Writer Geoff Johns and artist Jason Fabok's upcoming DC Black Label title Batman: Three Jokers is a comic that deals with the physical and emotional scars left by traumas of the past. Alongside the reveal of preview art from the series the creators spoke to how this theme pertains to the characters of Bruce Wayne/Batman, Jason Todd/Red Hood and Batgirl/Barbara Gordon.
The art, shared to the DC Nation Twitter page, is taken from the opening pages of Three Jokers. The first piece shows a shirtless Batman being stitched up by Alfred, his back completely covered in various scars from his many battles. "Some emotional and physical scars don't heal. This is a story of how the Joker takes advantage of that," said Johns. Added Fabok, "The entire story is about the scars we all struggle with... some emotional and some physical. Here's my take on Bruce's physical scars, inspired by the classic image from Alex Ross."
Meanwhile, the second panel shared by DC stars none other than Red Hood, who is seen fighting a group of thugs -- who presumably work for the Joker, based on one's tattoo -- in the middle of a cemetery. Johns describes the leather-clad vigilante as being "incredibly damaged from the events that have occurred. And he wasn't exactly on the most steady ground beforehand." Johns, of course, refers to the infamous sequence of events in which Jason Todd -- during his time as the second Robin -- was violently murdered by the Joker, later being resurrected and undertaking the Red Hood mantle as part of his quest for vengeance.
"Red Hood has become a standout character for me while going through this journey with him," Fabok added. "I've come to really like him as a character. We go on a very deep dive into his past, his scars and his relationship with Batman."
We now come to Batgirl, who has her own dark history with the Clown Prince of Crime. "She pushes herself harder than she needs to, just to make sure she's better," Johns said of Barbara. "She wants to be the best she's been." Batgirl's artwork sees the hero riding a new bat-themed motorcycle, which Fabok explains was actually inspired by a previous design.
Reuniting the creative team of "Darkseid War," Three Jokers finds Batman, Batgirl and Red Hood exploring the murderous legacy of the Joker and the traumatic impact he's had on their lives. The seeds for this new series were planted in "Darkseid War," when Batman asked Metron's Mobius Chair what the his archenemy's real name was. In DC Universe: Rebirth, it was revealed what he was told: there isn't just one Joker. There are actually three.
Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jason Fabok with colors by Brad Anderson, Batman: Three Jokers #1 goes on sale Aug. 25 from DC Comics, followed by issue #2 on Sept. 29 and issue #3 on Oct. 27.