After the Joker War made Gotham City into an intense battlefield, the Dark Knight’s beloved home will never be the same. Gotham and Batman are about to face their most drastic transformation since No Man’s Land.
This summer’s Joker War has seen Bruce Wayne stripped of all his possessions and valuable assets - including his Batmobile and Batcave - as the Joker took over the city. The final outcome of this ongoing battle may be revealed with the October 6 release of Batman #100, from current Bat-scriber James Tynion IV and artist Guillem March. The issue promises to be an all-out, brutal, 80-years-in-the-making battle between the Caped Crusader and the Clown Prince of Crime. Even if Batman is able to stop the Joker’s threats, where does the loss of Bruce Wayne’s fortune leave the Batman - and larger Bat Family - in their war on crime? Will this reinvigorate Batman’s methods, or will Gotham fall into further ruin?
Tom King’s Batman run ended last year with (SPOILER ALERT) the death of Bruce Wayne's loyal collaborator and life-long friend and caretaker Alfred Pennyworth. Joker War has seen Bruce reconcile with his emotions after Pennyworth’s demise, having to work without his trusted and stalwart . Now, stripped of even more of his resources, Bruce has to adapt to bare-bones tactics: no fancy computers, no gadgets, and zero money in his bank . Orphanages and clinics that Bruce Wayne has been funding are now facing closure. Many of those working for Wayne Industries - including Lucius Fox, Bruce’s business manager - have been left unemployed.
Joker War has also introduced a variety of new villainous threats that have been plaguing Gotham. There's Joker’s Harley Quinn replacement and new underboss, the sadistic Punchline. The mowhawked Clownhunter, wielding a baseball bat adorned with a Batarang at the top, has already proven himself to be a killer by striking a victim in the back of the head with it. The Underbroker, who, as the name implies, acts as a broker for super-criminals. And finally there's Ghost-Maker, who's set to debut in the following Batman #101, and is tied to Batman’s past.
The last time Gotham City has seen a full-on makeover was during the cataclysmic “No Man’s Land” storyline. In that highly controversial event, a devastating earthquake destroyed all of Gotham, splintering it off into separate gang territories, including an area defended by the remaining Gotham City Police Department, headed by Police Commissioner James Gordon. Gotham was left in rubble, save for Wayne-owned buildings, constructed to withstand any natural disasters.
With Batman group editor Ben Abernathy hinting that the finale of Joker War may not be the end of Batman and Joker’s historic opposition (that murderous clown always has a card up his sleeve), and with Gotham now left completely at risk without Wayne’s backing, the future certainly looks bleak for the metropolitan landscape.
Batman #100 wraps up the Joker War Bat-crossover event, hitting all comic stands October 6th, with the repercussion-filled Batman #101 following two weeks after on October 20th.
