Sean Murphy's Batman: White Knight

[Frontier]

Sean Gordon Murphy's secret Batman project has been revealed as Batman: White Knight.

The story shifts the role of Batman and Joker, with Joker set as Gotham's protector against the villainous machinations of Batman.

“My main goal was to undo the comic tropes while changing Gotham from a comic book city into a real city—a city dealing with everything from Black Lives Matter to the growing wage gap,” Murphy told Wired in an interview announcing the series. “[But] rather than write a comic about the wage gap, I gave those ideas to the Joker, who leads a kind of media war against Gotham’s elite by winning people over with his potent observations and rhetoric.”

t’s sexy to think crime can be stopped with a fist, but the real solution is a lot more boring than that: education, increasing wages, and building trust,” Murphy added. “The line Batman rides between ‘noble vigilante’ and ‘overzealous oppressor’ will always be shifting as our own society changes.”

ough he stopped short of revealing his series’ premise ahead of the official unveiling, Murphy has been teasing his plans to add his own spin to the Batman mythos. One of his earlier tweets, in which he shared his take on the Joker, promised, “My Batman story makes it OK to have a crush on Joker!” With the Clown Prince of Crime (and apparently his longtime girlfriend Harley Quinn) now cast in the role of savior rather than enemy of Gotham, it’s now clear that he really meant what he wrote.

“We know the Joker is a genius, we know he’s relentless, and we know he can play the crowd, so why not make him a politician?” Murphy said of the Joker’s new role. “Frank Miller modeled him after David Bowie. Chris Nolan showed him as a controlled sociopath. I see the Joker as Don Draper.”

[dan12456]

This is the most excited I've been for a Batman book (meaning Bruce Wayne, not things including the extended fam) in a long time. Everything about this looks excellent!

[Atlanta96]

DC fans: "Here's a list of characters and teams we'd like to see more of..."

DC: "Duly noted! Here's a story about a heroic Joker defeating Batman with social justice, and explaining why the superhero comics you love are stupid!"

DC fans: "Or you could give us new JSA, Young Justice, Shazam..."

DC: "Enjoy a Don Draper inspired Joker bringing political correctness to Gotham and saving it from oppressor Batman!"

The disconnect grows.

[rev516]

I was interested in this.

I wus.

[dietrich]

This sounds hella interesting. Looking forward to this. Love when they mix it up.
Also people crush on the Joker?

[dan12456]

DC fans: "Here's a list of characters and teams we'd like to see more of..."

DC: "Duly noted! Here's a story about a heroic Joker defeating Batman with social justice, and explaining why the superhero comics you love are stupid!"

DC fans: "Or you could give us new JSA, Young Justice, Shazam..."

DC: "Enjoy a Don Draper inspired Joker bringing political correctness to Gotham and saving it from oppressor Batman!"

The disconnect grows.

This is obviously a personal Sean Murphy story he wanted to do. It's not like Sean was like "I'd like to do something random for DC, maybe Shazam" and they were like "no do hero joker". Sean pretty much only does Batman miniseries/arcs for DC. It was likely this or he does nothing for them and sticks to his creator owned stuff. You're never going to get him on an ongoing rebirth book.

[Netherman14]

DC fans: "Here's a list of characters and teams we'd like to see more of..."

DC: "Duly noted! Here's a story about a heroic Joker defeating Batman with social justice, and explaining why the superhero comics you love are stupid!"

DC fans: "Or you could give us new JSA, Young Justice, Shazam..."

DC: "Enjoy a Don Draper inspired Joker bringing political correctness to Gotham and saving it from oppressor Batman!"

The disconnect grows.

Nobody asked for this book, yes. nobody did, but it could be interesting regardless?

[Frontier]

This sounds hella interesting. Looking forward to this. Love when they mix it up.
Also people crush on the Joker?

...You'd be surprised .

[sakuyamons]

Nobody asked for this. But it does sound interesting.

