Warning: SPOILERS for Punchline: The Gotham Game #3The Joker’s girlfriend, Punchline, has already replaced her beau as Gotham’s agent of chaos, and now she’s coming for the entire Bat-Family. In her latest altercation with a Gotham vigilante, Punchline calls out what she believes is one of the worst superhero codenames: Bluebird.
Punchline rose to prominence in one of the major Batman events of the past few years, “Joker War.” Originally, she was mostly depicted as Joker’s sadistically cruel new girlfriend: an even meaner Harley Quinn. In recent months, however, Punchline—real name Alexis Kaye—has shown that she’s far more calculated, manipulative, and in control than her status as “girlfriend” might make her seem. Now she’s striking out independently, taking control of the Royal Flush Gang to put her own plans, independent of the Joker, into motion. Those plans have increasingly put her in the Bat-Family’s crosshairs, and she has most recently come across Catwoman and the underrated young vigilante known as Bluebird (Harper Row). Though Bluebird is associated with and has worked with Batman, she never achieved the same kind of status as Robin—and Punchline knows it.
Even so, Bluebird played a major role in the “Trial of Alexis Kaye” story, which has led up to their most recent battle in Punchline: The Gotham Game #3 by Tini Howard, Blake Howard, Gleb Melnikov, Luis Guerrero, and Becca Carey. Punchline is about to rid herself of some gruesome murder evidence (by throwing a trunk of body parts off a bridge) when Bluebird intercepts her. “Bluebird, right?” Punchline says, “The only handle less threatening than Robin.” Punchline ends up getting away, but not before a fairly evenly matched fight between the two.
Punchline Hates Gotham City’s Bird-Themed Codenames.
Punchline isn’t wrong to call both “Bluebird” and “Robin” non-threatening superhero handles. But the bird-themed names suit these younger heroes, even if they don’t strike fear in the hearts of villains—especially Bluebird, who is already far lesser known than Robin, even within Gotham. “Bluebird” might not be an intimidating codename, as Punchline points out, but it makes the vigilante’s skill all the more disarming. Villains don’t expect someone called “Bluebird” to be terrifying, so she has surprise on her hand. And, despite her barb about non-threatening names, Punchline doesn’t get away from Bluebird easily; it’s almost like they’re well-matched, and Bluebird is more threatening than her name makes her seem.
Even though “Bluebird” might seem like a “Robin” derivative, the mantle’s independence is essential to Harper Row’s character. Gotham’s birds are just as essential as the bats, even if they don’t at first seem all that threatening. The Bluebird name might not intimidate the Joker’s girlfriend Punchline, but there’s no question that the person behind the name can take on even Gotham’s worst villains.
Check out Punchline: The Gotham Game #3, available now from DC Comics!
