Batman: White Knight Presents Generation Joker #1 continues to delve into a Gotham quite unlike what we already know. What if the Joker was sane? What if he had a normal name and a normal family? Enter the world of Batman: White Knight. The DC Black Label hit universe adds a new 6 issue run starring the children of the Joker and Harley Quinn.
The Joker, aka Jack Napier, may be dead, but he’s sure not going to miss out on an adventure with his kids. His daughter, Jackie, downloads his AI onto a device, so he can be with her and Bryce for some adventure. Once Harley realizes her kids are gone with an AI version of their father, she enlists some help from her new spouse, Bruce Wayne and his contact at the FBI, Diana Prince.
What looks to be some harmless fun with their AI father quickly turns bad. Jack wants his kids to know him better, since they didn’t get to spend enough time with him. He tries to tell them a bit about his childhood. Of course, they are having a hard time seeing beyond the clown disguise. It doesn’t take long before they run into someone who has a grudge against the Joker. This is Gotham, after all. The daughter of the Ventriloquist is not happy about the Joker’s involvement in her father’s death and is fully prepared to take it out on his children. Cliffhangers are a bit of comic specialty, so we’ll just have to wait until June to find out what happens next.
Sean Murphy may be the brains behind the story of Batman: White Knight, but he trusted this script to two spin off pros: Katana Collins and Clay McCormack. It’s amazing to me how everyones’ writing styles seem to blend so seamlessly into the universe. That’s a true testament to the talent on this series. I knew there was a reason I enjoyed the art so much because Mirka Andolfo perfectly blended the existing White Knight characters with her own style. Colors by Alejandro Sanchez and letters by DC Hopkins bring everything to life.
I am already enjoying this set of Batman: White Knight issues. We get to see such a different side from so many beloved DC characters, especially Harley Quinn. Seeing Harley Quinn as a mother is a really fun twist. She’s a bit more sophisticated and less wild, and yet, that’s a good thing. It’s truly a different approach. And we haven’t gotten much yet, but I hope to see more from Poison Ivy in the coming issues. It seems that DC is happy to keep expanding this universe, and I love the unique look into almost a “what if” scenario on Gotham’s favorite heroes and villains.
