Batman Goes Through Major Change in JUSTICE LEAGUE #42

Darkseid War continues in JUSTICE LEAGUE #42. Last issue, the League had a brutal introduction to Grail, Darkseid’s daughter. If that wasn’t bad enough, they soon come face to face with the Anti-Monitor as well. While there is a bit that happens in this issue, there is one pretty big event that we have to immediately discuss. That means there will be some spoilers below for JUSITCE LEAGUE #42.

The League barely had a chance to recover from their encounter with Grail and who knows what facing the Anti-Monitor would mean. Luckily Metron arrives and transports them to a place of safety—a place hidden from Grail and Anit-Monitor. None of the League, except for Hal, knows who Metron is. Metron informs them there is no way they can save their world this time. Wonder Woman cuts to the chase and demands to know how they can stop Anti-Monitor. When Diana tries using her Lasso of Truth on him, Hal tells her that Metron doesn’t have any answers but his chair does. Removing him from the Mobius Chair results in the chair about to leave. Batman jumps on in order to stop it. That’s when the change occurs.

Batman is almost overwhelmed with the fact that he can now hear the answers to everything. He first asks the chair who killed his parents. Being informed that it was Joe Chill starts to convince him it does know all the answers. He then asks another question—an interesting one.

With the sound of a “Ping,” Batman gets the answer to his question. We don’t hear what the answer is but what’s in a name? Batman’s reaction to the answer is pretty fascinating.

What could that mean? This is something we may never find out but you can’t deny the idea of Joker’s true name actually meaning something is pretty crazy.

What this means for Batman is what we saw mentioned in the DIVERGENCE Free Comic Book Day Issue. A New God is born. We can assume this is not something that will last past this story arc. But how do you un-become a god?

Make sure you read JUSTICE LEAGUE #42 to see the other stuff that happened, especially with Mister Miracle. We'll have to wait for issue #43 for more.

To unbecome him a god you get Wonder Woman.

The Joker bit has to be the biggest troll of the year.

His name is Thomas Wayne.... jk lol

@mrtummytumms: Maan Johns knows he was wrong for that!

All Hail the Bat-God!!!

Joker is probably Joe Chill Jr.

The Joker's name is... The Joker, thats really his name lol

either that or its turns out Joker's last name is Wayne or he has an alien name.

The Joker should never be a relevant person. He should just be a force of chaos. I dislike the idea of giving Joker more relevance than that.

I'd almost be willing to bet that the instant he gets off the chair he'll forget

What's the Joker's real name?

Bruce Wayne

What's the Joker's real name?

Which one? He is multiple people

What's the Joker's real name?

Jared Leto

What's the Joker's real name?

Joker

What's the Joker's real name?

Tony Guerrero

If it's ever mentioned again I forsee the Joker's name thing being a copout answer like "Not even the power of the gods could figure it out" or some such nonsense lol

I'm so curious now. What is his name? Joe Chill?

I agree with that. Or that it's just put out there for shock value and won't be asked by anyone in the near future

This issue was nearly perfect, and so was the art. My complaints are that it seems weird the chair would try to leave and teleport itself away just because Metron was not sitting in it. I don't get that. Also, not enough Darkseid. Mobius gets to go to earth and wreck stuff and Darkseid just stands looking st nothing on Apokolips. This makes me think its gonna be really destructive when he does show up. It has to be something big. Darkseid is such a badass. Wonder Woman was surprisingly very good though and so was Batman.

Hmmm....Well, we know that Owlman in most cases is Thomas Wayne, and that the mainstream Dc universe has no record of him. I'm pretty certain The Joker being Thomas Wayne would certainly cause Bruce to react as portrayed. It would be a stupid reveal of course, but for some reason that's the feeling I get in my gut.

The one concern I have is the length of this arc. it's ending in October making it only 6 issues in length that's including the prologue, seems to short for such a cosmic war of this scope.

@batarangbamz: so true

Im betting we wont find out what batman did and he'll forget when he leaves tye chair since the chair holds knolage not him.

It would be freakin hilarious if the Joker was Batman's dad (Thomas Wayne) but returned from the dead or his brother he never knew. That be a real messed up joke on him lol.

I didn't see any difference.

And Joker is probably... Martha Wayne.

@mrtummytumms: His name... Is Robert Paulson.

@dernman: Joker being multiple names would be a great revelation that would work without destroying things.

Our worst nightmare has come. The unrealistic super batman fans will never let us go of this moment where Batman literally became a god!!

