#joker war

[ditzyredrobin]

- Tim Drake in response to Harley Quinn (Batman: Vol 3 #99 - The Joker War - Part 5)

[kelaeri]

Spoilers for Nightwing #50/69 and Joker War

I was reminded of this during my re-read of Tom Taylor's Nightwing. But anyone else just a little annoyed so many people seemingly forgot Dick's amnesia and Ric Grayson wasn't from KGBeast?

I mean, yes, the bullet in his head definitely didn't help and it was the catalyst for essentially everything that happened after, but it wasn't the actual cause for his prolonged memory issues-- it was Dr. Isabella Haas, the doctor who had been treating his brain injury since Day 1 who oops was actually a member of the Court of Owls with access to a magical crystal that could warp someone's sense of identity (Nightwing #69). Yeah that might be important.

"I built a new you inside your mind, Richard." I don't know about you, but with an admission like that, it seems pretty clear to me who's responsible here.

But then I see so many comments like "I'll never forgive KGBeast for Ric Grayson" and ??? Literally the moment Dick gets a hold of that crystal and uses it, his memories return to him. This was 100% a Court of Owls thing. And I thought this misconception was only fandom at first, but Tom Taylor totally glosses over this too in Nightwing #91.

Hello? I know Joker War didn't get the best reception, but we're ignoring some pretty significant context here! And if you know Nightwing, then you know just how important he is to the Court of Owls. Gray Son of Gotham anyone? There was a whole prophecy about him. The Court has been after him for years. But yeah sure, let's just throw that away and put all the blame on KGBeast.

[shyjusticewarrior]

Like Father Like Pun

[nightshadepaladn]

The current vibes

[dailydccomics]

Harley Quinn and Catwoman by Jorge Jiménez

[extra-joker-mush]

i was like damn this is kinda familiar lol

[howlingday]

Cinder: I don't understand why you would choose to follow a leader who doesn't respect you. Doesn't care about you.

Jaune: She does care about me.

Cinder: Does she? She has her one rule, doesn't she? The one that she stands by no matter what? "Do not kill." And yet, I'm still alive, despite the countless bodies that lead back to her decision, her choice to keep me alive.

Cinder: And there's you; another straggler caught up in her own little war that you never asked for. A war she dragged you into.

Jaune: ...You know what I think, Cinder? I think you're desperate. All these attempts you make to get her attention, and why? To be her friend? Her lover? Let's face it, you love Ruby, and you can't bear the thought of living without her.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Jaune: IT'S SO PATHETIC!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Cinder: Stop it. Stop laughing. You don't get to laugh at me!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Cinder: Shut up! SHUT UP! STOP LAUGHING! STOP LAUGHING!

[bricktoygrapher]

James Tynion IV's Batman Run

Got my hands on these comics. Can't wait to read 'em. 🦇

[fractualized]

You get to thinking about Joker War and you remember that Telltale meme and then

[phirgaudreau]

Joker escape! Cinematic illustration for DC Heroes and Villains.

[incognitonio]

It's me, I'm people.

Hope I can find time to draw more of this ship again

[clownprince]

Joker's motivations in Joker War

Now idk if I was the only one initially confused by wtf Joker's actual intentions were in Joker War. Maybe I'm just a bit schewpid and everyone else got it but regardless here's my attempt to piece together what's going on in his weird little mind.

Imho, the first lines we get about Joker's underlying intentions are here:

It's extremely important that he was aware of Bruce's intentions to redesign the city. That was definitely the catalyst for the whole thing.

Speaking of Bruce's plans to redesign the city:

He mentions multiple times that his goal is to build a city that doesn't need a Batman.

Regardless of whether he actually mentioned something like this at a press conference or something, I'm sure Joker would be able to pick up on it anyway.

And it's very well-established that Joker needs Batman. The Best Man arc has this whole beautiful monologue about it:

Joker NEEDS Batman. A city without Batman is a city with no place for Joker.

The whole Best Man arc takes during the same year (year 17) as Joker War (prior to it, obviously).

The Batcat engagement took place in year 16. (In which Batman also had Joker locked up in his basement. And he deliberately tracked down amnesiac!Joker and made him Normal Joker again so he could get information. Yowza! Not cool, Bats.)

