Batman Vol. 3: The Joker Year One

Batman by Chip Zdarsky

by Chip Zdarsky, Stefano Nesi (illustrator), Giuseppe Camuncoli (illustrator)

BATMAN VS. THE JOKER, MORE BRUTAL THAN EVER!

Following the cataclysmic events of the Gotham War, Batman finds himself completely isolated from his family, struggling to keep the rage of Zur-En-Arrh in check. But he can’t stop, because he’s out there, haunting the city, taunting the Dark Knight: The Joker. And the new Batman is ready to stop him once and for all. But wait…Batman is also battling a legion of himself! What has Zur done?

Plus, the terrifying tale of “The Joker Year One”: a mysterious figure from Batman’s past has come into The Joker’s orbit, changing the Clown Prince of Crime forever! What secrets does the re-formed Red Hood Gang have for Batman’s future? Collects Batman #139-144.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2024

About the author

Chip Zdarsky is a Canadian comic book artist and journalist. He was born Steve Murray but is known by his fan base as Chip Zdarsky, and occasionally Todd Diamond. He writes and illustrates an advice column called Extremely Bad Advice for the Canadian national newspaper National Post's The Ampersand, their pop culture section's online edition. He is also the creator of Prison Funnies and Monster Cops.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Molly™☺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A weak Year One story that has too much going on, yet manages to provide very little quality or substance. It's forgettable, however, that's okay as the whole thing is pointless pandering anyway. The other storylines that have been thrown into this collection are definitely better, but nothing more than okay. Zdarsky needs to pull his act together and show that he's got an actual plan for the rest of this run, otherwise we are all in trouble....

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume collects two three-part stories: ‘Mind Bomb’ and ‘The Joker: Year One’.

I really enjoyed the former and really didn’t like the latter. Averages out to three stars. Them’s the breaks. Bada-boom, bada-bing…

[Willow Heath]

Feeling mixed on this one, especially compared to the last two Zdarsky volumes (and his excellent Batman: The Knight as well). I told myself after volume 2 that I hope Zdarsky writes Batman for years to come, but this volume was so frustratingly inconsistent.

The book is comprised of six issues: the first three continue the story from what was established at the beginning of Zdarsky’s run, and it’s escalating nicely. The second three are a Year One for the Joker, expanding on his mythology and origins. Here, Zdarsky is trying to tie Joker into his own work on Batman’s origins (the aforementioned The Knight comic book), while also obviously referencing and expanding on such stories as the iconic Killing Joke. Ultimately, the whole thing feels sloppy and a little pointless. We simply don’t need any of it. The more we pry into Joker’s mind and past, the less of a force of evil/nature/mystery he becomes.

I have plenty of faith that Zdarsky will get back on track after this, but I have no idea what the point of any of this was.

[Joshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like zdarsky's batman but this kinda sucked. Fucked up that sorrentino is using ai generated batfleck to paint over

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A volume in 2 distinct parts, neither of which is particularly exceptional or infamous.

The first goes back to the Zur En Aarh/Failsafe main plot and even though I'm still not hooked and my suspension of disbelief is once again sorely tested can anyone explain to me how a secondary personality of a human psyche can download into a T1000? the various conflicts - internal/external - between Batsy and Zur are pretty well handled, even if the "Terminator" aspect of the first volume, which quickly proved tiresome, returns.

The second - Joker Year One - is less so. It needlessly mixes 2 distinct timelines that are supposed to have a link between them. The one in the past, which takes up most of the story, is pretty solid and well illustrated by Camuncoli with some very nice colouring. The second is in a VERY different mood, illustrated by an ultra-creepy Sorrentino, and has little more than a reference to a character's name to make the link when it could have been an independent story with no problem. I missed something here.

And above all, this second part is yet another irrelevant distraction from the main arc.

I'll give it a 3*, though, because the plots are globally well constructed and the artists (Jimenez/Camuncoli/Sorrentino) very good.

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Комікси Чіпа Здарскі загалом викликають у мене цікавість, але його робота з Бетменом стає дедалі більш спірною. Після перших двох арок, які хоча й були недосконалими, але містили цікаві ідеї, ми отримали новий сюжет — «Джокер. Рік перший», який, на жаль, розчаровує. Чіп Здарскі підійшов до Бетмена так, як Джокер до своєї вечірки: з усмішкою до вух, але без жодного плану.

