Warning: contains a preview of Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker!The White Knight universe of DC Comics has given an unbelievable makeover to iconic characters such as Joker and Harley Quinn, taking their lives in shocking new directions. However, things are about to get even freakier, as Joker’s kids begin a wild quest to revive their father.
The White Knight universe gives fascinating new takes on Gotham’s heroes and villains, such as Joker suffering from a dual personality similar to Two-Face, and Batman becoming so consumed with his quest that he becomes a terrifying zealot. Writer Sean Murphy has used this surprising status quo to explore the characters in new and unique ways, which is precisely what readers got to see when Harley Quinn shot the Joker dead to protect her twin children from him. This was seen way back in Batman: Curse of the White Knight and led to a hologram version of ‘Jack,’ now free of the Joker persona, living within Bruce Wayne, leading to a wholesome version of the Batman Who Laughs.
White Knight Is Resurrecting Its Heroic Joker
The shooting caused Bryce and Jackie, Harley’s children, to grow up without their father. But now time has passed, and the two kids are hellbent on bringing their dad back, which will be seen in the upcoming Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker by Sean Murphy, Katana Collins (Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn), Clay McCormack (Batman: White Knight Presents: Red Hood), and Mirka Andolfo (Superman vs Lobo). The story’s solicit, shared by DC, reads:
When the rebellious twins run away in a stolen Batmobile, only Joker Jack Napier’s quickly fading hologram has any hope of getting them home safely and keeping them out of the family business. But a life of crime isn’t the only temptation young Bryce and Jackie are facing: the kids uncover a dark secret that could bring their dad back to life for good! With a wild array of Batman’s former enemies and allies on their tails, will the kids succeed in reviving the Dark Knight’s greatest foe? Find out as Jackie and Bryce take center stage in the White Knight Universe!
Joker’s Children Are Playing With Fire
In the fan-favorite White Knight Universe, there were two distinct aspects to Joker’s personality – the maniacal Joker and the heroic Jack Napier. This made him a significantly more tragic villain for Batman to fight, since Joker wasn’t purely evil – he always had Jack inside of him, who was actually a good man. This is why Harley and Joker’s toxic romance actually made sense in this universe – Harley didn’t love Joker, she loved Jack, which is also exactly why Bryce and Jackie want to bring him back. Unfortunately, bringing their dad back might also bring back Batman’s greatest villain.
White Knight Reveals the Fate of Superman & Wonder Woman
The White Knight universe is one of DC’s most popular alternate realities, and has expanded to tell the stories of many different characters in this alternate world, adding new depth to antiheroes like Harley Quinn and Jason Todd. Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker is just one way the series will continue, as Murphy will also soon write and draw World’s Finest: White Knight, telling the story of Superman and Wonder Woman in this reality, launching soon. In a press release regarding Generation Joker, Sean Murphy states:
I’m really excited to be expanding the world of White Knight with this new book. I think Clay, Katana, and Mirka are doing a great job of adding more variety to the characters and the universe. Anyone who’s wondering what happens to Bruce and the gang after the big reveal in Beyond the White Knight will want to check this out.
In a world where Joker is (at least partly) a good man and his romance with Harley Quinn is a genuine tragedy for both of them, anything can happen, especially as the self-contained world of White Knight advances its story by delving into the future, following ‘Generation Joker’ on a mission that has the potential to change the face of Gotham forever.
Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker will be on sale May 9, 2023, from DC Comics!
