Language
Original language
English
Publication
DC (2007), 13 pages
Local notes
The Joker reinvents himself, attempting to remove all trace of his former personas.
This issue is a prose story, not a comic. It makes frequent reference to "The Killing Joke", bringing back several henchmen characters from it and killing them off, as well as the imposter Batman's shooting of the Joker in "Batman & Son" in #655. It also retcons the various eras' depictions of the Joker as being wildly inconsistent on purpose, as his psychosis changes and morphs over time.
There is a strong indication in this story that Joker, on some level at least, at this point knows Batman's identity.
As Batman is back from his trip abroad, this issue must take place later in the continuity than where it is published, likely between #665 and the new "Black Glove" arc starting in #667. Harley Quinn's behaviour is oddly violent here, as is her being institutionalized at the time of the story, as this must be happening after her redemption story and release in Detective Comics #831 ("Kind of Like Family") but prior to her stint with the Amazons in "Countdown to Final Crisis", but can likely be ascribed to a relapse.
This issue is a prose story, not a comic. It makes frequent reference to "The Killing Joke", bringing back several henchmen characters from it and killing them off, as well as the imposter Batman's shooting of the Joker in "Batman & Son" in #655. It also retcons the various eras' depictions of the Joker as being wildly inconsistent on purpose, as his psychosis changes and morphs over time.
There is a strong indication in this story that Joker, on some level at least, at this point knows Batman's identity.
As Batman is back from his trip abroad, this issue must take place later in the continuity than where it is published, likely between #665 and the new "Black Glove" arc starting in #667. Harley Quinn's behaviour is oddly violent here, as is her being institutionalized at the time of the story, as this must be happening after her redemption story and release in Detective Comics #831 ("Kind of Like Family") but prior to her stint with the Amazons in "Countdown to Final Crisis", but can likely be ascribed to a relapse.
Library's review
A fantastic short story with Morrison applying to the Joker his pet project of reconciling all of Batman continuity into narrative that still retains the modern, gritty approach to the character. Not something I always think worked as well as I would have liked, but it definitely does here. Creepy
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and upsetting in all the ways the Joker should be. My only problem is that I personally can't stand the artwork here, but I guess it's not intended to be to everyone's tastes. Show Less