Комікс поділений на дві лінії: минуле і майбутнє. У першій частині ми бачимо, як Джокер після своєї трансформації зіштовхується із новим ворогом — учителем Брюса з минулого, який намагається зробити з Джокера «агента хаосу». Попри спроби розширити лор персонажів, усе виглядає натягнуто й надумано. Друга сюжетна лінія, яка відбувається в майбутньому, розповідає про «джокеропокаліпсис», спричинений Джокером, і боротьбу Бетмена за повернення контролю. Сюжет здається одноманітним і позбавленим логіки, зокрема через повторювані кліше.

Джокер у цьому томі втрачає усе, що робить його особливим. Він, із загадкового принца злочинності, перетворюється на пересічного злодія з перевантаженим бекґраундом, що лише шкодить його образу. Бетмен, хоч і постає сильним і самотнім, не демонструє нових граней свого характеру. Його конфлікт із Джокером у цій історії позбавлений драматизму та напруги, що робить їхню боротьбу абсолютно невиразною.

Головний недолік цього тому — він відчувається зайвим. Вставки про минуле Джокера та "трьох Джокерів" не додають нічого цікавого, а лише розмивають його образ. А використання великої кількості художників також на мою думку роблять все гірше, адже через це немає можливості проникнутися атмосферою розповіді. І це не проблема художників, вони всі є хорошими у своєму стилі. Окрім Соррентіно, бо він виглядає вирішив використати ШІ для створення свого малюнку.

«Джокер. Рік перший» можна порівняти із черговим жартом Джокера — яскравим, голосним, але таким, що не викликає ні сміху, ні страху. Замість того, щоб розвивати персонажів і конфлікти, історія губиться у спробах зробити щось «глобальне» і «шокуюче», що призводить до плутанини та розчарування. Віра в цю серію тримається так само хитко, як останній вдих після зустрічі з газом із чергового «жарту» Джокера.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning story, “Mind Bomb,” bringing the Joker back into Zdarsky’s Batman is an okay story with Batman still trying to fight Zur-En-Arrh. But I’m not sure why the Joker is even there though…

I reject any idea to flesh out the Joker’s backstory, so when I saw that this volume features a story that expands on the Joker’s history following Absolute Batman: Zero Year and the flashbacks in Batman: The Killing Joke, I had a feeling this wouldn’t be for me. Although I enjoyed Killing Joke, I see that as just a possible origin and tend to side-eye anything that would attempt to further expand on that and try to make it canon. This book does that and I’m not quite sure why it’s necessary.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the dull crossover event that was "The Gotham War", Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiménez can get back into telling their ongoing narrative that is going on throughout their Batman run, involving Zur-En-Arhh who is determined to take over Bruce Wayne’s mind and become the Batman that he thinks Gotham needs.

The first three issues titled “Mind Bomb” opens the Joker once again wreaking havoc, and as Batman prepares to confront his arch-nemesis, this is where Zur-En-Arhh makes his move. Although the Joker is a chilling presence that Jiménez draws to great effect, he isn’t really the focus. Through Bruce’s inner monologue and the mental battle that he has with Zur-En-Arhh, Zdarsky in a similar vein he did with Daredevil nails what makes Batman psychologically tick and how it always seems he is at odds with himself.

When it comes to Jiménez, you want him to draw action sequences and he really delivers here as through the first three issues of this volume, Batman goes from battling the Joker, being mentally confronted by the alternate versions of Zur-En-Arhh, to a rematch with the robotic antagonist Failsafe. These issues throw a lot of stuff, from referencing the three Jokers, which continues to be a strange plot point that has popped up through DC in recent years, whilst a character from Zdarsky’s limited series Batman: The Knight is featured, and yet Jiménez makes it all look snappy and fun.

A change of pace happens halfway through the volume with “The Joker: Year One”, which finally explains the origins of the Clown Prince of Crime. Alright, let’s just get this out of the way, there is no definitive version of the Joker, as we learned from the cinematic interpretations there have been on the character, or even Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s The Killing Joke, which is referenced here.

In the context of this storyline, which takes after the events of the “Zero Year” arc from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman run, a mysterious figure from Batman’s past arrives and mentors the man who will become the greatest evil that Batman will face. Throughout his run, the stories that Zdarsky have been telling are built upon past storylines from other creators, and thus the remixing of existing elements can be divisive. Whether you think a personal connection between Batman and the Joker works or not, and that has varied in quality throughout media history, may result how you feel about this particular arc, which has some great character stuff with James Gordon, whilst Giuseppe Camuncoli draws an effectively creepy Joker.

