Out of all of Batman’s villains, theJokerhas always been the most consistently dangerous. Rarely have other Batman villains become world-ending threats like the Joker, and no one else has pushed Batman to the limit. So it’s quite surprising that in his Robin years,Nightwingdefeated the Joker so effortlessly that Batman should just retire.
The surprising defeat of the Joker was revealed by Batman himself in Grant Morrison and Lee Garbett’sBatman#682. While talking to Alfred,Batman admits that after chasing down the Joker, Dick challenged him to a laughing contest. This challenge had the surprising conclusion ofDick easily beating the Joker, leaving him so out of breath that he was wheezing and unable to escape.
Unfortunately, this “battle” happens off-panel, so readers aren’t able to see the likely incredible laughing contest that took place. But that Dick Grayson even attempted such a feat proves thatBatman might just need to give up on fighting the Clown Prince of Crime- or at least consider alternatives to how to deal with him.
Nightwing Exploited the Joker’s Unpredictability with Laughter
Batman#682 by Grant Morrison, Lee Garbett, Trevor Scott, Guy Major, and Jared K. Fletcher
Batman is a man of planning, and no matter what situation he finds himself in, he always has an answer. TheJoker truly puts this reputation to the testby simply being entirely unpredictable. One day, the Joker might just be a harmless clown pulling pranks on people, and the next day he might be the worst serial killer that the world has ever seen, leading toBatman struggling greatly with defeating the Jokerover the years. A man who prides himself on his plans and contingencies suffers the most against someone who doesn’t seem to obey any rules.
Batman’s biggest problem has always been that he tries to work within rules.
While the Joker’s unpredictability seems like a problem at first, Nightwing realizes that it can also be an asset. Sure, the Joker could be a serial killer one day and a harmless prankster the next, but the easiest way to determine which version of the Joker they’re facing is to simply ask. Challenging the Joker to a laughing contest could’ve failed spectacularly. The Joker could have refused to response, in which case Dick would’ve handled him the normal way. But thatDick thought of suggesting it at all meant that he was able to defeat the Jokerwithout the threat of danger, something that Batman has almost never accomplished.
Nightwing Makes Taking Down the Joker Look Easy
No Clown Can Pass Up a Good Laughing Contest
Batman’s biggest problem has always been that he tries to work within rules. He makes contingency plans based on how people act and what their powers are. Batman is at his best when he’s in control of a situation. The Joker challenges all of that by being remarkably unpredictable and constantly changing how he operates, but Nightwing has perfectly demonstrated how that’s not always a bad thing. While there’s no denying just how dangerous theJokeris, his personality and motives are constantly changing, andNightwingonce realized a perfect way to exploit that, which Batman has never managed.
Batman#682is available now from DC Comics!
Nightwing
Nightwing is the superhero moniker taken up by Dick Grayson, upon his aging out of the Robin role and becoming a superhero of his own. Inspired by the original Kryptonian hero of the same name, Grayson has risen to comic book immortality with the identity, earning respect as one of the greatest leaders in the DC Universe.
The Joker
The Joker is a psychopathic criminal mastermind with a warped sense of humor. Initially introduced as a remorseless serial killer, the character evolved over time, often oscillating between a prankster and a homicidal maniac. His relationship with Batman is one of the most complex in comic book history, defined by their mutual obsession. Over the decades, the Joker has become an enduring icon of chaos and madness, embodying the antithesis of Batman’s order and justice.
