Knight Terrors: The Joker #2: My Own Worst Enemy Is… Still BATMAN

Knight Terrors has been progressing smoothly over the last month or so, with the core story mainly being relegated to the main title and other series written by Joshua Williamson. Meanwhile, over in his own corner of the DC mythos, Matthew Rosenberg has been concocting a tale of his own, using the simple premise from the larger event to flesh out the main Joker series, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing. Knight Terrors: The Joker #2 picks up with the conclusion of the first issue, revealing that Joker has been sleep-walking in the Batman costume, subconsciously portraying the vigilante that he refuses to let die. Straying a bit away from the more comedic premise of the first issue, this issue delves immensely more into the mind of the Joker, giving readers a back door look into the mad clown that works well on almost any conceivable level.

Stefano Raffaele and Romulo Fajardo Jr.’s depiction of the Joker here continues to shock in their ability to show the multiple facets of the character. On the one hand, they draw Johann, Joker’s businessman persona, in a manner that almost makes you forget that this is the clown prince of crime. This is mainly due to the detail put into his facial features and mannerisms, allowing a human side of this character to come to life like never before. There is no mistaking that this is The Joker, but Raffaele and Fajardo make it easy to get lost in this version of the character. In direct contrast is their version of Joker-Batman. Whereas Johann is lighthearted and traditional, Joker-Batman is unhinged and terrifying. These Knight Terror tie-ins have been full of newly designed nightmares and monsters. Still, nothing is as frightening as the Joker-Batman, having all the intensity and gravitas of the Batman and being the most unhinged version of the Joker that we’ve seen in a long time. The introduction of this character is also a lot of fun, with Raffaele and Fajardo keeping Batman in the shadows while still drawing his body in a lanky and oddly flexible manner to highlight the unease and threat that these criminals are about to face. 

While this issue mainly focuses on the deep insecurities the Joker faces daily, Rosenberg makes room for the trademark comedy that has made this series and the ongoing book work so well. After the book opens, there is a sequence in which Joker interviews characters like Mr. Freeze and Scarecrow for a position at Wayne Enterprises. These interviews, especially Mr. Freeze’s, are hilarious, with practically everyone in this world playing the role of the straight man against the foil of the Joker. Freeze honestly answers Joker’s interview questions, but placing them in the context of a business interview makes it all the more funny. The funniest part of the issue has to be when Joker is playing baseball for work, runs to a base, and responds, “Thank you, my ginger opponent,” when the first baseman says, “Nice hit.” The Joker is such an ass sometimes, and that rude, situational sense of humor gives this book all of its charm.

The highlight of this issue has to be how Rosenberg systematically breaks down the Joker through a series of events that lead him to wake up from this nightmare. The most poignant part has to be when Joker goes to Wayne Manor to have dinner with Bruce. Bruce arrives at this dinner in none other than The Killing Joke Joker costume. While this is never directly addressed by Joker or Bruce, the idea of Joker’s nightmare, including Bruce being an alternate version of himself, speaks volumes. Throughout the issue, it becomes clear that Joker cannot fathom a world where Batman is dead, with his subconscious bringing the caped crusader back to life each night while the Joker sleeps. Because of this, Joker’s insecurities and fears come to life via the world and characters around him discovering and questioning his double life. These characters then start to personify other aspects of him, with his mind trying to reconcile with his fear of losing the reason for his being. The idea that Joker needs Batman is not new to comics, but to see it displayed in such a unique and frightening way is as brilliant as it is uncomfortable.