(Quick disclaimer: Andrea Sorrentino, who draw a subplot within “The Joker: Year One”, has been accused of using AI-generated images for this comic, which he denied doing. Whilst it may have problems with this subplot from a writing standpoint, I will not be discussing Sorrentino’s work here.)

Concluding with two backups, one about Vandal Savage’s rise to power in Gotham (drawn by Jorge Corona), and the other is about Zur-En-Arhh communicating with his multiversal brethren (drawn by Dustin Nguyen), this latest volume ends on a good note that makes me excited what Zdarsky and Co. have in store with the Dark Knight.

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was terrible and we didn’t need it at all. Zdarsky’s Batman run has been sooo sooooo bad. The run started off ok, but he really overused both Failsafe and Zur-En-Arrh. He also can’t even write Joker halfway decent. This whole book and previously Gotham War should just be retconned into oblivion and probably the next book too which I have decided to skip since it just seems to be more Zur-En-Arrh and Joker bullshit. Hopefully the book after that one will be better. It certainly sounds more interesting, but with the way this run has been going it will probably be disappointing.

[Jesse A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really cool art but the whole thing feels a bit jumbled and incoherent at times.

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories within this graphic novel start with the Joker using Batman's own mind-nemesis Zur against him. Though it's not clear how Joker knew about it, or what all came about of the whole thing. This leads into The Joker: Year One, once again going back to just after his time with the Red Hood Gang, and early days of Batman and Jim Gordon. Doctor Daniel Captio ends up training Joker like he did Batman, to create ultimate chaos...or something. Again, things not all that clear. In the midst of all this is some futuristic (?) story where Joker has unleashed one of his gasses turning the world (?) into Joker zombies...or something. Also utterly not clear what, if anything, this has to do with the Year One story, or how or why it happened or exactly how it was resolved. Following the conclusion of these stories, was a Batman story called The Savage Garden of Gotham. However, the artwork was so abysmally amateurish and awful, I just skipped those issues. Not worth wasting my time on something so bad. After that was apparently the wrap up for the Zur story line, but that whole Zur thing is one of the stupidest plots they ever came up with for Batman, so, done with this book, finally. Generously calling it 2* because the Joker thing wasn't that uninteresting, just totally unnecessary and proof they produce way too many Batman comics resulting in an utter lack of originality in trying to keep them going.

[Brandon Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to read Chip Zdarsky’s full run, you’ll want to read Batman/Catwoman The Gotham War first. I missed that when I read this, and it was noticeable.

Pretty mixed on trade. I liked the culmination of the Zur En Ah and Failsafe stuff quite a bit, though some of the alternate universe stuff was a little too silly. The Joker storyline was interesting, but sort of went nowhere. The last few bits about Vandal Savage felt a little from out of nowhere. I’m guessing that comes from some crossover that wasn’t ever mentioned with an editors note.

The art by Jorge Jimenez and Gueseppe Camuncoli was amazing. I’m usually a big fan of Andrea Sorentino, but this was his worst work in years. And I’m not just talking about the obvious and egregious AI slop; the rest of it was overly referenced from Batman movies.

[Bailey · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disjointed mess with supposed AI art integrated into it.

[Laint Moser · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. Started out great then a couple of issues had multiple pages with Ai generated pictures. No thanks.

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art style jumping around was fun- I love the Arkham call back. Joker splitting his personalities like Batman (all bat fans know that Bruce is the mask) makes sense and is interesting but the overall Batman mindfuck story is not for me! Get back to the street level stuff.

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot about this book that is really good, and a lot of things are set up for later or explained in the past, but there is too much going on.

As a continuity lover, I am really glad that elements of Batman Knight, the 3 Joker's, and the Joker's personalities are brought together. However, this book is all over the place. The different artwork to show what era (past, earlier present, or present) the book was set in, but it is still very easy to get lost in this book.

This book touches on Zur-En-Arrh, Failsafe, early currupt Gotham, returns from the Gotham War (I think not quite an explanation), the fall out from the Gotham War, the Bat Family, the Joker and more??? It is too much for one book.

This is trying to read 4 books/stories at the same time. I have faith that Chip Zdarsky will bring everything together in the end, but wow, I have no idea how, especially with all the other stuff coming up in the DCU. The book finishes with a varient covers gallery.