Additionally, the events of Endgame took place on year 15 and Death of the Family in year 14.

Joker reveals more of his motivations in the final fight scene between him and Batman:

Very interesting that Joker initially chooses to stab Batman in the back. Hmm I wonder if that has any deeper meaning or reveals anything about Joker's own feelings in this situation /sar.

Also very, very, very significant that Joker chooses to battle Batman in that particular suit, after he essentially desecrates it:

So, by now, it's apparent that Joker's direct intention with Joker War was to essentially destroy the possibility of Bruce's vision of Gotham:

He even directly says that all of this was about them.

Hm... I don't think he's just talking about the city, here...

And then we have this:

There's been a recurring theme since Death of the Family, that Bruce isn't being the Batman that Joker wants him to be.

To me, this line feels like "okay, Batman is ruined irreparably, let's just destroy him and start over from scratch."

Then we have this panel. Whew. I think this might be one of the most revealing panels in the entirety of Joker War, largely because of how Joker is depicted in it.

He doesn't look angry, he looks genuinely distraught.

And I didn't notice this until someone else pointed it out but if you zoom in, it definitely looks like he's crying.

I don't think this is just an artistic thing, largely because of this panel from a few issues back:

So those are definitely tears of laughter. But it looks roughly the same. Except based on the context and his expression, I don't think those are tears of laughter in Joker War. At the very least, he's hysterical.

Somewhat of a tangent but it's important to tie everything together: Joker War reminds me very much of DOTF and Endgame in that Joker is depicted (or tries to portray himself) as this terrifying, ruthless, inhuman thing, but if you actually look into his motivations, he's being driven by his emotions, particularly his feelings about Batman, which are almost inarguably the most human part of him.

In DOTF he talks about how Batman isn't being the Batman he wants him to be and yadda yadda, but then in the tie-ins, we have this section, which I think does a beautiful job of explaining his real motivations:

It's jealousy. Jealousy and fear. He's terrified of losing Batman.

And then there's a similar thing in Endgame.

Initially, he says this:

"Haha yeah I'm just bored of you lol."

But then in the final scene we get this:

He's not bored, he's heartbroken. He's genuinely hurt by Batman (in his perception) rejecting him, and he's lashing out in a major way.

I think it's definitely similar in Joker War, except he's not as afraid of losing Batman to the Batfam, more so he's afraid that Bruce's new design for the city will eliminate the need for a Batman, although the Batcat almost-wedding and Bruce's growing family definitely play a role in his motivations.

I think that might be where his whole idea of making Batman start over with nothing came from. Because when Bruce started, he didn't really have anyone except for Alfred, and later Dick.

I think that Joker could tolerate him having a few allies but he can't handle the idea of Batman having an actual family. Both because he doesn't want to share Batman's attention, and because he doesn't have a family, so why does Batman get to have one? Why does Batman get to connect with people when the only person he's truly connected to is Batman? He wants Bats to be as dependent on him as he is on Bats.

So, that's just my Hot Take (read: mediocre interpretation) of Joker War. I wasn't too fond of the storyline until I kinda pieced everything together and it's still not my favorite arc but I definitely like it better than I did initially.

[shyjusticewarrior]

Jason and Caffeinated Beverages

Has a tea kettle in his place in Batman and Robin (2011).

Having what appears to be an energy drink during a flashback in The Joker War Saga.

Drinking coffee multiple times in Task Force Z.

And drinking it in The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing.

[oneshotprincess]

joker war...fear state...gotham war...how is there a single person in gotham still alive...

[nfcomics]

BATMAN no.98 • cover art • Jorge Jimenez (JOKER WAR) [Sept 2020]

“The Joker War” part four of six! Batman is at his most vulnerable following a massive dose of an experimental new Joker toxin. With the Dark Knight haunted by demons and visions, it’s up to Harley Quinn to protect him while he recovers—because Punchline is on her way!

[$4.99 U.S. • Catwoman card stock cover]

(W) James Tynion IV (A/CA) Jorge Jimenez

[thisdoesnthaveend]

"Eden. That's what Pammy called it, anyways."

Batman (2016) #97