After 86 Years, DC Reinvents Its Most Iconic Villain With Nightmarish Results

Published Oct 31, 2026, 10:05 PM EDT Mark has been a comic book journalist for over 15 years and has interviewed comic book creators like Gail Simone and Caspar Wijngaard. And when he's not writing, he's working on beating his record of 1,200 comics read in a year. DC Comics’ Absolute Batman has hit a milestone of 25 brilliant issues. Each of the storylines has helped Bruce Wayne's character grow. He went from a myth to the savior of Gotham City to now being public enemy No. 1. All of this is thanks to the deviousness of the newest great villain in DC Comics, Jack Grimm, aka Joker. Throughout Absolute Batman by writers Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri (who wrote Absolute Batman: Ark M Special No. 1), there have been revelations about who Jack Grimm is. What makes this so special is that no matter how much is divulged, it always feels like there’s more to know. This is the kind of mystique that’s made the original Joker popular despite being a monster. However, after issue No. 25 of Absolute Batman, it’s clear that the original Clown Prince of Crime has nothing on the newer model. The Horrific Truth About Absolute Joker When it comes to Absolute Joker, the first thing that comic book readers think about is his monstrous form. There’s a good reason for that. His dragon-like physique is terrifying. It isn’t just the giant size, the crazy eyes, or the lizard tongue. On his face are what seem like hundreds of sharp teeth that extend past where any jawline should. What's scarier is that this is likely not his final form (more on that later). Sadly, that isn’t the scariest thing about him. What makes Jack Grimm a threat has nothing to do with him looking like a monster. It’s that he’s evil and manipulative. This has been seen throughout the series, but he goes above and beyond to make Bruce Wayne's life Hell. Absolute Batman No. 25 starts with Bruce’s friends (Eddie, Ozzie, Harvey, and Waylon) having an intervention for Bruce. They tell him that Jack came to all of them with promises of wealth, a better life, and access to greater things. Grimm also tells them that he’s scared of Bruce. Now, not only do they truly believe that their friend is crazy, but they’re in the pocket of a madman, and they don’t even know it. Normally, it would be difficult to reshape the minds of someone’s friends. For Jack Grimm, it was Tuesday. Later in the issue, it’s revealed that Grimm is much older than Alfred Pennyworth thought. Joker's Age And Evolution Is A Game Changer During Joker and Batman's fight, Joker tells Bruce that he’s centuries old and has been fighting people like him. Every so often, he would find someone like Batman who would tell him a joke. The joke was that he could be stopped. Their hope was one of the only things that would make him laugh. Now, it was Batman’s turn to tell him a joke. Not shocking, but Batman refused to give him the satisfaction. This frustrated Joker, which led him to try to eat the Dark Knight. Luckily, Barbara Gordon (The Bat) rescued him. However, while it’s good that they weren’t killed, Bruce noticed something scary. Joker grew wings while they were falling. That means he can seemingly evolve on a whim and could have gone after them. So far, it’s unclear why Jack Grimm let the two heroes survive, but it definitely isn’t out of the kindness of his heart. Joker has something planned for him and everyone in Bruce Wayne’s life. He's already taken his friends and freedom from Bruce, and made him look like a murderer. What else is there left to do? If what Scott Snyder has already cooked up is any indication of what’s next, it’s going to be evil on an unseen level. This will be bad for Batman and everyone around him, but great for comic book fans. Created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger First Film Batman Latest Film The Batman Upcoming Films The Batman Part II First TV Show Batman (1966) Latest TV Show Batman: The Brave and the Bold