The Joker (2021)

His first year of being GCPD police commissioner was an intense challenge for James Gordon. He battled corruption in the ranks, his marriage was in shambles, and the vigilante Batman was clearly welcoming new recruits with the appearance of Batgirl. And The Joker picked his moment to unleash hell!

"As the dust settles on Arkham Asylum and tragic recent events, The Joker is the most wanted man in the world—and powerful forces are lining up around the globe to hunt him...but where exactly is the Clown Price of Crime? Jim Gordon, facing his twilight years haunted by the madman, knows where to start the hunt, and he’s been given the go-ahead to pursue him... but will he be willing to pay the price? And what shocking revelation will Gordon stun Batman with before he departs? And in the backup story, within the walls of Blackgate Penitentiary, Punchline has become the target of the Queen of Spades from the Royal Flush Gang. It’ll take everything Punchline has just to survive, while on the outside, Bluebird digs deeper into Punchline’s horrific past!"

"The hunt for The Joker is under way, as Jim Gordon heads to a remote part of South America to run down a lead...and comes face-to-face with the Clown Prince of Crime himself! The mystery around A-Day deepens, but not before an attack by the blood-thirsty Sampson family! And in the Punchline backup story, Punchline has to face off against the Queen of Spades’ new muscle...Orca! At the same time, Bluebird’s investigation at Punchline’s alma mater takes a dark and horrifying turn!"

"Main story: It’s murder and mayhem in the jungles of South America with pits The Joker pitted against everyone hunting him! He’s prepared for this massacre in a way that only the Clown Prince of Crime can…but what secret does he whisper to Jim Gordon as the bullets fly?! What is the TRUE mystery?!"

The never-before-seen tale of The Joker’s first night in Arkham Asylum is finally revealed! When a lunatic in a clown suit tries to poison Gotham City’s reservoir and is placed in Arkham Asylum before his trial, Detective Jim Gordon realizes something’s different about this new inmate that could forever change the future of Gotham. Backup: Rising-star artist Sweeney Boo joins the series as things get worse and worse for Punchline and Bluebird. Punchline’s prison war against the Queen of Spades escalates, and no prisoner at Blackgate Penitentiary will be exempt from choosing sides. And after barely escaping death at the hands of Punchline’s former accomplice, will Bluebird have the will to continue her investigation and find the mysterious woman from Punchline’s past who has the answers she’s looking for?

After barely surviving in the jungles of Belize, The Joker flees to Europe! Jim Gordon pursues the madman, but the seeds of doubt begin to sprout...if The Joker didn’t gas Arkham Asylum, who did? And what’s the next move for Vengeance, daughter of Bane? Backup: Punchline’s takeover of Blackgate Penitentiary continues as her most insidious goal becomes clear: find a woman she used to call her friend in her college days and make her pay for her betrayal. On the outside, Harper Row tries to pull her brother, Cullen, back from the brink of Jokerized radicalization!

Très bien—the Joker visits Paris! Gordon must get to Joker ahead of the Sampsons, but has the Clown Prince set an ambush for his pursuers? Plus, Barbara fights for her life after her introduction to the new Talon! Punchline backup: The search for Kelly Ness—Punchline’s former friend who is also in Blackgate Penitentiary—begins.

Jim Gordon was warned, to "head back to the light while you still can," but his quest to apprehend The Joker is taking him deeper into darkness. Could The Joker actually be innocent of the attack on Arkham Asylum? Punchline Back-Up: It’s a jailbreak as Bluebird must escape from Blackgate before Punchline and her gang can murder her!

The terrifying Sampson family is ready to exact their revenge on the Clown Prince of Crime for the murder of one of their own during A-Day! Will Gordon risk his life to save…The Joker? The shocking series continues with the most horrifying issue yet! Backup: Punchline and Harper Row go head-to-head for the life and safety of Kelly Ness! If Harper loses, the radicalization of young people in Gotham City will know no limits!

Following the harrowing events of Batman: The Killing Joke, the course of James Gordon’s life—and that of his family’s—was forever changed! But what happened when Gordon’s path again crossed with The Joker’s… PUNCHLINE BACKUP: Harper Row has successfully gotten Punchline’s former friend, Kelly Ness, out of Blackgate. What Kelly reveals about Punchline’s past and true nature will change her criminal case forever, but will Harper and Leslie Thompkins be able to protect her from Punchline’s loyalists?

The Joker is about to learn the harsh reality of the motto "Don’t Mess with Texas" as the Sampsons bring him back home to their ranch…for dinner! PUNCHLINE BACKUP: While Harper Row has been making sure that Punchline stays behind bars, her brother, Cullen, has been getting closer to Punchline’s fans. His new boyfriend, Bluff, is hiding a wicked secret that promises to change the shape of organized crime in Gotham, and Punchline’s role, for years to come.

There are dark, sinister secrets in the world, and then there are the secrets held by the infamous Sampson family on their compound down in Texas! Jim Gordon is about to enter a hell he never imagined to save…The Joker? Punchline Backup: The Trial of Punchline grows volatile as the Royal Flush Gang makes their biggest and most wicked move in Gotham Ever. Punchline’s endgame is here!

Vengeance has spent her short existence waiting for the moment she could kill The Joker, but she knows that if she fulfills her programming, she'll be dragged back into the servitude of the terrifying Knightfallen of Santa Prisca. Jim Gordon may be her only way out, but a revelation close to his heart has the potential to send him down a darker path. One he may never turn back from. Backup: The trial of the century in Gotham City begins to draw to a close, and no one will be left happy with the results...except for one Alexis Kaye, a.k a. Punchline!

FINAL ISSUE All the hunters converge on the Sampson estate as the brutal conclusion to the first "season" of The Joker is here! Bullets will fly, blood will be shed, and will James Gordon be forced to make the choice he’s been dreading since issue #1? Punchline Backup: Punchline walks free, and the Royal Flush Gang is desperate for a new queen. The underworld of Gotham City is going to change forever, and this last chapter of "Punchline" is only the beginning.

The Clown Prince of Crime had one more trick up his sleeve—a thrilling, surprise final issue! How did Gordon escape Texas? What happened to Bane and Vengeance? Did The Joker get the last laugh? Find out!