, I won the lottery, the Batman lottery, so it’s been amazing.”
Joker War: How the Bat-Family Fits In
While the main Joker War storyline will be chronicled in Batman #95-100, many of DC’s other Batman-adjacent titles will be taking part in the crossover, most notably Detective Comics and Nightwing. DC will also be publishing an anthology special called Batman: Joker War Zone that spotlights other important players.
Abernathy explained, “While the Joker War core story is in Batman, there’s a lot of important beats that will be taking place in the other titles… with Nightwing and Batgirl, and some big things happening in Detective Comics, Red Hood #48 in particular as well, so they are looking at Joker War from the different perspective of the different characters, and where they are this year, and how will the events of the last years have put them on different paths.”
Readers may be wondering how Joker War connects to other major Batman projects in 2020, like the recently launched Dark Nights: Death Metal, the limited series Batman: Three Jokers, and the indefinitely delayed Batman/Catwoman series from Tom King and Clay Mann. The short answer is that each project is telling its own story.”
Abernathy said, “The Joker War is a specific mainline Batman event. What Jason and Geoff are doing in Three Jokers is its own thing, what Tom and Clay are doing in Batman/Catwoman, their own thing, what Scott and Greg with Death Metal… I mean, it’s amazing for readers to have such amazing content, but none of them connect to the Joker War puzzle at all, this is our story, this is the main Batman story, and as a fan, I’m looking forward to reading all the other titles for sure, and be sure to check out Death Metal, because that first issue was bonkers fun.”
But while there may not be any direct connections between these different Batman epics, Abernathy noted the goal heading into 2021 is to foster a greater sense of inter-connectivity and focus among the various Batman titles.
“Me as a fan, but me also as the group editor, I like the inter-connectivity and cohesion between the line,” he said. “Not saying that it’s rigid in how everything operates or balances out, but I definitely want to send some connectivity in the line that it matters, that there is a common vision to what we’re doing, and how that impacts the characters going forward.”
Tynion teased readers will get a sense of what the future holds for the franchise when Joker War wraps up in Batman #100.
“Issue #100 is a huge climactic issue that sets the stage for everything that follows. It is a big, exciting comic book. And there’s going to be a lot more about it as we move forward. I’m also very excited for everyone to see the cover for it, because when it first showed up in my inbox, I lost my mind.”
Joker War will begin in Batman #95, which will release on Tuesday, July 21.
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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 Joker War: Why Batman's Worst Enemy Is More Dangerous Than Ever