The latest chapter in the Batman: White Knight Universe referenced a classic moment from Batman cinema. It’s not the only way the series has paid tribute to Batman’s history.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red #6 by Sean Murphy, Katana Collins, Matteo Scalera, and Andworld Design, available now.
In Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red #6, DC returned to the world of Batman: White Knight. The anthology comic showcases a fateful meeting between Harley Quinn and Batman set before the original mini-series that serves as a teaser for the upcoming White Knight Harley solo mini-series. It also gave fans a chance to see Batman and the Joker in action before the events of White Knight, which included a reference to a classic moment from Batman’s cinematic history.
In this flashback sequence, Batman and Joker’s confrontation is brief. After Harley slyly hands Joker a flag-firing gun instead of a real one, Batman and Robin spring into action. Batman knocks Joker into a wall. After throwing Harley off of his back, he’s ready to deliver a knockout blow to the Joker. With nothing else to defend himself, the Joker resorts to appealing to Batman’s sense of propriety.
Joker produces a pair of eyeglasses and says the classic line “You wouldn’t hit a guy with glasses, would ya?”
That’s the same question that Jack Nicholson’s Joker asked Michael Keaton’s Batman during their fight in 1989’s Batman. Although the two Batman answer similarly, the White Knight version of the Caped Crusader at least takes Joker’s glasses off before he answers with his fist.
Even with the reference, there’s no parallel between the stakes of the two scenes. Nicholson’s Joker uncorked his line during the climax of the film, as he and Batman were fighting atop a cathedral. Batman’s punch sends Joker over the edge of the roof. While he’s briefly able to turn the tables on Batman and Kim Basinger’s Vicki Vale, it ultimately leads to his demise. As the Joker’s escaping via helicopter, Batman tethers his leg to a gargoyle, causing him to plummet to his death. The conflict between Batman and the Joker in the comic is brief because it’s not the focus of the story.
Instead, Batman and Harley’s relationship is. Harley’s key role in the story speaks to key influence on the White Knight universe from other versions of the character. As a Black Label series with its own continuity, the world of White Knight draws influence from a variety of Batman media without being beholden to any of it. It references a wide spectrum of touchstone Batman stories, from Batman: Year One to the Dark Knight trilogy and Batman: The Animated Series, which is one of the biggest single influences on White Knight.
The White Knight Universe will almost certainly continue to mix and match elements of Batman’s history in the upcoming Harley series, which is set to focus on a version of Harley Quinn who’s outgrown the Joker and is surprisngly close to the Dark Knight.
