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After 86 Years, We’re About to See a Joker Like Never Before
He’s been around almost as long as his nemesis, but we’re on the precipice of seeing a new kind of Joker. I know the Clown Prince of Crime has been wearing on people lately. He always gets the lion’s share of attention when it comes to Batman stories, and he even managed to muscle his way into DC K.O. (making it to the fourth round, to boot). The Joker’s shtick may be a classic, but he’s started to wear down on the patience of fans everywhere. But what if I told you Joker’s in the process of a radical change?
If you haven’t been keeping up with Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s Batman run (which is a shame, it’s very good), you’ve been missing out on a fascinating new plotline. The series introduced a new character, Dr. Annika Zeller, Arkham Towers’ newest doctor. However, she’s become an integral part of the current run, as her greatest achievement and revolutionary psychiatric treatment, the Crown of Storms, has put Zeller in the crosshairs of some very powerful people. And one notable Batman rogue is seeing firsthand what the Crown has to offer, paving the way for an incredible change.
Dr. Zeller is Putting the Crown of Storms to the Test with the Joker
A few issues into the new Batman series, Bruce Wayne catches Dr. Zeller on television participating in a roundtable discussion advocating for her new technology. The Crown of Storms is a piece of tech that helps regulate electrical impulses in one’s brain to help battle mental illnesses. Bruce takes note when he hears that this is being partially funded by the Wayne Family endowment. And after the Crown is nearly stolen by the Riddler in a mad bid to fix is obsessive compulsions, Batman catches wind that Zeller is supposedly testing the Crown on patients in Arkham.
The Dark Knight decides to follow up on this by getting to know Zeller as Bruce Wayne. He invites her out one evening to see what he can discover about Annika. However, all he discovers is that the doctor has a bounty on her head and that numerous hitmen and assassins are trying to cash in on it. Bruce kept Annika safe throughout the night, but their time together came to an end when Robin accidentally called Bruce ‘father’ in front of Zeller. Bruce leaves Annika for the evening after making sure she’s in safe hands.
While Batman has to deal with the fallout of the failed attempt on Annika’s life, revealed to be ordered by her biggest critic, Hugo Strange, Annika returns to work. Back in Arkham Towers, she meets with a patient while tinkering with the Crown of Storms. The patient has burned out the Crown again, but Zeller reloads it with fresh titanographene and gets ready to put it back on her patient. The patient in question is revealed to be the Joker, who calmly waits for his treatment, reflecting on how he needs to reach out to Batman.
Is This the Treatment That Will Change the Joker for Good?
You’ve got to give Annika credit. She’s trying to prove that her Crown of Storms is effective by swinging for the fences and seeing if it’s powerful enough to treat the Joker. And strangely enough, it looks like it kind of is. While I have no clue why the Joker has gained a bit of weight or why he looks so battle-damaged (maybe a result of DC K.O.?), I will say, personality-wise, the Crown looks to be effective on him. He’s polite, calm, and doesn’t appear to be trying to escape.
Now, I’ve read enough comics in my life to know that Joker has gone sane in a variety of different ways, from being dipped in the Lazarus Pits to Martian Manhunter straightening his thoughts out. So I don’t know how effective Zeller’s Crown of Storms will really be. Obviously, people like Hugo Strange and Riddler think it’s the real deal, and based on the few pages we see here, Annika seems to be making headway in treating the Joker. Not to mention, teases for future Batman issues highlight how Joker and Bruce’s relationship is about to be reframed.
I know status quo dominates comic book storytelling, but I’m quite interested in seeing where this all goes. Are we about to get a fully reformed Joker? Or maybe one who’s still sane but just as sinister as ever? I think Fraction and Jiménez have something big in store here, and while I have no clue what it is, I’m certain there’s going to be a major payoff as Joker takes a bigger role in the series and we find out more about what the Crown of Storms has done to him.
What do you think the future has in store for Joker? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
