Batman #99 discussion (spoilers)

[tib2d2]

Couldn't find a thread to discuss #99, that was suprising.

So here we are, discuss!

[K. Jones]

It was with this issue that I realized that Joker's random killing of henchmen, while both ironically funny and Jokerly cruel and consistent with maintaining his psycho reputation ... has never actually been about any of that, but has rather been because to pull off the outrageous Gotham-Sized crap he likes to pull off, Joker has to give his goons a lot of really important information. So killing them all is really probably more to cover his tracks, keep important information cellular, and because frankly a lot of them know too much.

Within this mode of thinking I realize that trusting the hype on Punchline was probably a bad idea for another reason beyond just "never trust hype" - and that is, Punchline ostensibly knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Therefore she has to die by the end of the story. So watch for that obvious beat to happen. Just another cautionary tale, with Harley being like "hey stupid don't be a cautionary tale" literally saying it out loud.

It occurs to me that if Batman really wanted to find the details on Joker, the key would be to find whoever the Joker Henchman is that dates back the furthest that would still be alive. That guy probably knows A LOT.

[Restingvoice]

It was with this issue that I realized that Joker's random killing of henchmen, while both ironically funny and Jokerly cruel and consistent with maintaining his psycho reputation ... has never actually been about any of that, but has rather been because to pull off the outrageous Gotham-Sized crap he likes to pull off, Joker has to give his goons a lot of really important information. So killing them all is really probably more to cover his tracks, keep important information cellular, and because frankly a lot of them know too much.

Within this mode of thinking I realize that trusting the hype on Punchline was probably a bad idea for another reason beyond just "never trust hype" - and that is, Punchline ostensibly knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Therefore she has to die by the end of the story. So watch for that obvious beat to happen. Just another cautionary tale, with Harley being like "hey stupid don't be a cautionary tale" literally saying it out loud.

It occurs to me that if Batman really wanted to find the details on Joker, the key would be to find whoever the Joker Henchman is that dates back the furthest that would still be alive. That guy probably knows A LOT.

That reminds me... Joker started killing henchmen in Five Ways of Joker's Revenge wasn't it and two of his henchmen are old, one is in an old home, and he survived, so that's probably the oldest henchman alive.

Well... at that time Dick was still in college so who knows if he's still alive now

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I read it but I was pretty bored. I'm just waiting for ghost-maker to pop up.

[Frontier]

It was with this issue that I realized that Joker's random killing of henchmen, while both ironically funny and Jokerly cruel and consistent with maintaining his psycho reputation ... has never actually been about any of that, but has rather been because to pull off the outrageous Gotham-Sized crap he likes to pull off, Joker has to give his goons a lot of really important information. So killing them all is really probably more to cover his tracks, keep important information cellular, and because frankly a lot of them know too much.

Within this mode of thinking I realize that trusting the hype on Punchline was probably a bad idea for another reason beyond just "never trust hype" - and that is, Punchline ostensibly knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Therefore she has to die by the end of the story. So watch for that obvious beat to happen. Just another cautionary tale, with Harley being like "hey stupid don't be a cautionary tale" literally saying it out loud.

It occurs to me that if Batman really wanted to find the details on Joker, the key would be to find whoever the Joker Henchman is that dates back the furthest that would still be alive. That guy probably knows A LOT.

The solicit for the Punchline one-shot confirms she ends up in prison.

[ngroove]

It was with this issue that I realized that Joker's random killing of henchmen, while both ironically funny and Jokerly cruel and consistent with maintaining his psycho reputation ... has never actually been about any of that, but has rather been because to pull off the outrageous Gotham-Sized crap he likes to pull off, Joker has to give his goons a lot of really important information. So killing them all is really probably more to cover his tracks, keep important information cellular, and because frankly a lot of them know too much.

Within this mode of thinking I realize that trusting the hype on Punchline was probably a bad idea for another reason beyond just "never trust hype" - and that is, Punchline ostensibly knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Therefore she has to die by the end of the story. So watch for that obvious beat to happen. Just another cautionary tale, with Harley being like "hey stupid don't be a cautionary tale" literally saying it out loud.

It occurs to me that if Batman really wanted to find the details on Joker, the key would be to find whoever the Joker Henchman is that dates back the furthest that would still be alive. That guy probably knows A LOT.

I really, really got a feeling, Batman #100, will end with either Joker's death, amnesia, or when Joker returns, which I hope won't be for another several years after a story of this massive, grandest plot caliber, Joker gets amnesia, of the knowing Batman is Bruce Wayne part.

[K. Jones]

That reminds me... Joker started killing henchmen in Five Ways of Joker's Revenge wasn't it and two of his henchmen are old, one is in an old home, and he survived, so that's probably the oldest henchman alive.

Well... at that time Dick was still in college so who knows if he's still alive now

I believe he's occasionally cruelly shot goons in cold blood when they question him dating back to the Golden Age but the actual 'schtick' of looking up and purging old henchmen definitely began with The Joker's Five-Way Revenge in ... 1970.

He's played that greatest hit quite a few times since. But it's definitely 'old material'.