WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Batman #102, by James Tynion IV, Carlo Pagulayan, Danny Miki, Carlos D'Anda and Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
The young vigilante known as Clownhunter first started to fight back during the Joker War. As the Clown Prince of Crime's clown mask-wearing thugs transformed his city into a living hell, Bao Pham took it upon himself to protect the people of the Narrows. During the war, despite his brutal tactics, Clownhunter became the hero of his neighborhood. And now, although the Joker's attack finally came to an end, Bao shows that his hunt has only just begun.
Most of the people who were wearing clown masks during the Joker War were ordinary citizens who have now gone back living their normal lives. Clownhunter is searching for these people -- but they aren't his only target. In Batman #102, the young vigilante turns his attention to another Gotham City clown: Harley Quinn.
Harley Quinn started out her supervillain career as the Joker's girlfriend and right-hand woman. She assisted him in his crime spree for years, until she eventually broke things off with him and set off on her own. Over time, Harley became a member of the Gotham City Sirens and the Suicide Squad. She became an anti-hero of sorts, and she eventually proved herself a hero who could stand alongside the rest of the Justice League and the Bat-family itself.
Despite her recent history, the people of Gotham City may still see Harley as another clown who terrorized them for years -- and that's exactly the case for Clownhunter. Either he doesn't know about Harley's heroic turn, or he doesn't care. To him, a clown is a clown, and Harley Quinn is no different.
In Batman #102, Harley is negotiating a lease on a new apartment. However, she's being watched from afar by Clownhunter, who is perched up on a neighboring rooftop. He has spare parts and equipment laid out next to him, and he's watching a video to figure out how to build his own rocket launcher.
It's definitely a dark turn for Clownhunter, whom we already know to be a brutal killer. Not only does he wish to take out Harley from a distance, but the explosion would most assuredly cause collateral damage that could end up costing innocent people their lives.
Thankfully, Clownhunter doesn't get to try out his homemade rocket launcher because he is interrupted by Gotham City's newest masked menace, the Ghost-Maker. The villain wants to save Gotham like Batman never could -- and that means getting rid of threats in a more permanent manner. The Ghost-Maker is ready to take out Clownhunter but luckily, Batman shows up to protect the teenager.
Batman engages Ghost-Maker in a fight, which gives Bao the chance to escape. Because of the commotion, Clownhunter doesn't get the chance to attack Harley. But it's likely he isn't done. Sooner or later, Bao will return to face Harley, and it's bound to be an interesting confrontation. Harley may be the superior fighter, but Bao is dangerous and unpredictable, just like her. And he has a bat of his own, too.