@shadowlife248: Now whenever thew subject of Batman being Bat God comes up people can post this picture:

Actually, I think Joker might be Jimmy Hoffa....

@shadowlife248: *sigh* This is pretty much why I jumped ship from DC and have not returned. I absolutely hate how they are pissing on the Kirby verse with this and how they keep pushing that overrated joke at the expense of other characters. I mean Wonder woman de-powered Metron??!!! and now Bat "overrated-crazy-guy-in-flying-rat-costume" Man is a god?!!! What happened to telling good stories without writer bias?

Did they really need to make batman a god who knows everything? I mean wasn't that already his mary sue power?

He accidentally tapped into a Fox News feed claiming it is Obama

*sigh* This is pretty much why I jumped ship from DC and have not returned. I absolutely hate how they are pissing on the Kirby verse with this and how they keep pushing that overrated joke at the expense of other characters. I mean Wonder woman de-powered Metron??!!! and now Bat "overrated-crazy-guy-in-flying-rat-costume" Man is a god?!!! What happened to telling good stories without writer bias?

It's because he's Alfred:

The Joker's name will not be revealed. It was a throwaway scene. Batman will forget whatever he learned, or never act on it while he is sitting on the chair. Which is silly. Maybe he found out that Joker doesn't exist and it's just a hallucination.

@n25philly: thanks Obama

Exactly why it would make sense to be a "God" of Knowledge.

@artisticneedham said:

@shadowlife248: Now whenever thew subject of Batman being Bat God comes up people can post this picture:

Definetly me >:D

Also, to anyone who thinks joker is Joe Chill or Thomas Wayne, Joker is older than Bruce. We Know, but not old enough to be his father, which Joe Chill is old enough to be as well. Wouldn't make sense..Yes, i know Comics more times than not don't make sense.

Lol, I can smell your butthurt through my monitor.

It looks like every core Leaguer will have an awesome or terrifying power up during this arc. The big writing task will be creating something that will induce other writers to integrate the events into their stories.

And Johns has written a decent Bat man. At last.

@teerack: Yeah. But now they can legitimately get away with it.

Dear God.... What have you done Geoff Johns?

You've..

You've doomed us all.

All the people who constantly say Geoff Johns undermines batman, well...

He literally made him Bat-God! That's the most ultimate bat wank in comics since Snyder had batman spit kryptonite in superman's face.

Regarding the question of the Joker's identity, when that was the second question Bruce asked, i was surprised and by his reaction it seems like someone he knows, but i have a really strong feeling that was just something for this moment and will never be addressed again, unless Johns has some more plans for it.(Which i'm praying he doesn't)

They gotta feed the memes man. This even happened in issue 42 xD

IT WAS THE MONOPOLY GUY ALL ALONG

Well, is that necessarily a bad thing? After all, several characters derive their power from devices, technology, magical artifacts, and the like. Is it really that bad if Batman, for a short time, is given a boost by the Mobius Chair? We don't say that none of the Green Lanterns have "achieved" anything because they need their rings to pull of their stunts. In fact, we instead look to what they accomplish with the rings and how they use them. I don't see why the same can't be said here. Let's see how Batman usestheMobius Chair to achieve his ends, instead of claiming right off the bat that Geoff "is pulling off a contrived plot device to make Batman relevant."

@m_man said:

It's because he's Alfred:

Whoa. Where's this from?

Isn't Batman dead?

The Joker is probably Joseph Wayne, Thomas and Martha Wayne's estranged first son. Born before Bruce, and Thomas Jr. if Owlman (this is not the Owlman of Earth 3 and Forever Evil) is telling the truth, in the new DCU he gets into a dispute with his parents and runs away before Bruce develops any memory of him. From there he grows and matures to become the Red Hood that fell in to the chemicals at Ace in Zero Year.

@egie_asemota1 I find that too convenient /easy even with the lasso of truth. In 3 pages *whoops he got out of the chair :/ goddamnit.

@zeeguy91:

I think it's from "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?"

@artisticneedham said:

@shadowlife248: Now whenever thew subject of Batman being Bat God comes up people can post this picture:

Definetly me >:D

Also, to anyone who thinks joker is Joe Chill or Thomas Wayne, Joker is older than Bruce. We Know, but not old enough to be his father, which Joe Chill is old enough to be as well. Wouldn't make sense..Yes, i know Comics more times than not don't make sense.

*inserts Darth Vader meme, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

@artisticneedham said:

@shadowlife248: Now whenever thew subject of Batman being Bat God comes up people can post this picture:

Your comment made my day.

Interesting