Image via DC Comics
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 brutal history of the Absolute Joker keeps getting more twisted in the latest Absolute Batman special.
In a preview of Absolute Batman: Ark M #1 (by Scott Snyder, Frank Tieri, Joshua Hixson, Roman Stevens, and Clayton Cowles) from DC Comics, readers are brought back to 1945, specifically to the day that Doctor Amadeus Arkham decided to finally sell the asylum he founded. As it turns out, the beginnings of what would become the Joker's Ark M were nothing if not benevolent, no matter how utterly gruesome the circumstances leading up to them might have been.
Absolute Batman: Ark M #1
- Written by SCOTT SNYDER & FRANK TIERI
- Art by JOSHUA HIXSON
- Colors by ROMAN STEVENS
- Letters by CLAYTON COWLES
- Main cover art by JOSHUA HIXSON
- Variant covers by JAVIER RODRIGUEZ; RILY ROSSMO; and STEVE SKROCE & IAN HERRING
Arkham Asylum has long been a part of the wider Batman mythos, with its first appearance taking place in Dennis O'Neil and Irv Novick's opening story from 1974's Batman #258, "Threat of the Two-Headed Coin!" In the vast majority of its many iterations, Arkham Asylum serves as a prison and rehabilitation facility for the worst, most dangerous supervillains and criminals that Gotham City has to offer.
In the Absolute Universe, however, Ark M is one of the many clandestine prison laboratories owned and overseen by the enigmatic billionaire known as the Joker. In previous issues of Absolute Batman, readers have seen all manner of grotesque experiments carried out at Ark M, including Batman himself being forcefully imbued with the very same Venom serum that gave rise to the likes of Bane.
This latest addition to the Joker's story is one of several that fans have received in the past few months. Since his debut in the pages of Absolute Batman #1, the Absolute Joker has largely been an enigma, save for his obvious interest in seeing Gotham City thrown into a state of abject chaos.
In recent months, that has all changed, as the Absolute Joker's personal endeavors and history have come more and more into focus. With the release of Absolute Evil #1 back in October, this version of the Joker finally joined forces with fellow villains Veronica Cale, Doctor Elenor Thawne, Ra's al Ghul, Hector Hammond, and, presumably, Lex Luthor, the latter of whom was last seen living out a quiet life in the seemingly idyllic town of Smallville, Kansas.
Even more recently, in the pages of Absolute Batman #15, readers finally got to see just what the Absolute Joker is truly capable of, and just where he comes from. Rather than being a mere criminal mastermind, the Absolute Joker is an unnaturally long-lived force of nature who extends his own life through twisted rituals and spends his leisure time hunting human prey across any one of the numerous private islands he owns for that express purpose. Worse still, the Absolute Joker transforms into a literal monster during these hunts, showcasing a devilish form unlike any fans have seen before.
Absolute Batman: Ark M #1 goes on sale January 7 from DC Comics.
Writer Scott Snyder
Penciler Gabriel Hernandez Walta, Nick Dragotta
English (US) · 