As Nightwing plunges into Joker Battle, the Clown Prince of Crime channels one in every of The Killing Joke’s most controversial moments.
WARNING: The next comprises spoilers for Nightwing #72, by Dan Jurgens, Ronan Cliquet, Nick Filardi and AndWorld Design, on sale now.
The Joker has dedicated many heinous acts over his villainous historical past within the DC Universe, from murdering Jason Todd and Sarah Essen-Gordon to quite a few rampages throughout Gotham Metropolis that has left scores useless in his wake, typically with victims bearing a horrific rictus grin. Nevertheless, one of the crucial notorious moments within the Clown Prince of Crime’s historical past entails him taking pictures and torturing Barbara Gordon, leading to her paralysis, all as a part of a cruelly coordinated effort to drive her father insane in Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s Batman: The Killing Joke.
This second is echoed because the Joker builds his forces forward of the upcoming “Joker Battle” crossover occasion, focusing on Batgirl as soon as extra with a merciless twist: Nightwing is now working along with his most feared enemy.
In Nightwing #72, Batgirl is summoned by Dick Grayson’s new girlfriend Bea Bennett within the wake of his current run-in with the Joker. Effectively conscious of the previous Boy Wonder’s true identification, the Joker used a reminiscence crystal developed by the Court docket of Owls to rewrite Dick’s recollections, positioning himself because the one which adopted and raised the superhero after his mother and father’ murders as a substitute of Bruce Wayne. Whereas Dick seemingly drove the villain away and destroyed the reminiscence crystal, it’s clear from his now creepy, ever-cheerful character that not all is because it appears, leading to Bea searching for out Batgirl to research what actually went on.
Batgirl is ready to observe down her previous beau on the rooftops of Gotham however, earlier than she will get a correct learn on him, the 2 are confronted by the Joker’s murderous new sidekick, Punchline. Because the struggle begins, Nightwing reveals his true colours, teaming up with Punchline and violently subduing Barbara. As Batgirl lies incapacitated, the Joker himself emerges from the shadows taunting her that Batman could not save her once more whereas joking about taking images to ship on to Bruce to remind him of his failure to guard his sidekicks and showcase his new household, which incorporates Nightwing and Punchline.
Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s 1988 authentic graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke had Barbara ambushed in Jim Gordon’s dwelling whereas the 2 loved a quiet night time in. Because the elder Gordon was kidnapped and brought away to an deserted amusement park, the Joker had Barbara stripped and tortured with images later exhibited to her father to drive him mad. Whereas heralded as a basic Batman story and an influential piece of the superhero’s mythos, the story has since confronted its justifiable share of controversy and criticism for its brutal therapy of ladies, lowering Barbara to a plot system to encourage the Dark Knight by irreparably hurting her. There has additionally been criticism over implied sexual violence dedicated towards the character by the villains, with Moore himself vocally displeased at how the ultimate story got here out on a number of events.
Whereas actually not as graphic or dire for Barbara Gordon as The Killing Joke, the most recent subject of Nightwing’s cliffhanger ending is actually evocative of it, with a defeated Batgirl left on the mercy of the Clown Prince of Crime.
With “Joker Battle” promoted as the ultimate battle between Batman and the Joker, the cackling villain’s plans have included a number of callbacks to Batman’s bloody historical past. And whereas Batgirl is probably not shot, she has discovered herself outnumbered and outmatched as one in every of her oldest pals and companions has been corrupted to take arms up towards her alongside her worst enemy.