Sean Gordon Murphy, writer and artist of Batman: White Knight, has revealed the final variant of the hit DC Comics series but in the process, he may well have offered up potential spoilers with one last issue to go.
Issue #8 hits stands on May 9 and now, after teasing the variant recently, Murphy tweeted out the cover in full for fans, showing just how it addresses two sides of a major plot beat in what’s become known as the “Murphyverse.”
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The cover, colored by Matt Hollingsworth, shows Joker holding Harley as if he’s carrying her over the threshold, both clearly in love and happy. However, in the background we see Arkham Asylum, as well as the Batman looking on at a reformed Harleen Quinzel, although she’s holding a bloody (and seemingly dying) Jack Napier in her hands on the ground.
Everyone is asking what the final variant cover for Batman: White Knight will be. For the first time, HERE IT IS!!! Colors by @MDHollingsworth pic.twitter.com/tzFv3f6tWC
— Sean Gordon Murphy (@Sean_G_Murphy) April 12, 2018
This hints at two things: Firstly, that Napier’s Joker persona lives at the end of the series after emerging in full in the last issue. Napier was taking mysterious pills to suppress it, but with the Neo-Joker (the second and rejected Harley known as Marian Drews) emerging, he’s reverted to the Clown persona.
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Secondly, if Napier indeed exits stage left, then just who is the Harley with the all-too-happy Joker? More than likely it would be Marian, as she’s been holding Gotham hostage using a giant freeze gun just to smoke the Joker out of hiding after he turned into Gotham’s hero and cleaned up the city. Only time will tell which personality survives the final battle as Joker and Batman face the Neo-Joker, and if indeed Napier gets to marry his first Harley.