i wish gm could write batman comics forever !!!!

i dont know but im really excited to see what happens.

Well Damian did drive off the ambulance he was driving into Gotham Bay, In Batman R.I.P. If anyone remembers. He probably was knocked unconscious and then returned after some time. I think it will be explained in Batman #701. Now Damian is giving Jason Todd Justice. Killing Joker with a crow bar. 

I'm still sticking to him becoming somewhat lucid because he thinks the real Batman is dead.

Also, Joker has been hinted strongly of knowing Batman's identity for years. Gordon definitely knew already, but wants to keep the charade of plausable deniability.

I wish GM would stop writing Batman comics.
"Metalek Xenoformer"?

I think Joker has known who Bats was for a VERY long time. But he doesn't care. As long as Batman plays Batman, he's happy. The same goes for the Commish: he knows Batman is Bruce Wayne, but he doesn't want to get things too "personal". They been through hell and back together, he's basically the only person Batman trusts (outside the Bat-Family, I mean). IIRC, it was during Cataclysm that Batman took off his cowl, but Gordon refused to look. He surely knows, but he wants to keep "the status quo", if you ask me. 
 
Anyway, Grant Morrison is one of those few writers that can drive you mad trying to figure out what is happening. I know many people think this is something bad, but I totally, utterly, sheerly LOVE IT. I hope Grant keeps writing comics for another 50 years, or more :D

You'd think after 70 years, they would know each other pretty well. Maybe they shared a cappuccino and a danish at the local coffee shop or couples therapy to really get down to the nitty gritty of their relationship.  

All in all, I think Batman's secret identity has been under serious attacks recently. Just think of all those who now know who is. Black Glove, their henchmen etc.

Hmm..maybe that was a strong motivation for the Joker to eliminate them.

"

All in all, I think Batman's secret identity has been under serious attacks recently. Just think of all those who now know who is. Black Glove, their henchmen etc.

Hmm..maybe that was a strong motivation for the Joker to eliminate them.

"

This is just a little too left field for me. Like it really was just because it was the last thing any one was expecting.
The whole thing seems way out of character for Joker.

" This is just a little too left field for me. Like it really was just because it was the last thing any one was expecting. The whole thing seems way out of character for Joker. "

" @Gylan Thomas: @Gylan Thomas said:

" This is just a little too left field for me. Like it really was just because it was the last thing any one was expecting. The whole thing seems way out of character for Joker. "

Back in RIP Joker did not like the Black Glove and killed a member we then saw Oberon Sexton travel the world hunting for a "Domino Killer" who had been killing the Black Glove members. The reveal Joker is Oberon makes sense because it meant he was not hunting the killer he was the killer. "

" @johnny spam said:

" @Gylan Thomas: @Gylan Thomas said:

" This is just a little too left field for me. Like it really was just because it was the last thing any one was expecting. The whole thing seems way out of character for Joker. "

Back in RIP Joker did not like the Black Glove and killed a member we then saw Oberon Sexton travel the world hunting for a "Domino Killer" who had been killing the Black Glove members. The reveal Joker is Oberon makes sense because it meant he was not hunting the killer he was the killer. "

We gonna do the pro and anti Morrison thing again? :D It stil seems out of character. Establishing a new identity to go and kill also seems out of character for Joker. Seems to me he's never felt the need before. You're gonna have to fill me in on the issues Oberon/ Joker was hunting and killing black gloves types. I've been put off bat stuff lately. "

I thought he was aware of the identity since A Death in The Family.  It was never really said but it was implied in the last chapter when Joker saw Bruce at the UN and stopped and looked at him and Bruce's thoughts were along the lines of"does he know who I am?" 

