Gotham City becomes a Joker-infected zombie nightmare in new Batman #143 preview

New DC Comics preview pages for Batman #143 reveal The Joker’s laugh has become a bio-weapon.

The current Batman title is in kind of a weird place. The Failsafe arc ended with Batman captured by his backup personality, The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, who had possessed the robot Failsafe’s body.

What’s more, that story ended with Batman imprisoned next to The Joker, who somehow survived a fight with Zur-En-Arrh.

With the stage set, writer Chip Zdarsky is revisiting the Zero Year era of Batman to tell a tale of Batman’s first meeting with The Joker. However, he’s also found a grim future where the Joker has managed to take over all of Gotham.

Batman #142 preview pages reveal how Joker infected Gotham City

New preview pages for the upcoming Batman #142 shed some light on how exactly the Joker captured all of Gotham City.

The pages reveal there’s an audio component to the infection, as it’s spread through laughter. Though Batman himself is safe, Gotham may be hopelessly lost.

While Batman prepares for a final confrontation with the Clown Prince in Gotham’s future, the issue’s flashback follows up on a massive reveal from the previous issue, where readers learn Joker had received training from Henri Ducard.

Ducard, a long-time Batman ally and adversary, continues his narrative from 2022’s Batman: The Knight. He’s still spiteful after what he perceives as Batman disrespecting him in that story and has set about training The Joker.

THE JOKER YEAR ONE, PART TWO! The terrifying tale of “The Joker Year One” continues as a mysterious figure from Batman’s past has come into Joker’s orbit, changing the Clown Prince of Crime forever! And what secrets does the re-formed Red Hood Gang have for Batman’s future?

Batman #143, by Chip Zdarsky, Andrea Sorrentino, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, Dave Stewart, Alejandro Sanchez, and Clayton Cowles, hits stands on February 13.

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