WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: Curse of the White Knight #8, by Sean Gordon Murphy, Matt Hollingsworth and AndWorld Design, on sale now.
Batman: Curse of the White Knight more or less finished what Batman: White Knight started. It deconstructed the symbol of the Bat and waded into deeper territory by dealing with the tarnished legacy of the Wayne family. However, Bruce triumphed over Azrael and saved Gotham. as he retired and awaits trial for his war crimes, the now-exposed vigilante is using funds to rebuild the city and atone for previous mistakes.
While that all might seem like a fitting end for this Batman's saga, writer/artist Sean Gordon Murphy has been teasing a sequel, Beyond the White Knight, since last year. Now, we're breaking down how the end of Curse of the White Knight sets up the future of this world.
The Return of Jason Todd
At the end of Curse of the White Knight, Jason Todd returned to guard Bruce in his cell. Apparently, Bruce requested Todd and asked Commissioner Renee Montoya, to track the former Robin down. Since this Robin let Bruce think he was dead after a Joker torture session, it seems like a reconciliation could be in the cards.
Continuing with what White Knight has been about, it seems like Bruce wants to keep making amends for his past. Judging from the Batman and Robin shadows on the prison walls, he could even be grooming Jason as the next Batman. He knows his potential and might want him to take the mantle up since he told Azrael that Gotham's protector will always be the Caped Crusader. Murphy has discussed his love for Batman Beyond too, so some elements of that neo-futuristic Batman incarnation -- like Terry McGinnis -- could even show up.
The Joker Twins
If the next White Knight series makes a significant time jump, it could also use the Joker's twins as the star players. Given how Gotham and Batman drove Jack Napier mad, it wouldn't be surprising to see that madness live on in one of his kids, possibly with the other trying to redeem their sibling. The possibilities with those two are endless, and Murphy has said that we haven't seen the last of them.
Harleen also professed her love for Bruce when he was sent to prison, so she might want to wipe the stains of the past away. This could see her mentoring the kids and even working with the likes of Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon to make them into vigilantes. The Gotham police has opened its doors to those kinds of costumed crusaders, so the Joker's children could become full-fledged heroes to honor Jack and Batman.
The Bat-Family Beyond
While a lot of the story has focused on Bruce, Curse of the White Knight had a lot of Dick and Barbara trying to bring him back to the light. With Bruce funding new Batmobiles and the vigilante integration program, more heroes seem almost certain to enter the fray. Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown could appear in this world, and Bruce even joked to the burly Duke Thomas he'd be a good Robin.
With Harvey Bullock promoted and in charge of this initiative in the wake of Jim Gordon's murder, Dick and Barbara seem set to become the new Bat-Family's mentors. They'll now see the war on crime from Bruce's perspective, but that could be a recipe for disaster. Some vigilantes might not fall in line, and others may be too inexperienced or incapable. Azrael killed off many of Gotham's criminals. and a new, more vicious breed of criminal could rise up in their stead. But when those threats do rise, the next generation of Gotham vigilantes seems ready to deal with them.