Will Batman be the bad guy?

[Assam]

Can't say I'm interested in this at all. Partially because the concept doesn't sound too appealing, and partially because I couldn't care less about the Joker.

Also, anybody remember the LAST disastrous non-canon book where one of Batman's rogues was cast as a hero, and Batman himself as a villain?

guardian.jpg

[Atlanta96]

Can't say I'm interested in this at all. Partially because the concept doesn't sound too appealing, and partially because I couldn't care less about the Joker.

Also, anybody remember the LAST disastrous non-canon book where one of Batman's rogues was cast as a hero, and Batman himself as a villain?

guardian.jpg

LOL, I'm not the only one who knows about that!

[millernumber1]

DC fans: "Here's a list of characters and teams we'd like to see more of..."

DC: "Duly noted! Here's a story about a heroic Joker defeating Batman with social justice, and explaining why the superhero comics you love are stupid!"

DC fans: "Or you could give us new JSA, Young Justice, Shazam..."

DC: "Enjoy a Don Draper inspired Joker bringing political correctness to Gotham and saving it from oppressor Batman!"

The disconnect grows.

Ugh. Make that three series that are trying to preach to me about politics (Doomsday Clock, Mister Miracle, and now White Knight). I'm actually still interested, but I'm now tensed up against "Oooh, superheroes are fascist" sophomoric writing. Plus, I absolutely do not trust artists turned writers to actually have a good sense of structure at all.

Can't say I'm interested in this at all. Partially because the concept doesn't sound too appealing, and partially because I couldn't care less about the Joker.

Also, anybody remember the LAST disastrous non-canon book where one of Batman's rogues was cast as a hero, and Batman himself as a villain?

guardian.jpg

Haha, I still have that series in my digital collection, waiting to read it. The Balent art really hinders my desire to do so, though...

[JBatmanFan05]

I love The Joker, so no problem with him being used.

I'm kinda interested, but if Joker and Batman are too far afield, I'm probably gonna bow out quickly. Also too much Harley may kill my interest.

Murphy's challenge will be keeping Batman & Joker just recognizable enough to make you think about them and their roles in relation to each other over the years. If he doesn't, if they're totally new characters, new versions essentially, then that's just not interesting to me. Because I'm not a big Elseworlds fan. DKR by Miller smartly kept the characters recognizable enough, familiar enough (which is why many fans treat it as their fan canon ending).

[Powertool]

DC fans: "Here's a list of characters and teams we'd like to see more of..."

DC: "Duly noted! Here's a story about a heroic Joker defeating Batman with social justice, and explaining why the superhero comics you love are stupid!"

DC fans: "Or you could give us new JSA, Young Justice, Shazam..."

DC: "Enjoy a Don Draper inspired Joker bringing political correctness to Gotham and saving it from oppressor Batman!"

The disconnect grows.

Never read a book that was produced exclusively to give the fans what they wanted that was worth a damn. The problem simply does not exist.

Can't say I'm interested in this at all. Partially because the concept doesn't sound too appealing, and partially because I couldn't care less about the Joker.

Also, anybody remember the LAST disastrous non-canon book where one of Batman's rogues was cast as a hero, and Batman himself as a villain?

Are you really comparing Jim "Your vagina is haunted!" Balent with Sean Murphy? And what's even the point of this comparison? One mini-series from nearly two decades ago sucked noodles so every story, nevermind the different creative team, with a similar theme is bound to be as bad? Sorry, but that does not compute.

[Assam]

Are you really comparing Jim "Your vagina is haunted!" Balent with Sean Murphy? And what's even the point of this comparison? One mini-series from nearly two decades ago sucked noodles so every story, nevermind the different creative team, with a similar theme is bound to be as bad? Sorry, but that does not compute.

Wasn't trying to make a comparison. Just a thought about the last time a concept like this was used. For all I know, this'll be really good, even if I have no intention of reading it. Also, not actually too familiar with Murphy's work.