Sean Gordon Murphy's Batman: White Knight Makes The Joker a Hero

This October, Sean Gordon Murphy's long-rumored Batman/The Joker miniseries will finally hit stores; titled Batman: White Knight, the publisher describes the seven-issue miniseries as "the tragic story of a hero and a villain, The Batman and The Joker. The question is, which one is the hero and which one is the villain…?"

In the story, roles are reversed, with a reformed Joker trying to act as the voice of reason and use the system against Batman.

"We know Joker's a genius, we know he's relentless, and we know he can play the crowd, so why not make him a politician?" said Murphy. "Why not strip away the psychosis (the thing that's holding him back) and let him challenge Batman unimpeded? And to make it even scarier, what if he did it legally and without breaking any rules, so that Batman couldn't stop him?"

Set in a world where the Joker is cured of his insanity and homicidal tendencies, The Joker, now known as "Jack," sets about trying to right his wrongs. First by reconciling with Harley Quinn and then by trying to save Gotham city from the one person who he thinks is truly Gotham's greatest villain: the Batman.

"Seeing Gotham for the first time with clear eyes, his psychosis now cured, he starts to understand the absurdity of vigilantism and how Batman's actions are only contributing to Gotham's endless crime cycle," said Murphy. "Joker sets out to beat Batman by becoming the White Knight that Gotham really needs."

BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT #1, written and illustrated by Sean Murphy, arrives on October 4. Cover artwork by Murphy with color by Matt Hollingsworth.