[Trevor Dailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: This is only regarding the three pertinent issues.

This was a fine exploration of the origination of the Joker. The art is inoffensive and the zombie-apocalypse aspect was an interesting take.

Read via DC Universe Infinite.

[Joey Amorim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume was a mixed bag because I actually really enjoyed “Mindbomb” but I wasn’t too crazy about “Joker Year One.”

I’ve been enjoying the escalation of the Zur-En-Arrh/Failsafe storyline as it’s gone along, mostly because I appreciate how it actually subverts the very concept of Batgod and paints it as a bad thing that has plagued Bruce for years and is now finally blowing up in his face.

While Zdarsky definitely goes in an interesting direction for Joker’s new origin, I honestly don’t entirely know how I feel about it. Connecting Batman and Joker so definitively and intrinsically feels like a bit much, and as a big fan/apologist of Geoff Johns’s “Three Jokers,” it’s disappointing that this arc seemingly renders it definitively non-canon. I especially don’t like how much the future storyline reminded me of Tom King’s “One Bad Day: Riddler” book, where the Joker is all like, “Well I’m actually such a genius that I’ve only LET you beat me for all these years and I could’ve actually killed you whenever I wanted.”

And then the backups were nothing amazing, just setup for future stories. Turns out Vandal Savage managed to survive being blown up by a meteorite or whatever and is immortal again but the catch is that he can’t leave Gotham for reasons, otherwise he’ll die or something. He waves his dick around for a bit and says “I’m in charge” to a bunch of no-name billionaires before deciding to work with probably the Court of Owls to become Gotham’s new police commissioner. And finally, we see Zur-En-Arrh download his mind into Failsafe, but before that, he also waves his dick around and says “I’m in charge” to a bunch of multiversal Zurs.

[Gary Sassaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars, really)

DC has evidently inaugrated a same day release for both their hardcover and paperback releases (at least on some books), so the TPB of Batman Vol. 3 has come out pretty hot on the heels of Vol. 2. And like that book, this one is a bit of a disappointment. Don’t get me wrong; Jiminez, Camuncoli, and Sorrentino’s art is amazing; the latter’s depiction of Joker especially nightmarish (are they photos?), but Zdarsky is all in on the whole Zur En Arrh persona of Batman, who exists in a partioned part of his mind, put there as a personality within, to be used as needed. I really liked Failsafe, the Batman creation designed to take him out if he crosses the line and kills someone, but the whole ZEA thing has run its course and is getting pretty tiresome by this point, about 12-18 issues into Zdarsky’s run. We meet a couple of Batman’s mentor/trainers again (both from Zdarsky’s first Batman mini-series, Batman: The Knight), and one of them, the self-styled “smartest man in the world,” decides to train the Joker just like he did young Bruce Wayne. I don’t buy into the whole “three (or is it four) Jokers” thing that seems to be prevalent in Batman books these days, and this journey back into how he came to be is kind of tedious. But … once again, like Vol. 2, this is still a decent read, with great art, and I’m grateful to have Zdarsky continuing to write Batman. He’s so much better than some of his contemporaries.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman Vol. 3: The Joker - Year One collects issues 139-144 of the DC Comic series written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Jorge Jiménez, Jorge Corona, Mike Hawthorne, and Dustin Nguyen.

As Bruce Wayne takes steps to distance himself from the Batfamily and work alone, Zur-En-Arrh finds the perfect opportunity to gain control of Bruce’s mind. Zur-En-Arrh finds a way to escape Bruce’s body and implants himself within the near indestructible Failsafe robot, and sets forth on a mission to take out Bruce once and for all.

Meanwhile, the Joker has returned to cause chaos. We get a flashback of Joker’s origin and how he trained with one of Bruce’s old mentors, using his teaching to create his own personality back-ups.

This volume is complicated. Not only does it build on themes already built, but ties into Zdarsky’s own Batman origin The Knight, Scott Snyder’s Zero Year, and Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke. I don’t believe we actually needed the tie-in to Zero Year, but learning that Joker’s different personalities mirrors Bruce’s own Zur-En-Arrh was interesting.

I fear this book is starting to spin out of control. For volume 2 I said that I hope Zdarsky writes Batman for years, but I’m rethinking that the more I read. The story is getting sloppy without an end of sight. Fans turned on Tom King for similar reasons even though I felt the story King was trying to tell was more important to Batman mythos. Hopefully this gets back on track.

[Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely one of the best arcs in the mainline Batman comics since Snyder’s run. I know that part of what makes the Joker such a fascinating character is his enigmatic nature but I personally always wanted to know more about his origin following The Killing Joke, and Zdarski absolutely kills it here. He gives the fans what they want to read and it’s so damn entertaining. Joker is a monster, through and through, don’t get it twisted. However, he was human at one point and seeing that side of him before his complete transformation is fascinating beyond words. It feels like this has been a story that was waiting to be told since the character’s conception in 1940 and I loved every panel.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
Basically two storylines here, neither super strong on their own, but more like setup for the future.
1) Mind Bomb - The Failsafe/Zur-En-Arrh plotline continues. Pretty interesting as Zur goes after Joker, determining he wants to put him down for good, all while Batman fights multiversal versions of Zur (funniest of which when he was fighting the Keaton version of Zur, he defeated him because he couldn't turn his head LOL). This ends with Zur, now permanently in Failsafe's robotic body, taking over as Batman in Gotham while Bruce and Joker are locked up somewhere.

2) Joker Year One - While locked up, Joker tells the story of how he began. Most of it has to do with police corruption, and there was another plot about the Bat-Family being controlled by Joker... but when Bruce mentioned the lights in Gotham going out due to something with Duke, I got confused as to whether it was all flashback or not. Either Bruce is out of Failsafe's jail and we never got the story how OR Joker's "Year One" story has occured a lot closer then we thought... especially when you factor in the whole Jim Gordon still being a detective. The timeline for this wasn't handled the best, at least for me.

Overall, the story is ok, but this get higher rated for the art. Sometimes switching styles mid-story, it works and creates a creepy vibe that Joker stories should have.
Recommend... but with a little hesitation. Really hoping Vol 4 clears up things.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

My hate for this run grows with every volume. Not one redeemable, worthwhile thing here, and the worst part is I looked ahead and there's still SO much more Zur. 😞

[Emmett Spain · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mind Bomb arc is really good, the Joker arc is okay (I’m seriously sick of that sadist) and the other stuff is filler. A little too much going on perhaps.

[Kamen Rider Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dios este arco fue estúpidisimo, solo salvado por borrar del canon los 3 jokers

[Xavi (NarraTea) · Rating 3 out of 5]

IDK—I keep feeling strange hit or misses with Zdarsky’s Batman. I’ll just have to keep reading and see. But this Joker Year One arc felt to strange to read, like a fever dream.

[Daina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A confusing year one/zero year fusion with a fashforward.

Also, AI art boggs everything down.

[Idan Luisa Sanchez · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was all over the place. A lot of it felt overblown and tedious. Does the Joker need some random dude to learn how to be Joker? Feels like a boring version of a Deus Ex Machina. And what is with Joker engineering a Joker virus? It's a boring story, but I do admit the ending was a bit of a twist and helps reconceptualize Joker stories. I liked Jim Gordon in this.

Failsafe may be one of the most boring villains in ages--too powerful to be anything but something to run away from, which really worked best in the Terminator movies. I hate that Failsafe is more Batman than Batman.

Zur En Arrh was better the first time it appeared. Seems like things have reached some sort of plateau without any satisfying resolution.

The art was good. Especially the deep future ones with the virus--superbly haunting.

[Adam Rodgers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chip Zdarsky tackles the clown prince of crime across multiple timelines.

I'm normally a big fan of Zdarsky's work and his uncanny ability to get into the mind set of any character and absolutely nail said chatacter's motivations and personality. Yet, I think this is a rare miss.

It doesnt help this takes place across several unconnected storylines as we see the Joker responsible for some sort of 'Joker virus' and then being trained by the same man that trained Batman to build up the back up personality Zur-En-Arh, and developing his own, and then flashing back to his role as the Red Hood. The book becomes a bit of a chore to finish, despite occasional flashes of interest. Jorge Jiménez delivers some strong art pieces, alongside a few other artists that capture the manic tone Zdarsky is going for, but this doesnt unfortunately elevate the overall experience of the book.

