If The Joker: Year One isn't an origin story, then what exactly is it?

Art from Batman #142
(Image credit: DC)

The core Batman book is going all in on the Joker this month. Batman #142-144 is publishing weekly instead of monthly to tell a new three-issue story, 'The Joker: Year One', that promises to change what we know about the Clown Prince of Crime - even if writer Chip Zdarsky has stated that the story is not an origin story for the killer clown. 

The first issue is out now and while it will likely prove somewhat bewildering to casual Batman readers with its plethora of references and multiple time zones, it digs deep into what makes the character such an eternally fearsome adversary for Bruce Wayne.

Spoilers for Batman #142 ahead

Art from Batman #142

(Image credit: DC)

Zdarsky was not kidding. On the basis of this first issue, this is not a traditional "Year One" tale at all. For a start, it takes place across two distinct time periods, the past but also an apparent future, both drawn by different artists. 

In the future scenes, distinguished by Andrea Sorrentino and colorist Dave Stewart's wonderfully dark and atmospheric work, the Joker has wreaked havoc across Gotham, though we're not entirely sure how just yet. He's also left a pair of distinctive red hoods behind, which leads Batman to recall some of their first conflicts - Batman: Zero Year, specifically, gets a callout here.

Art from Batman #142

(Image credit: DC)

We then flashback to the past - and a very familiar panel of the Joker laughing maniacally. There are three Jokers here (presumably a nod to last year's 'The Bat-Man of Gotham' arc from #131-#135) who fight, with two seemingly being left for dead, though this aspect is honestly a little unclear.

Of course, when it comes to the Joker's many origin stories there is one that shines more darkly than any other. Batman #142 doesn't just reference The Killing Joke - it has artist Giuseppe Camuncoli directly replicate the moment where the Joker, having just dragged himself out of that fateful Ace Chemicals vat, breaks down laughing in one of the most iconic panels in all of comics. The bulk of the issue then follows the Joker as he tries to figure out precisely how to become a master criminal. If The Killing Joke was about showing the "one bad day" that broke the Joker, then this appears to be about following him in the many less bad but still not exactly great days that follow.

Art from Batman #142

(Image credit: DC)

It's a, shall we say, bold move trying to fit a new story just after the events of The Killing Joke and it leaves you wondering exactly why this story is being told. The ambiguity of the Joker's background is a precious thing (even The Killing Joke, which spells things out pretty directly, is framed in terms of being only one possible explanation). While Batman #142 doesn't quite detract from that, it does risk feeling like a merely redundant add on to an all-time classic.

Perhaps that will change next week as the story progresses. The past section of the issue ends with the Joker meeting a mysterious figure who claims to be "the smartest man in the world" and also the person that trained Batman. Is the Joker about to take on a mentor? Hmm.

Art from Batman #142

(Image credit: DC)

The issue returns to the future timeline. Duke Thomas has been "infected" and is causing havoc in Gotham. Batman is on his trail, but the path leads him to the dreadful realisation that Gotham has been hit with a plague that seemingly transforms ordinary citizens into the Joker. 

This isn't the first time people have been "Jokerized", of course, but it's looking pretty apocalyptic here. It's a solid cliffhanger, undermined slightly by the fact that it feels so similar to the end of last month's Action Comics #1061 (which saw the citizens of Metropolis transformed into Bizarros) or even parts of the recent Titans: Beast World crossover.

It's impossible to judge a story arc on the basis of its first issue alone, of course, and there's a lot to like in Batman #142, not least a palpably sinister mood and some terrific art from Camuncoli and Sorrentino. Still, the next two issues need to deliver a stronger sense of direction and purpose if The Joker: Year One isn't going to be seen as merely a slightly confusing footnote to some of the all time classic Batman stories.

Batman #142 is out now from DC. The story continues next week with Batman #143.


Can you guess where The Killing Joke sits in our list of the best Joker stories?

Will Salmon
Comics Editor

Will Salmon is the Comics Editor for GamesRadar/Newsarama. He has been writing about comics, film, TV, and music for more than 15 years, which is quite a long time if you stop and think about it. At Future he has previously launched scary movie magazine Horrorville, relaunched Comic Heroes, and has written for every issue of SFX magazine for over a decade. He sometimes feels very old, like Guy Pearce in Prometheus. His music writing has appeared in The Quietus, MOJO, Electronic Sound, Clash, and loads of other places and he runs the micro-label Modern Aviation, which puts out experimental music on cassette tape.

Read more
Absolute Batman.
Absolute Batman #5 pays homage to an iconic scene from The Dark Knight
Absolute Batman in action.
Absolute Batman innovates by presenting us with a Caped Crusader who is still a work in progress
Batman (2025) #1
DC’s new Batman relaunch finally has me excited to follow the Caped Crusader again
Black Mask sees the Bat-Signal
Absolute Batman is finally allowing one underrated villain to reach his full potential
Absolute Batman in the snow.
Absolute Batman writer Scott Snyder teases the arrival of Robin, crossovers with Superman and Wonder Woman, and building up to the Joker
Commander Star looks on as chaos erupts in Gotham City.
Who is Commander Star? Batman #156 reveals the secret identity of Gotham’s sinister new hero
Latest in Dc Comics
Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
DC June 2025 solicitations: 10 must-have comics to pre-order this month
Batman and the Jason Todd Robin leap into action.
Sweet Tooth creator Jeff Lemire revisits the early days of Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd
New History of the DC Universe #1
Almost 90 years of DC history will be refined into an official timeline in New History of the DC Universe: "It's a chance to realign all of DC's sprawling continuity into one master timeline"
Sonic and the Flash racing over water
We'll finally learn if Sonic is faster than the Flash as Sega's famous hedgehog and pals team up with the Justice League in a new mash-up comic
Superman surrounded by the exploding Krypton.
Absolute Superman #5 puts a devastating new spin on the Man of Steel's origin story
Superman and the rest of the Super family at Pride.
DC Pride 2025: A revamped special issue starring Green Lantern Alan Scott, new books, and a host of variant covers
Latest in News
Everybody's Golf Hot Shots
The surprise theme of today's Nintendo Direct was classic PlayStation franchises getting a comeback without Sony's involvement
Hogwarts Legacy how many spells
Unannounced Hogwarts Legacy DLC reportedly canceled, partly because the studio wasn't sure it'd be worth players' money
Ultimate X-Men #14
Ultimate X-Men #14 pays homage to a classic Wolverine moment as the Shadow King returns
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Ubisoft reaches deal with Tencent to create $4.3 billion mini-Ubisoft subsidiary to "spearhead development" on new Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six games
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in The Last Of Us season 2
The Last of Us showrunner says he isn't worried about fan reaction to season 2: "The best way we could respect our fans and honor them is to not worry about them"
Black Myth: Wukong
English is no longer the biggest language on Steam as Chinese gamers embrace PC gaming even harder after Black Myth: Wukong