WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Red Hood #51 by Shawn Martinbrough, Tony Atkins, Stefano Gaudiano, Paul Mounts and ALW's Troy Peteri, on sale now.
The villains of Gotham City are known for their colorful outfits and various gimmicks. The Joker wears a purple suit and makes Jokes, Two-Face is obsessed with duality and it reflects in his suits, Poison Ivy is an eco-terrorist and wears nature like a protective shawl. The list goes on, each villain unique in their own way with complex -- if not outright evil -- motivations. But even though they've been terrorizing Gotham for years, they've formed enough of a cultural foothold within the city to be used as inspiration for fashion designers. This is something Gotham's latest villain, Tommy Maxx, uses to fund his own criminal endeavors.
Tommy Maxx, AKA Thomas Misell, is introduced to readers as a fashion designer, having created a successful line of footwear based on the themes from some of Gotham's best-known villains. Among the rogues he's used as muses include Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and the Riddler. He also has connections with the criminal elements of the Hill, a neighborhood in Gotham City. He sells them his merchandise so they can peddle it on the streets.
However, Tommy Maxx has an even darker side than selling shoes to criminal gangs. He allies with Korlee Junior, providing funding for his efforts to up Korlee's firepower so that he can remain in power on the streets. In the aftermath of the Joker War, however, Tommy has been feeling less and less content to just sit back and watch as all the gangs vie for control over their little kingdom. To that end, he freed Killer Croc from jail and hired him as muscle for his campaign to consolidate the streets of the Hill under his rule.
But more interesting than yet another villain trying to take over the streets of Gotham is how he manages to fund himself. Tommy Maxx has tapped into a market that, despite being distasteful, has proven both lucrative and ingrained in Gotham's culture. By having a successful line of clothing based on the city's villains, people who regularly terrorize the citizens of Gotham, it shows that the city is willing to both profit off of their image and ignore how distasteful it may be to emulate people who have killed an incalculable number of people over the years.
And that's the word to focus on: years. The rogues have been around for years if not decades. People know their names just as easily as they know Batman's. They have more of a foothold in the minds of the people than the local government does. And while a great many fear them, and rightfully so, it would seem that some members of the city are trying to emulate these costumed lunatics. If it is not forgiveness, then perhaps it is admiration for their goals -- or perhaps their fashion sense.
This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Admiration for villains and their aesthetic has been more and more prevalent in recent comics. In Tom King's run of Batman, fans were introduced to Bat Burger, a restaurant chain themed after Batman and his various enemies. And even more disturbing is how the villains of Gotham can connect with people in a way Batman cannot.
Punchline's own relationship with the Joker is one built upon a belief in his worldview. It reveals a dangerous power the rogues have: the ability to inspire the worst in people, even if it is unintentional. And right now, Tommy Maxx is demonstrating that this power is even affecting ordinary people instead of just a few disaffected people.