The Joker Is Finally Given a New Backstory That Changes DC Comics Forever

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The following article contains spoilers for Absolute Batman #25 .

The Joker once said, "If I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice," reflecting both the mystery surrounding his origin and the opportunity to reinterpret the villain for alternate DC Comics timelines. So far, Absolute Batman takes the cake for offering the wildest iteration of the Clown Prince of Crime yet.

It was enough of a shock already for writer Scott Snyder and artist Nick Dragotta to pit a working-class Bruce Wayne against a version of his archnemesis who is a respected billionaire hiding a monstrous true form. However, the latest milestone issue of the blockbuster series shifts Absolute Batman and Absolute Joker's dynamic to an even more bizarre level.

It had long been suspected by the Absolute Universe's Bruce Wayne that there was more to Jack Grimm V than meets the eye, from Alfred Pennyworth's suspicions that the antagonistic aristocrat is ageless to the glimpse at his inhuman alter ego on their first meeting. In Absolute Batman #25 , the title hero witnesses firsthand proof of the truth behind both aspects.

When Absolute Batman finds himself in the cave below Grimm Manor, Absolute Joker goes full monster and recounts how his nickname ironically stems from how rarely he laughs. He then reveals that the source of his merriment comes from the worthy adversaries he has encountered on only a handful of occasions over the course of the "long time" he has been alive, and he hopes that Bruce is that next "special person" who can make him laugh once more.

A clue to the length of Grimm's unspecified lifespan can be seen in the form of a display of warrior outfits that appear to date back to ancient times. This indicates that Absolute Joker may have been around even longer than what Pennyworth's research of the Grimm Family Tree suggested to him.

In DC's main timeline and even in films like 2008's The Dark Knight , Batman and Joker's relationship has always been defined by their mutual reliance on each other as vigilante and criminal, with the latter more overtly and even admiringly acknowledging how Bruce Wayne's alter ego gives his life purpose. Absolute Batman honors that ever-engaging dynamic in a manner that not only fits in with Scott Snyder's goals for the Absolute Universe, but reinvigorates their iconic rivalry for a new generation.

The long-awaited showdown between Absolute Batman and Absolute Joker is also preceded by Bruce's heartbreaking discovery that Grimm has turned his best friends against him . When the vigilante first shows up at Grimm Manor looking for the owner, he instead finds Waylon "Absolute Killer Croc" Jones, Harvey "Absolute Two-Face" Dent, Edward "Absolute Riddler" Nygma, and Oswald "Absolute Penguin" Cobblepot waiting for him.

Their subsequent testimonies reveal that Grimm personally reached out to the group individually, manipulating them into believing that the aristocrat is innocent and afraid of what the vigilante may do to him, convincing them that Absolute Joker's cruel acts against Bruce are a delusion. Bruce's narrow escape from the authorities who arrive to take him to a psychiatric facility is what leads him to fall down a hole into Grimm's cave.

Batman may not have lived to tell the tale of his epic battle with Absolute Joker if not for Absolute Barbara Gordon, now going by "The Bat," who helps Bruce out of his cave as they are chased by Grimm, who then begins to sprout wings. The former Gotham police officer later learns that this creature is the one behind the murder of her father, former mayor Jim Gordon, which may serve as a lead-in to her Batman: Year One -style solo story that Snyder teased makes up Absolute Batman #26 .

The biggest bombshell dropped in Absolute Batman #25 , however, is the return of Selina Kyle sporting a baby bump as her way of letting Bruce know that he is going to be a father. The identity of the child and how this development will affect his war on crime from this point on is poised to be revealed when the story picks up after a time jump in Absolute Batman #28 .

Absolute Batman #25 is now available where comic books are sold.