Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: bruce wayne, KO, The Joker

When The Joker Returns To Batman In 2026 (Spoilers)

When The Joker returns in 2026, first with DC's K.O. and then with the ongoing Batman comic by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez (Spoilers)

The Joker is currently fighting alongside Superman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor in DC's K.O., including the Boss Battle, and it looks like he will return to Batman later this month in Batman #7. Which, of course, might also mean an unannounced appearance in today's Batman #6 by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez. To recap, Arkham Tower psychiatrist/psychologist Dr Zeller has been on a date with Bruce Wayne. She especially got his attention by talking about a certain invention of hers.

Funded by Bruce Wayne, the Crown of Storms is the kind of thing that has popped up a number of times, including something being used by Bruce Wayne's artificially induced back-up personality, The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, used to put fear back into Dick Grayson and cure the Batvillains.

And now, after an attack on the Doctor and a revelation to Dr Zeller that Robin is Bruce Wayne's son, and the departure of Tim Drake from the remains of the Batfamily, we get a further idea of the good Doctor's work.

Is Patient 10 an artificial intelligence? A chatbot for Dr Zeller to talk to. Come on now, everyone reading Batman now knows that no one is an artificial intelligence.

As Dr Zeller works further on her Crown Of Storms, before returning it to patient 10…

That's The Joker, of course. As seen on upcoming Batman covers. And maybe revealing that something big may have happened in DC's K.O. Here's a look at Boss Battle today…

But it's also reminiscent of certain future scenes in Joker Year One when Barbara Gordon is Gotham Police Commissioner, not Vandal Savage…

As well as Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez' run on Batman #148, with Zur-En-Arrh planning to cure all the Gotham rogues gallery… that story was called The Storm as well.

How will this go over with Batman this time? Batman #6 by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez, and DC KO: Boss Battle #1 by Jeremy Adams, Joshua Williamson, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ronan Cliquet, Pablo M Collar, and Kieran McKeown is published today.

• BATMAN #6 
  (W) Matt Fraction (A) Jorge Jimenez (CA) Jim Lee
  FRACTION AND JIMENEZ UNLEASH THE MONSTER MEN! After he survives the date night from hell, the long night isn't over for Bruce Wayne. While he juggles multiple needs as Bruce, Hugo Strange's Monster Men attack a petrochemical facility and force Batman into action. Gotham City becomes a powder keg as superstars Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez continue their acclaimed run on the Caped Crusader. $5.99 2/4/2026

• BATMAN #7
  (W) Matt Fraction (A/CA) Jorge Jimenez
  FRACTION & JIMENEZ KICK OFF THEIR SECOND ART WITH A SHOCKING REINTRODUCTION OF THE JOKER AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE! As Batman is beckoned to Arkham Towers by the mysterious man in Room Ten, nothing will prepare him for who he finds there. Some might call him the Caped Crusader's archnemesis. Others might call him Batman's best friend. Everyone calls him the Joker. $4.99 3/4/2026

• BATMAN #8
  (W) Matt Fraction (A) Ryan Sook (CA) Jorge Jimenez
  ONE NIGHT. THREE STORIES. WITH GUEST ARTIST RYAN SOOK. A hero. A villain. A reporter. Three old men, on one night in Gotham, each have encounters that will reverberate across their city forever. Series writer Matt Fraction is joined by sensational guest artist Ryan Sook for an unforgettable new chapter of the Caped Crusader's ongoing story. $4.99 4/1/2026
• DC K.O. BOSS BATTLE #1 (ONE SHOT) (W) Jeremy Adams, Joshua Williamson (A) Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ronan Cliquet, Pablo M Collar, Kieran McKeown (CA) Jeff Spokes
  TO SAVE OUR WORLD, THEY MUST BATTLE THE CHAMPIONS OF OTHER WORLDS! Unexpected fighters from beyond the DC Comics enter the arena! Wait… What? WHO?! As the remaining champions in the K.O. tournament prepare for the final rounds, they discover that there isn't enough Omega energy left to crown the winner a King Omega. To have any hope of stopping Darkseid, they'll need to engage in combat with the champions of other worlds beyond our own including Annabelle, Homelander, Sub-Zero, and more! This shocking, star-studded crossover sets the stage for the final chapters of the epic DC K.O. event and features matchups you never imagined possible. The ultimate battle is only beginning! Retail: $4.99 2/4/2026

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