" @Gylan Thomas: @Gylan Thomas said:

" @johnny spam said:

" @Gylan Thomas: @Gylan Thomas said:

" This is just a little too left field for me. Like it really was just because it was the last thing any one was expecting. The whole thing seems way out of character for Joker. "

Back in RIP Joker did not like the Black Glove and killed a member we then saw Oberon Sexton travel the world hunting for a "Domino Killer" who had been killing the Black Glove members. The reveal Joker is Oberon makes sense because it meant he was not hunting the killer he was the killer. "

We gonna do the pro and anti Morrison thing again? :D It stil seems out of character. Establishing a new identity to go and kill also seems out of character for Joker. Seems to me he's never felt the need before. You're gonna have to fill me in on the issues Oberon/ Joker was hunting and killing black gloves types. I've been put off bat stuff lately. "

Okay when "Oberon" was introduced it was said he was hunting a killer down and tracking him all over the world later he was called by Hurt saying he knew who Oberon was, Joker and Hurt had a little encounter in RIP where Joker said he respected him but was never going to be his servant. It must have come to Hurt's attention that Oberon was the Joker and was killing the Black Glove members so he sent those demon named assassins to kill him.     
 
It would be perfectly in character for Joker to act like someone else and even in a Paul Dini book he did a similar thing and the Joker was established in Arkham Asylum to rearrange his personality. "

all of this talk of it being out of character for the Joker to do something like this is null and void....The Joker is one of the most insane characters in comics there is no "in character" for him...plus this wouldn't be the first time that Joker has gone through a personality change and Morrison even addressed that early in R.I.P. , talking about how the Joker acted during the Silver age then back to homicidal with the Killing Joke...this guy can do whatever floats through that crazy head of his...it may not make sense to you but then again you're not clinically insane either
 
I really think that it doesn't matter if the Joker knows Bruce was Batman because I feel like he would have been able to look at Dick as Batman and immediately know that isn't "his" Batman and I think he's doing whatever it takes to get "his" Batman back even if it means working with the current Batman

" I still go with Morriosns's Theory that the Joker isnt insane but in fact hasa form of super sanity that he uses to cope with everyday living, it changes from day to day, trickster clown from the camp years, to Homicidal Maniac of the 80s and 90s, to the genocidal whirlwind of death of the 00s.  Also I love that cover, I love that cover so much "

" Come on now people.  You knew Dick was gonna have to face the Joker sooner or later without Bruce.  It's the final exam to see if he passes.  Why are so many people saying the Joker is acting out of text, he's the Joker.  He's always out of text.  To do the unexpected is the true thing to expect  from the Joker.  If he does know Bruce is Batman then it's going to be a knew thing.  The Joker knowing Bruce's identity is way to big a thing to have been played with before.  It would be massive that's Morrisons intention tho.  The Joker wouldn't tell anyone else who Batman is, but he would torment him by going after those close to him.  Hopefully the Joker will kill Damian, then there can be a Joker vs Ras war.  Interesting.  And what great emotional ending it would be for Dick to go thru when giving the mantle back to Bruce.  His own Robin is killed by the Joker.  I don't see where Damian is going, and he acts a lot like Jason Todd did.  I don't think he fits in the books. "

I would think he would know by know that Bruce and Batman were the same person. Didnt he (as Oberon Sexton) ask about how Bruce Wayne felt about all the things going on on his property tho? and Dick (as Batman) states that Bruce was not home at the time. So it sounds as if Joker still doesnt know. After reading what Gordon has heard you would think that he could put those together but who says Gordon knows about Damien talking to the board. Unfortunately i think atleast half of this evidence that should out the bat will be ignored

I thought that it's been a while since we've heard from the Joker.

In the word's of Heath Ledger, I hope he "puts a smile on our faces"!

I think we'll have a better idea next issue. Then we can see if he knows that the Batman in front of him is not the real Batman (which I think he does). I also think he'll even know that it is the original Robin, or NIghtwing, acting as Batman. 
 
I think he is just trying to get close so he can find out what's happened to the real Batman. Or even help get him back.

I was under the impression that the Joker was aware of his identity long ago, as well. But like someone said earlier, it really doesn't matter because the Joke only cares about Batman. And for this being out of character, I agree and disagree.
 
I agree that the Joker seems a lot more calculating and coherent in this new identity, which seems out of character, But the idea of assuming a new identity is entirely in his character, just as some said before. The Joker is always putting on disguises and donning fake identities to achieve his goals, but the only reason this seems far out is because he has maintained this persona for so long and so convincingly, without a hint of the Joker coming to the surface.
 
While I really like this as a twist, I really hope it's going somewhere and not just put there as shock value. This has the potential reshape the direction of the Batman mythos.

