John Dodge is an MTV Writer for CBR who specializes in movies, television, comics, and pop culture. He has a deep knowledge of franchises like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel, and DC Comics, along with a passion for indie and horror titles. An expert on obscure productions from the ’80s and ’90s, John is known for his encyclopedic recall of cult classics like Beetleborgs.
Batman's worst enemy is about to make a major comic book comeback, and the Joker is looking more twisted than ever.
Per a press release from DC Comics, the Clown Prince of Crime himself is slated to make a major comeback in the pages of Batman by writer Matt Fraction in just a few months. As seen in the main cover art for Batman #7 by artist Jorge Jiménez, the Joker has been captured, bound, and suspended in what appears to be some sort of glass prison, where horrifying experiments are more than certainly being conducted. Readers can check out Jiménez' main cover art as well as Dustin Nguyen's variant cover for the issue down below.
Batman #7
- Written by MATT FRACTION
- Art by JORGE JIMÉNEZ
- Colors by TOMEU MOREY
- Main cover art by JORGE JIMÉNEZ
- Variant cover art by DUSTIN NGUYEN
The official solicit synopsis for Batman #7 from DC Comics reads, "As Batman is beckoned to Arkham Towers by the mysterious man in Room Ten, nothing will prepare him for who he finds there. Some might call him the Caped Crusader’s archnemesis. Others might call him Batman’s best friend. Everyone calls him the Joker."
Introduced all the way back in 1940 in Bill Finger and Bob Kane's second story, "The Joker," from the pages of Batman #1, the Joker has long been counted among the Dark Knight's worst enemies. Over the decades since his debut, the Joker has been reimagined and reintroduced dozens of times across various iterations of Batman's story, ranging from comics to feature films to animated series and just about every possible medium in between.
While the Joker's new look for 2026 is easily one of the character's most unsettling, it is far from the most intimidating version of the character that fans have seen recently. In fact, perhaps the most monstrous version of the character of all time was only recently unveiled in the pages of Absolute Batman #15 (by Scott Snyder, Jock, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles), with the Absolute Joker finally shedding his coldly calculating persona for something infinitely more horrifying.
Of course, the Joker's new look is just the latest reason fans have to look forward to new Fraction and Jiménez' upcoming Batman run for 2026. Just days ago, it was confirmed that Batman #6 will mark the long-overdue return of the Caped Crusader's very first recurring villain — Hugo Strange. To top things off, Strange will be joined by his Golden Age henches, the Monster Men.
The official solicit synopsis for Batman #6 from DC Comics reads, "After he survives the date night from hell, the long night isn't over for Bruce Wayne. While he juggles multiple needs as Bruce, Hugo Strange's Monster Men attack a petrochemical facility and force Batman into action. Gotham City becomes a powder keg as superstars Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez continue their acclaimed run on the Caped Crusader."
Batman #7 goes on sale March 4, 2026 from DC Comics.
Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane
First Film Batman: The Movie
Upcoming Films The Batman – Part II
English (US) · 