The following contains spoilers for The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #4, on sale now from DC Comics.
DC's latest solo series starring the Joker, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing, reveals why the Clown Prince of Crime has not killed Jason Todd again following his resurrection in the mid 2000s.
The Joker murdered Jason, the second Robin, back in the 1988 Batman story arc "A Death in the Family." Jason did not stay dead, however, and was later resurrected thanks to some Multiverse-shattering events and a dip in one of Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pits, allowing for his transformation into the gun-toting vigilante, Red Hood. Written by Matthew Rosenberg and illustrated by Carmine Di Giandomenico, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing reveals the Joker's two possible reasons for why he hasn't returned Jason to the grave yet.
In the issue, after hunting Joker across Gotham City, Jason confronts him in Gotham General Hospital, but he is unable to kill the villain being that Joker has a hostage held at gunpoint. Joker forces Jason into a closet along with the hostage and another hospital worker, but when he does not shoot any of the three, Jason says, "Wait, wait. Why aren't you trying to kill me?" The Joker responds, "Because I have a plan for you...or maybe because I don't like telling the same joke twice."
Despite Joker not wanting to kill Jason because of a larger plan or because he does not feel like it, Jason has wanted the villain dead since he was resurrected. As Jason explained to Batman in the "Under the Red Hood" storyline revolving around his return to the DC Universe, his anger toward the hero was not because he let Jason die, but because he didn't avenge him by killing the Joker. Though its canon status can be debated since it is a DC Black Label book, Batman: Three Jokers -- a story with three different Jokers (as the name would imply) -- eventually gave Jason his wish when he shot one Joker in the head.
Where Is the Real Joker?
However, the Joker currently in Gotham City has already survived a bullet to the head before, as well other gunshot wounds, drowning in freezing water and brain surgery without any anesthesia. Like Three Jokers, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing has introduced a mystery of multiple Jokers, two to be specific: one being chased by Jason in Gotham City, and the other that is killing mob bosses across the country. The Gotham Joker was originally shot in the head by the other Joker before he left for Los Angeles, but which one is the real Clown Prince of Crime is unknown as of writing.
Along with Rosenberg and Giandomenico, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #4 is colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Nick Filardi, and lettered by Tom Napolitano. Main cover art is by Giandomenico, with variant cover artwork contributed to by Lee Bermejo, Dustin Nguyen and Simone Di Meo. The issue also features a backup story, "Knocked Upside Down," written by Rosenberg, drawn by Francesco Francavilla and lettered by Napolitano. The issue is now on sale from DC Comics.
Source: DC Comics