Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman/Catwoman #4
In the latest issue of DC Comics' Batman/Catwoman, it's revealed that the Joker has always known who his eventual killer would be. Set in an alternate timeline and future, this 12-issue maxiseries takes a look at the Bat and the Cat's romance in the past, present, and potential future, carrying a narrative through line centered around Joker and the Phantasm. Unsurprisingly, the most interesting era has been the future where Selina Kyle has murders the Joker as an aged widow. Apparently, Bruce Wayne's recent death motivates Selina to finally kill Joker for something truly awful he did in the past, and Joker knew that Selina would one day come for him and be the one to do him in as a result.
In prior issues of Batman/Catwoman from Tom King and Clay Mann, Bruce Wayne passing away apparently gives Selina the freedom she needs to kill the Joker, seeing as how he can no longer stop her. Despite having grown old, Selina finds the Joker living in a retirement community in Florida and she savagely kills him, all while keeping her role in his death secret from her daughter Helena, who's taken over as Gotham's protector as Batwoman. Clearly, it seems as though Bruce's death has sent Selina down a dark path, abandoning all notions that she was ever a good person. However, it's also evident that she feels more than justified in killing the Joker, especially considering a supposedly truly dark act he committed against the Phantasm in the past.
Now, Batman/Catwoman #4 sees Selina being paid a very violent visit by none other than Harley Quinn. While it initially seems as though she is seeking revenge against Catwoman for killing the man she loved, she later confesses that she's angry because Selina beat her to the punch, killing Joker before Harley could herself. Furthermore, Harley reveals that Joker once told her that he always knew Catwoman would be the one to one day kill him, even more so than heroes like Batman or Superman. While they of course saw all the terrible and evil things Joker had done, Catwoman apparently saw something far worse.
One has to wonder what it was that Joker did in front of Catwoman that would make him so certain he'd one day be killed for it by her in the future. Apparently, it all has to do with the Phantasm, who was looking to kill Joker for murdering her son. It seems as though Joker killed Phantasm in such a brutal and heinous way that Selina has never been able to forget what he did, though the details are as of yet unclear. However, it has to be pretty dark in order for Joker to have such an emotional and uncharacteristic response as Harley describes.
However it all shakes down in future issues from King and Mann, it seems clear that Catwoman is only going to get darker and worse in the absence of Batman to keep her in the light, so much so that she may soon be in conflict with her own daughter who's just walked in on the aftermath of Selina and Harley's brawl. Either way, it's incredibly interesting to learn that Joker has known for years that Catwoman would be the one to finally deliver the final punchline, at least in this alternate timeline of the DC Universe.
No comments:
Post a Comment