Absolute Batman’s Next Big Introduction Could Change Everything, and the Joker’s Endgame Just Got Very Dark

Absolute Batman is a revolutionary series for the Dark Knight, reimagining all of his iconic mythos into bolder, darker versions, and nowhere is that clearer than with the Joker. Instead of a killer clown, he’s a literal demon that stays young by injecting orphan blood. The landmark twenty-fifth issue saw Batman finally take the fight to the Joker, and the villain utterly annihilated him, revealing that there was one thing he wanted from Batman that the Dark Knight hadn’t given him yet. He wanted Batman to continue forever, and the last piece of Batman’s soul. For both of those things, the Joker needed Batman to foster that next generation, and that’s exactly what’s happening.

The final page of this spectacular issue revealed that Catwoman is pregnant, with whom we can only assume is her and Batman’s child. The Joker is somehow aware of this and, after that child, either to push Batman to the edge, ensure he can have a Batman well beyond Bruce, or both. Of course, the real question is who this child will turn out to be. The top candidates are either Helena or Damian, both of whom make a compelling case for their existence. We’ll be going over exactly why each is plausible, and why it might even be both of them, and what that means for Batman’s future. Without further ado, let’s dive right into it.

The Bats of a Time Yet to Be Both Deserve the Spotlight

The Joker had every chance to kill Batman, but chose not to, implying that he wants Bruce to live to, at the very least, connect with his child. The first option is Helena, given that, in most timelines, she is Bruce and Selina’s child. There’s already evidence to suggest her arrival, most notably in the fact that Helena Bertinelli is one of Selina’s oldest friends. It would be easy to imagine something happening to Bertinelli, leading to Selina naming her daughter after her deceased friend. She’s even been shown to take up the Batman mantle in some continuities, which would allow the Joker to continue the line of Batmen well into the future to keep him entertained.

Of course, the other option is Batman’s better-known biological child, Damian. Usually, Damian is Bruce and Talia’s son, but that could easily be swapped around for this universe, considering Talia is currently entangled with the Absolute Man of Steel. Damian is a character who has always been obsessed with becoming Batman, and has often flirted with the idea that he would become a monster in that role instead of a hero. A bad-end Damian is exactly the type of Batman the Joker would want. He’d be ruthless and endlessly effective, dedicating his mind, body, and soul to the mission until he fell apart, being far more likely to pass it onto the next generation than Helena would. Just take a look at all of these Batman versions of Damian.

Of course, there’s also the possibility that it will be both of them. Two kids would double the drama and the danger. Given that the Joker is definitely after these children, I could easily imagine him kidnapping one of them to raise himself, turning them into the ultimate weapon to kill Bruce and their sibling, which is the exact kind of sadistic fate that would make this Joker cackle. If that’s the case, Damian is the most likely to be kidnapped and raised as the Joker’s son, tying into the idea of allowing his villainous heritage to remain intact while removing the love he should have gotten from his father. Batman would need to prevent a future where his children, standing on opposite sides of a war, destroy each other. However, all of this is assuming that these kids are Bruce’s at all.

Fatherhood and the Burden of the Bat-Mantle

Fatherhood has always been an essential theme for Batman. His journey towards superherdom started because he lost his parents at such a young age, and the memory of his dad has always guided him towards righteousness. The Absolute Batman is even more connected to this idea, given that it was only his dad who died, and that a huge swathe of “The Straw Man” arc has focused on Bruce grappling with the idea of whether his dad was alive or not. Fatherhood is stuck in his mind, which could all be part of the Joker’s plan to prime him to raise a child of his own, but there’s also the possibility that this kid isn’t Batman’s, but the Joker’s.

This theory is definitely out there, but follow my logic here. We know that Selina and Bruce are together, but she’s also spent the last several years integrating herself into high society for her heists. It’s possible that she met Jack Grimm during that time, long before she knew what he really was. The Joker getting Catwoman pregnant is something that I would never wish upon this world, but he could have done exactly that to pull a final win over Batman and shatter his soul in that specific way. It’s unlikely, but the type of petty thing that this Joker would definitely wish to explore.

Either way, Batman is going to raise this child or children alongside Catwoman, and that is going to change him. He’ll experience firsthand the love his parents felt for him, and return it tenfold to his own child. He’ll definitely be an overprotective father, and it’s likely to make him a hundred times more paranoid. The Joker is almost certainly hoping to use these feelings as a weakness to make Batman suffer more, but he’ll miss the most important aspect; it’ll be someone new for Batman to fight for. Bruce has always thrived when he’s fighting for someone, improving the world for the people he cares about. Now, instead of a city or concept of the future, it’s his own child. Batman is going to come back with a vengeance and determination unlike anything before, and even if that’s exactly what the Joker wants, there’s no way he’s prepared for it.

Who do you hope this new child is, and how would you hope the Robin mantle is carried on for them? My gut says it’ll be Helena, but my heart says Damian. Let us know your vote, or even if you think it’ll be someone else.

Absolute Batman #25 is on sale now!

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