DC Reveals a Brand New Joker, And He's a Nightmare

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Published Mar 9, 2026, 1:30 PM EDT

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.

The following contains major spoilers for Batman #7, on sale now from DC Comics.

The Joker's new look is officially the least scary thing about him, and Batman knows it.

After receiving an unexpected request from deep within Arkham Towers, the titular hero of Batman #7 (by Matt Fraction, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, Clayton Cowles, and Jorge Jiménez) is finally given the chance to come face-to-face with Patient 10, better known as the Joker. Thanks to the work of one Doctor Annika Zeller, the former Clown Prince of Crime now thinks with absolute clarity. Unfortunately, that means he can see right through Batman's cape and cowl to the man underneath, as well as through the shadows to the nefarious forces now on the hunt for Bruce Wayne.

Batman #7

Written by MATT FRACTION
Art by JORGE JIMÉNEZ
Colors by TOMEU MOREY
Letters by CLAYTON COWLES & JORGE JIMÉNEZ
Main cover art by JORGE JIMÉNEZ
Variant covers by DUSTIN NGUYEN; JORGE MOLINA; RYAN SOOK; DAVID AJA; and LEIRIX

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."

Matt Fraction's Batman Introduces A New Joker Backstory

First introduced all the way back in 1940's Batman #1 in Bill Finger and Bob Kane's story, "The Joker," the Clown Prince of Crime is one of Batman's oldest foes, not to mention his most infamous by a wide margin. In the decades since, the Joker has been reimagined dozens of times across various iterations of the DC Universe in comics, film, television series, and about every medium available.

The Joker's current state is one of the most devastating that fans have seen him in, as the villain has been reduced to little more than a test subject within the walls of Arkham Towers. Under the watch of Doctor Annika Zeller, The Joker is being kept confined to a chamber where his every need it provided intravenously, all while Doctor Zeller's Crown of Storms controls the electronic impulses in his brain.

Although Bruce Wayne has made it a point to try to understand Doctor Zeller's work, even going so far as to take her on a date in the hopes of learning more. Unfortunately for them, the date ended in bloodshed as both Bruce and Doctor Zeller were besieged by threats from all sides. Worse still, when the threat was quashed, Bruce's secret identity was effectively shattered by Damian Wayne, who couldn't help but call Bruce "father" in Doctor Zeller's presence.

Batman #7 from DC Comics is on sale now.