[Comics Instrucciones de uso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Después del descalabro del insufrible evento que fue "Gotham War", uno hubiera esperado que Chip Zdarsky -un escritor muy inteligente, que no quepa duda de ello- se redimiría con un gran arco, a la altura de los dos primeros en su etapa en Batman ("Failsafe" y "The Man Bat of Gotham"), pero nos entrega otra vez un resultado decepcionante, que si bien no es un fiasco como "Gotham War", está lejos de ser una historia de calidad. "Joker Year One", en realidad reúne dos breves arcos, el primero, "Mind Bomb" -dibujado por el gran Jorge Jimenez-, está bien, funciona. Pero el segundo, que da nombre al volumen, resulta innecesario además de reprochable por motivos que apuntaré más abajo.
Los que admiramos al Zdarsky de "Daredevil" sabemos que su marca de fábrica es que en sus historias todo pasa muy rápido, no hay respiro. Eso se consigue en "Mind Bomb". Seguimos a Batman quien va detrás de un horrendo y enigmático crimen del Joker. El asunto es intrigante porque el Joker va dejando pistas que dan a entender que no sólo conoce la identidad real de Batman -eso quedó establecido hace años, sino décadas-, sino que incluso está al tanto de sus años de preparación. Cuando finalmente nuestro héroe encuentra al payaso, este juega con su mente hasta hacerlo colapsar. Batman de todos modos alcanza a golpear violentamente al Joker antes de perder el conocimiento. Despierta en una casa regentada por ¡Failsafe! sólo que ahora es guiado por ¡El Batman de Zur en ahr!, que de algún modo ha conseguido separarse de la conciencia de Batman y ahora, con el cuerpo de Failsabe, es un engendro imparable. De hecho, tras una pelea, Batman cae derrotado y vuelve a perder el conocimiento para despertar esta vez en una celda ¡junto al Joker! Por supuesto la pregunta acá es ¿hay alguna relación entre el Batman de Zur en ahr y el Joker?
El segundo arco es "The Joker Year One", que toma su nombre, como es obvio, del clásico de Milller/Mazzuccelli pero se presenta como una continuación de "Batman Zero Year" (2013) de Scott Snyder y Greg Capullo. Se trata de una historia absolutamente innecesaria que intenta darle una nueva vuelta de tuerca al origen del Joker. Partiendo de la idea, sugerida por Grant Morrison en su etapa en Batman, vuelta a sugerir por Snyder, también en su etapa, y desarrollada de modo más o menos decente por Geoff Johns en "Batman: Three Jokers" (2020), según la cual no hay uno sino tres Jokers, Zdarsky desarrolla la idea de que en realidad lo que ocurre es que el Joker aprendió la capacidad de crearse nuevas personalidades, tal como Batman lo hizo con el Batman de Zur en Ahr. Ahora bien, ¿cómo y de dónde el Joker aprendió esa singular capacidad? Pues (y esta es la jugada de Zdarsky), de la misma persona que se la enseñó a Batman: un poderoso maestro psíquico, a quien Wayne visitó en su juventud. La cosa es que Zdarsky quiere hacernos creer que aquel maestro buscó al Joker para enseñarle sus técnicas, admirado de su locura, lo cual no tiene sentido. Para peor, lo que se dice acá es que el Joker, desde sus primeros encuentros con Batman, sabía del Batman de Zur en Ahr y, de hecho, todos sus posteriores enfrentamientos han sido intentos del Joker para que Zur en Ahr se apodere de la personalidad de Batman. Todo ello, además, va intercalado con una historia en un hipotético futuro en el cual el Joker tiene el control mental de los habitantes de Gotham gracias a ¡un virus auditivo! Vaya disparates.
En fin. Esta historia es famosa, además, porque las viñetas que narran el futuro están a cargo de Andrea Sorrentino, célebre por su estilo oscuro y realista pero que acá lo lleva a un nivel tan extremo que en seguida fue acusado por varios colegas de estar usando Inteligencia Artifical. Hay varios posts en internet que argumentan esa acusación y la verdad es que a mí -sin ser un especialista-, me parece que Sorrentino sí usó IA, lo cual me merece todo mi desprecio. Por suerte, DC no ha vuelto a poner a Sorrentino en Batman, seguramente a modo de reproche.
¿Conclusión? Cualquier fanático de Batman se da cuenta de que Zdarsky está exprimiendo todo lo posible la gran etapa de Gran Morrison (2006-2012), el genio que creó el Batman de Zur en Ahr y postuló -y explicó de modo ejemplar-, que en realidad hay varios Jokers. Tras leer "The Joker Year One", lo único que se me ocurre decir es que siempre es mejor releer a Morrison.