Killing Damian would drive Bruce over the edge. He was ready to kill him after Jason's death. He nearly beat him to death when he thought he had killed Tommy Elliot. So I have no doubt he would finish Joker once and for all if he killed his own flesh and blood. And this time he would actually do it.

The "I don't kill" rule would simply ruin his character in that situation. So I think Damian is way too important to die, at least by one of Bruce's enemies. It would be way too sensational and problematic for writers, IMO.

Besides, I don't think they want to duplicate Jason's story. Damian may be a reckless, arrogant little asshole, but he isn't like Jason. He isn't a street punk who grew up in poverty.

" The part about Joker knowing the Batman as Bruce may either not be mentioned again, or simply just retconned by DC as never happening. "

I think it'd be a cool twist if Joker ended up HELPING Dick and Damien try and find Bruce. Sure, he's already started to do it as Sexton, but why not continue? He's already killed off most of the Black Glove (either because they used him, or they were responsible for Bruce's demise), so how about a Dick/Damien/Joker team up to take on Dr Hurt and his cronies?

It all part of the plan

I think the Joker has known that Bruce is Batman for a long time, but hasn't cared because he thinks that Batman is the true identity. However, now that Bruce has been gone for some time, Joker is addressing where he might be. More than anything, the Joker needs his Batman.

I think he knows Bruce is Bats but doesn't care because Bats is the one he wants to play with.

well i dont relley know what may happen the funny thing is i kept thinking if  oberon sexton was real hed have a voice a bit like jokers in brave and the bold 

It must be a trick!

The "J"-man is back in town. 

I'll have to go back and point out that Oberon says in one of the issues of Batman & Robin that he is not in fact Bruce Wayne, so this led me to assume upon the reveal of Sexton's real identity that The Joker DOES know that Batman is Bruce Wayne. 
 
However, your point from R.I.P. now has me curious if we can dig back even further than that for any kind of possible  clues. 
 
Also, I feel the need to point this out:  if it seriously took Dick this long to deduce that THE JOKER was Oberon Sexton - a villain he has seen and fought against plenty of times - then we REALLY have to question his abilities as Batman.  Mind you, a lot of us didn't figure it out either...but we also aren't in that world, capable of hearing their voices.

is this cover a varient or the regular cover? and if it is a variant, will it cost hundreds of dollars more? cause i saw another cover for # 13 on tfaw.com and i definetly like this one better.

it has been shown before (cant remember the story line) that once batman has died Joker becomes sane. So maybe now that the original Batman is dead but another has taken over the cowl the joker either has become lucid enough to not want to kill, is simply testing this new batman to see if he is worthy, or is just bored and wants to mix things up.

Morrison already established his "supersane" view on the Joker. That doesn;t mean he's not insane at all, it just means that he's insane, incredibly smart, & really good at acting like he's crazier than he rreally is.

Despite the lazy background, I'm loving this cover. Is joker trying to grab Damien's balls?
 
I've actually suspected that the Joker knew Bruce was the Bat since A Death in the Family. I believe he sees Bruce as a sad joke not worth his time interfearing with. Bruce would be the false personality. 
 
Oberon Sexton...He's too muscular to be the Joker. Where are the scars? I'd like that explained. If it really is him, then he must be desperate to find the real Batman, He never did like Nightwing & he's already well used to him. Joker hates imposter Batmen & sidekicks.
 
My question is HOW clingy is he to Batman. If he were truely dead, would the Joker's world shatter, or would he pick on his second favorite; Lex Luthor?

" I think the Joker has known that Bruce is Batman for a long time, but hasn't cared because he thinks that Batman is the true identity. However, now that Bruce has been gone for some time, Joker is addressing where he might be. More than anything, the Joker needs his Batman. "

There is all this talk about if the Joker knows Batman's real identity.  Yet the biggest question for me isn't that at all.  In the end of issue #12 the Joker's face looked to be changed back to normal.  Yet in the cover of 13#  he looks like that craptastic version again.  Which one is DC going to stick with?  Please dear god say they are going to get rid of GM's design.

HMmmm im interested in:
 1) jokers reaction to Dick as Batman
2) Damiens reaction to joker
3)Joker's reaction as to the no bruce situation