WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Nightwing #77 by Dan Jurgens, Ronan Cliquet, Nick Filardi, and Andworld Design, on sale now.
The Joker War has ended and yet the aftermath is still being felt across Gotham as people try to recover in the post-war Gotham City. But aside from the literal healing that needs to be done by Gothamites, there are also constant reminders of the Joker's rampage through the city, mostly in the form of graffiti reminding Gotham of the damage it suffered as a result of the Joker's planned "last battle" with Batman.
These reminders, while they may not be getting too much focus right now, could ultimately be the first building blocks of Gotham's Future State, where it is ruled over by an anti-mask government.
Even though the Joker has disappeared (again), it has become apparent that Gotham is reacting quite differently to this latest attack than others. Usually, in the aftermath of such a devastating event, Gotham rallies and finds comfort in its heroes but this time around there is a tension in the air and a barely contained anger. Exacerbating this is the graffiti left around the city reminding them of how the Joker basically slaughtered his way through the city. Even worse? Many of the people who helped him do it were Gotham citizens who decided to let go of their inhibitions, wear a mask, and just do whatever they wanted.
In truth, this last attack may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Gotham is tough, but at what point does an entire city say enough is enough? They've been through so many attacks from villains in the last few years that it's a miracle the city has bounced back as well as it has each time. This time, however, they weren't just attacked by villains, they were attacked by their own people. People who wore masks to hide themselves from any justice that should follow such destructive behavior. This is a major part of what fuels the growing anti-mask movement in Gotham. When it was just a handful of people in costumes hitting each other it was tolerable, but the Joker War brought out something dark and twisted in the people of Gotham. It was as if all the anger and frustration they'd been holding back over the suddenly boiled to the surface just because the Joker said it was okay and the ensuing chaos nearly brought Gotham burning down.
The terror and distrust that grew in some people in Gotham is understandable. Now they not only have to fear who will come after Batman next, but also if their neighbor will be taking part. So it isn't hard to imagine why an anti-mask movement would spring up in the face of this newfound fear -- when people have experienced anarchy with no end in sight, they crave order and stability.
That order and stability seem to come at a terrible cost if Future State is any indication. The Magistrate seems to rule the city as a totalitarian government, enforcing its own laws and regulations in the name of safety. It seems that Gotham has been pushed far enough that they will trade their civil liberties to feel as though they're safe.
But how long will that sense of security last once drones fly overhead daily and facial recognition software reports their every move? Order and chaos are a spectrum after all. Too much of one thing can be dangerous. Moderation is the key to any successful change, but desperation for that change may have driven the city into a new kind of terror than the one the Joker unleashed.