Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Joker #14
While it is an established fact that the Joker is one of the cruelest, most sinister DC villains in existence, it seems as though he will soon get the opportunity to redeem even his most atrocious crimes as he is on his way to becoming a greater hero than even Batman.
Throughout his history, the Joker continued to grow as one of DC’s staple characters, spanning across multiple forms of media from a number of his own comic titles to even a live-action movie with the Joker as the main character rather than just a Batman villain. At this point, fans have seen the Joker in a nearly every light, from a demented protagonist to an eccentric crime boss, but it is a rare sight to see him play the role of a genuine hero.
In The Joker #14 by James Tynion IV and Giuseppe Camuncoli, Commissioner Gordon and Bane work together to rescue the Joker from a wealthy, cannibalistic family who were planning on eating him. While Gordon’s fellow officers had their suspicions that Gordon killed the Joker, the Commissioner actually just delivered him to a safe location to prepare him for the mission that is to come, one that could bring him face-to-face with the Court of Owls. After saving him from the family of cannibals, Gordon takes Joker to meet Cressida Clarke, a former member of the Court of Owls who wants nothing more than to see the organization brought down. After devising a plan with another former member of the Court, Bane, the two decide that the only thing that can destroy the Court of Owls is the chaos that can only the Joker can create.
As fans know, Batman has gone toe-to-toe with the Court of Owls on many occasions and every time they seem to survive to silently rule over Gotham from the shadows. If Cressida and Bane are right and the Joker is the key to bringing down the evil organization, then he will prove himself to be one of the greatest superheroes in DC history as the Court of Owls have been responsible for some of the worst atrocities in history, including targeting every prominent figure in Gotham for mass execution and even opening up an inter-dimensional portal to unleash an elder god. Given their villainous reputation, it is safe to say that anyone who is able to destroy them completely should be granted prominent hero status, even someone like the Joker.
It is still too early to tell if the supervillain will even go along with this plan, or if Jim Gordon puts a bullet in Joker’s head before the proposed mission even begins. However, it is a likely possibility that the Joker will take Cressida up on her offer for no other reason than to succeed where Batman has failed. If the Joker can take down the Court of Owls, one can only imagine how hard he would rub that in Batman’s face for the rest of their lives, making his temporary dip into heroism so completely worth it. With the chance to dismantle the Court of Owls sitting right in front of him, the Joker has the chance to become a greater hero than even Batman.
Joker #14 is available now from DC Comics!
