When it comes to depicting the Joker, the only constant at DC Comics is the fact that everything changes. The Clown Prince of Crime is mercurial and always evolving, a fact that we're reminded of in Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez's Batman #7. This issue introduces one of the most startling revamps in the villain's decades-long history, suggesting that Joker may have finally regained his grip on sanity.
Read on to learn more about what happens in this issue, but beware of full spoilers for Batman #7 ahead!
Issue #7 sees Batman summoned to Arkham Asylum by one of Joker's secret messengers, much to the chagrin of Joker's new caretaker, Dr. Zeller. She reluctantly allows Batman to meet with the man she refers to as "Patient 10." Batman is immediately taken aback by seeing his old foe floating in a Darth Vader-style tank and hooked up to all manner of tubes and a mental stimulation device known as the Crown of Storms.
Joker reveals that Zeller has helped him in a way no other doctor at Arkham ever has. Her devices and treatments have granted him a certain degree of "clarity" for the first time since his original transformation. His body has clearly seen better days, but his mind is as close to healthy as it's ever been.
Joker makes it clear that he hasn't suddenly forgotten his many crimes, nor does he seem particularly apologetic about his past. He also notes that he's having great difficulty distinguishing between real memories and dreams. But he now views Batman as a "friend." Batman and Joker are just two profoundly lonely men who need each other's company.
Batman, unsurprisingly, isn't having any of this, and he prepares to leave. But Joker insists that Dr. Zeller turn off her intercom long enough for him to reveal the secret reason he summoned the Dark Knight. Once she does, Joker reveals that his underworld sources have uncovered whispers about a new threat in Gotham City. This mysterious enemy is gunning for Gotham City's great defender. Not Batman, but Bruce Wayne.
For the record, Joker has already known Batman's secret identity for some time now, dating back to 2013's Batman: Death of the Family. But the fact that he's showing genuine concern for Bruce's well-being is certainly a huge change for the character. Joker now seems to be emerging as a sort of Hannibal Lecter figure in Batman's world - someone who's own horrifying crimes make him uniquely suited to guide and advise our hero.
This is just the latest twist in Joker's constantly evolving personality in the DC Universe. The Three Jokers comic suggested that there have actually been three versions of the character active in Gotham City at various points, while Joker: Year One argued that these different Jokers were manifestations of the same damaged mind. Now, Joker seems to be as close to cured as we've ever seen him, but can it last? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
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