Batman #93

Issue Details

Synopsis

THEIR DARK DESIGNS, PART 8 In the office of Bruce inside Tricorner Yards, the Designer and Batman finally face off. Bruce explains to the Designer how the original plan would pan out, and the fact he wanted to leave for his legacy a perfect, unbeatable modern criminal empire living in Gotham City, bringing his career to an end. But Batman claims he was a different, less experienced man back then, and now he's equal to the Designer himself. Both of them unsheathe a sword, and they start to duel.   While dueling, Batman explains the flaw in the Designer's plan: every single crook he welcomed inside his house was going to follow his instruction, but not the Joker. He underestimated the clown, thinking him a petty serial killer with a flavor for drama. But he misunderstood, and badly. And he payed with his own life. Batman knows who is behind everything: this Designer is just another zombie, another pawn. It's all about humiliation by the one criminal who took the Designer's place when he killed him. The Clown Prince of Crime. The Joker.   Why this? Why all the games with the Designer's former plan? And the Joker has an answer: it was not to break him. He's preparing a war for him to fight. It was to break her. Catwoman. As Bruce realizes where this leads, Deathstroke comes back and finishes his contract, piercing Batman's leg with his sword. He'll die if he tries to pull it out. Slade was afraid Joker double-crossed him, but now his job's over. The clown tells him he will have the money, but he also tells him he should get out of the city as soon as possible. With the Batman incapacitated, Selina is in serious danger.  Catwoman is trying to put the Wayne Family's fortune to safety before the Designer, or the Joker, can get to it. In fact, Joker's new sidekick, Punchline, is currently fighting with Harley Quinn, providing a distraction for Selina to exploit. Connected to the Underbroker's network, Selina explains how Bruce Wayne's money is hidden through layers of shell companies and false accounts, all to hide how Wayne himself spends his fortune. This gives her the perfect opportunity to take all the money without any consequence from a legal standpoint: if Wayne was to denounce the theft, he had also to explain all his illegal activities to hide the true purpose of his resources.   Meanwhile, Punchline explains why she hates Harley: she was the closest to the Joker, without considering Batman, but instead of sustaining his view of the world, she tried to change him. To water him down. How dare she try to change the Joker! He's perfect as he is, and she is now replacing Harley by his side to do things the way they should be. Harley tries to explain that she should not trust the Joker: there is no fun with him, only pure evil. He will hurt her, and hurt her bad. But Punchline won't listen: with a quick shot, she slices Harley's throat, ordering then to her goons to throw her in the sewers. Now, time to gut the cat.   Punchline enters the Underbroker's office, and shoots Selina, without killing her but making her unconscious. Then tells the Joker everything is done, with Selina tricked by both Punchline and Underbroker: now the clown prince of crime is worth one hundred billion dollars.