How The Joker's New Costume Twists His (Sick) Love for Batman
Warning! Spoilers for DC Horror Presents... #4!Batman and the Joker have been intense enemies for decades, but there's always been a thin line between love and hate. While Batman certainly despises the Joker, it's not exactly clear if the feeling is mutual. While the Joker certainly enjoys hurting Batman, he's also stated that he loves Batman, which makes his new outfit all the more disturbing.
The Joker's twisted new outfit is the scariest part of the first story from DC Horror Presents... #4 by Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, and Danny Earls. After Catwoman comes into possession of a cursed diamond, she schemes to trick the Joker into stealing it from her, which is the only way to be free of it.
After Catwoman makes sure that the Joker learns that she has a precious diamond, he breaks into Catwoman's apartment, rummages through her stuff, and eventually steals the diamond - but not before putting on one of her iconic skin-tight suits, which is horrifying for a host of reasons.
The Joker Steals Catwoman's Costume, Twisting One of DC's Greatest Love Stories
DC Horror Presents... #4 By Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, Danny Earls, Jão Canola, and Simon Bowland
Batman and Catwoman have always been one of the great romances in the DC Universe. No matter what universe they're in, they almost always seem to find one another. In most worlds, they end up getting married. They almost got married in the Prime Universe as well. While they've never fully managed to tie the knot, they still love each other deeply and truly - which is why the Joker taking on Catwoman's outfit is so utterly horrific. There are a few interactions that Joker has had with Catwoman that seem to imply that the Joker feels as though he'd be the better love interest.
The Joker might just end up going after Selina eventually, seeing her as a rival to Batman's affections.
The Joker's feelings for Batman have always been complicated. It's very clear that the Joker enjoys hurting Batman, but he rarely goes so far as actually trying to kill Batman. The Joker has even gone so far as stating that he simply wants to fight Batman forever, but not actually kill him. In another comic, the Joker goes even further and implies that he could satisfy Batman better than Catwoman could. Taking this statement in, now with the additional scene of him wearing Selina's catsuit, has some pretty terrifying implications. The Joker might just end up going after Selina eventually, seeing her as a rival to Batman's affections.
Does The Joker Really Have Romantic Interest in Batman?
Panels from Batman / Catwoman #10 by Tom King, Clay Mann, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles
The Joker is no stranger to trying on new outfits. The Joker has had plenty of different Batsuits over the years, but taking Selina's catsuit is a new level of derangement. The Joker has tried several times to kill the Bat-Family, but he's never really gone after Catwoman. It's possible that could change in the future.If the Joker has gotten to the point where he's comfortable wearing Selina's clothing, he may eventually try to replace her entirely. As horrifying as that sounds, the Joker has never been shy about wanting Batman's attention entirely on himself.
As terrifying as seeing the Joker in a skintight leather bodysuit is, the real horror is the Joker's growing obsession with Batman. The two went from merely standard enemies to almost becoming codependent on one another. Batman has often stated that he's the only one who understands the Joker, and it seems that the Joker feels the same way. The Joker has tried to destroy the Bat-Family dozens of times, and he'll surely escalate to removing Batman's romantic interests as well, all so the Joker will be the only one Batman has left.
DC Horror Presents... #4 is available now from DC Comics!
- Created By
- Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson
- Cast
- Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix, Barry Keoghan
- First Appearance
- Batman (1940)
- Alias
- Red Hood, Clown Prince of Crime, Ace of Knaves
The Joker is a psychopathic criminal mastermind with a warped sense of humor. Initially introduced as a remorseless serial killer, the character evolved over time, often oscillating between a prankster and a homicidal maniac. His relationship with Batman is one of the most complex in comic book history, defined by their mutual obsession. Over the decades, the Joker has become an enduring icon of chaos and madness, embodying the antithesis of Batman's order and justice.
- RELATIONSHIPS
- Batman (archenemy), Harley Quinn (former psychiatrist, on-and-off girlfriend), Penguin (frequent collaborator), Two-Face (frequent collaborator)
- Alliance
- Injustice League, Legion of Doom, Injustice Gang
- Movies
- Batman: The Movie, Batman, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, The Dark Knight, The Lego Batman Movie, Joker, Joker: Folie a Deux
- TV Shows
- Batman (1966), Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Justice League, The Batman, Gotham, Harley Quinn, Batwoman
- Video Games
- Batman: Return of the Joker, The Adventures of Batman & Robin (SNES), Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Batman: Arkham Asylum (dupe), Batman: Arkham City, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Batman: Arkham Origins, LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, Batman: Arkham Knight, Mortal Kombat 11, Injustice 2, Gotham Knights
- Franchise
- D.C.
- POWERS
- Criminal Mastermind, Expert Chemist, Weaponized Props, Psychological Manipulation, Combat Skills, Unpredictability, High Pain Tolerance, Charisma, Escape Artist
- HISTORY
- The Joker's history has been depicted with various origin stories, the most common being his transformation into the Joker after falling into a vat of chemical waste that bleaches his skin white, turns his hair green, and lips bright red. This disfigurement drives him insane, leading him to become Batman's greatest nemesis.
- NAME
- Arthur Fleck
- Age
- Varies by portrayal; generally depicted as being in his 30s to 40s.
- Height
- Typically depicted around 6 feet (1.83 meters).
- Comic Books
- Joker #1, The Joker #5, Joker: Killer Smile #1, Batman: Three Jokers #1, Batman: The Joker War Zone #1, DC's Year of the Villain: Joker #1, Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1, Joker/Harley: Criminal Sanity Secret Files #1, The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1
