Gotham has been consumed by a full-on Joker War, and while the ground fighting is trouble enough for Batman, previews suggest that the consequences of the battle will run deeper and darker than property damage. While the lown Prince of Crime deploys custom military gear funded by Bruce Wayne’s own fortune, he’s also contending to win Gotham’s hearts and minds. In the upcoming Batman #103, the people of Gotham rise up to protect a costumed symbol… the Joker’s murderous new girlfriend, Punchline!
Punchline is a new character that recently broke into the pages of Batman as a new sidekick for the Joker to replace the firmly-independent Harley Quinn. After teases in other books, her origin story was revealed in the Joker 80th Anniversary special, where it was shown that she was a contrarian college student who went from idolizing the Joker for shock value to proving her worth to him through torture and murder. Punchline has already fought the Joker’s ex and won, leaving Harley for dead and Catwoman in the hospital.
Batman #103 takes place after the end of the Joker War storyline, which wraps up with issue #100. The new characters created by series writer James Tynion IV for Joker War will be staying on, however. Punchline, described by Tynion as a surprise hit with a “growing fandom”, will be getting a solo one-shot that delves deeper into her character. The Joker War also results in the creation of a new antihero named Clownhunter, whom the 103 solicit mentions as going after Harley Quinn after the event ends.
- BATMAN #103
- Release Date: November 17th, 2020
- Written by: James Tynion IV
- Art by: Carlo Pagulayan, Danny Miki
- Cover by: Jorge Jimenez
- Card Stock Variant Cover by: Francesco Mattina
- 1:25 Card Stock Variant Cover by: Jorge Jimenez
- Batman and Ghost-Maker go toe-to-toe to decide which of them will remain Gotham City’s hero. The city is changing faster than ever in the aftermath of “The Joker War,” and with this change comes increasing dangers as Gotham’s citizens demand that Punchline be released from prison! Plus, Harley Quinn faces certain death at the hands of Clownhunter!
This is a disturbing trend for Gotham City, but one that reflects just what kind of danger Punchline really represents. Recent Joker stories, especially in adaptations, have used the maniacal killer to represent certain emotional hazards of modern society: trauma, alienation, radicalization. Punchline’s origin is a story of a college student who commits acts of cruelty as ideological stunts to prove a point against the politics of compassion.
Tynion described Punchline as reflective of “a growing number of people online” who follow that school of thought and the distress he feels at that phenomenon. It’s a natural progression for that ideology to take root in a city as traumatized as Gotham. But can the Bat-Family provide an alternative? Or will Gotham’s next “Joker War” be kicked off via Twitter campaign?
More: Batman Forever’s Biggest Problem Was The Joker
