Back in Justice League #42, Batman asked The Mobius Chair (A chair with a computer in it that is able to access all the knowledge in the Universe) one question that everyone in the world has wondered at some time: “What is The Joker’s real name?” The answer to which was hinted to be answered with Justice League #50, just before DC kicked off it’s big “Rebirth” event. For those of you who don’t remember the announcement, you can take a look here at my previous coverage of this news.
Well DC has officially kicked off their “Rebirth” event this week and also released Justice League #50. While I’m not going to review the issue, I’m just going to say that it is one of the most rushed endings to a storyline that I’ve ever seen in comic books and frankly is a huge joke now that “Rebirth” is beginning and already fucking up things just to add Watchmen into the DC Universe… Yeah, it’s not great.
However, it’s time to reveal the answer to the question that Batman asked. Now before I post the page and reveal the answer, remember how I said there would be some sort of twist involved? Well I’m going to gloat now.
So instead of giving Batman a name, The Mobius Chair told him there were THREE Jokers. So there’s the twist that I called back when the announcement was made. So we haven’t seen the same man over all these years, but three. So this gives Batman a huge puzzle to work through. Who were these men? How did they become The Joker? Is The Joker more than just the men who take the name? What happened to them? And the ultimate question: Can, and will, there be more men to take the name?
Over in the main Batman books, before returning to the mantle of Batman, Bruce Wayne had a conversation with a strange smiling man in a white suit. This man seems to know things about Bruce’s life as Batman and will reference it without fearing Bruce catching on. He does have some sort of plan that is yet to come to fruition. Could he be a Fourth Joker? Or is he the Third? I’m not too sure. Hell, I’m just learning this twist and I’m completely confused.
But let’s hope that the myth of The Joker is larger and harder to crack than even Batman can handle. I really don’t think The Joker’s, or one of them, real name is something we need to know at all.
