Batman Just Pulled a Bane on Joker

Batman fans know that one of the Dark Knight's darkest moments was getting his back broken by Bane – so it's even more twisted that Batman just pulled that same brutal move on Joker! 

...Well, sort of. 

In the latest issue of writer Chip Zdarsky's Batman run ("Mind Bomb Pt. 2") a multitude of the plotlines and characters that Zdarsky has been developing over the last few years come crashing together. Bruce Wayne/Batman is trying to reclaim control of Gotham after his underworld power struggle with Catwoman – but not only has Bruce lost control of his finances and assets – he's also lost control of his mind. 

The alternate personality that Bruce once built for himself – "The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh" – gained his own sentience and has been hiding in Bruce's subconscious, plotting. And he hasn't been alone. Thanks to Bruce taking a wild trip across the Batman multiverse, Zur was able to pull together a squad of Zur variants to aid him in his true goal: controlling Bruce's body.

Batman #140 unfolds over to the main stages of action: 

1. Bruce's physical body chasing down The Joker, with Zur attempting to exert control so that he can finish the villain off for good. 
2. Inside Bruce's mind, where his version of Batman is battling an entire gang of Batman Zur variants, in an attempt to keep control of himself. 

(SPOILERS) In the climactic moment of the issue, Zur (piloting Bruce's body) catches up with Joker and stomps down on his back. After that, Zur lifts Joker over his head in the same motion as Bane and breaks his back. Last seen, Joker has a look of pain, awe, (and maybe ecstasy?) on his face; Bruce wakes up later to find the situation is even more of a nightmare than he could've imagined: Zur is not longer content to own Bruce's body – so he makes the jump into Failsafe, the unstoppable anti-Batman android that has already thrashed Bruce, the entire Bat-Family, and the best of the Justice League (Superman). 

The various levels of Batman lore that Chip Zdarsky is pulling together in this "Mind Bomb" story arc run deep. Not only does this latest chapter serve as a convergence of all the various Batman story arcs Zdarsky has done – it also includes Easter egg references to numerous Batman movies, TV shows, and comics – including the infamous "Knightfall" arc of the 1990s. And, even though it technically wasn't Bruce who did it, "Batman" has now broken The Joker in a way that can never be undone.

Batman #140 is now on sale.