Batman has always been a great contributor to the villain scene. Some of the most iconic bad guys were created to combat the Dark Knight. Penguin, Riddler, Freeze, Bane, and of course, Joker are but a small number in the rich tapestry of the Bat's foes. And now, the list is growing again.
Not only are we seeing some new characters for Bruce to battle, but we are seeing them fleshed out and created very well. It's been some time since there was a new evil force in the Batman realm that interested me as much as these characters have. So here's four new villains and their first appearances to keep your on eye!
Punchline
With Harley no longer working under him, The Joker was in need of a new cohort. One with a vicious nature that wouldn't hesitate to do whatever they were told in the name of chaos. Enter Punchline. A formidable replacement to Harley Quinn, we got to experience just how sadistic this new partner is throughout The Joker Wars.
Punchline went viral almost immediately with fans as she was showcased. Her first cameo (only her mouth is shown in one-panel talking) is in Batman #89, while her first full appearance is actually outside the main title, in Year of the Villain; Hell Arisen #3. Both of which are available for around $80 for a raw book and about $170 for a 9.8.
There is a chance that Punchline is a temporary character, and we may not see much more of her. However, she seems very well defined and could easily make herself a recurring character for issues to come. There already seems to be quite a demand for her. So, if she can continue to rise in the public eye, she could be around for a long time.
Clownhunter
During the Joker Wars, there were plenty of clowns in Gotham terrorizing the innocent and killing without mercy. With Bruce dealing with too many things at once, some of Gotham decided to begin fighting back. Enter Bao Pham, The Clownhunter. Unlike our Bat, this vigilante deals with the Joker's henchmen in one way: putting them in the ground.
Much like Punchline, the Joker Wars is creating some very memorable characters. His first appearance is in Batman #96, which is very affordable at $50 for a 9.8 slab right now. However, he also has this very nice yellow design variant with his own cover. This is certainly the fan-favorite of the #96 variants; hitting around $130 for average pricing. With how this character seems to be poised, he could be a breakout character if he makes more appearances in further issues.
From what we saw throughout the rest of the Joker Wars, it's almost certain that we will see Clownhunter again. However, his character seems to be shaping into more of a villain than a vigilante. Without spoiling too much, he and Bruce will be at odds the next time they meet. Bao has no intention of keeping his marks alive. And for Batman, that's just a line too far.
Ghost-Maker
The latest drop that the new Batman series has for us is Ghost-Maker. Making his debut at the end of the Joker Wars, this antagonist is set to shake the already unstable foundation that Batman has been built upon. Although said to be more of an anti-hero than a villain, I think his motivations are going to be the deciding factor between "hero" and "villain".
Ghost-Maker has come to put an end to Batman's reign as Gotham's lone vigilante. Though at this point it's unclear how he's going to accomplish this. If this character is trying to dethrone Batman, then we may see some very villain-like behavior from him. Not quite Joker or Riddler level evil, but maybe he's a "Full Measures" type of guy, while Bruce is content to put his enemies in jail.
Either way, his first appearance could be a nice slow burner. Especially if this character becomes an issue for Bruce going forward rather than falling off after an arc or two. Currently, his first cameo is in Batman #100. The epilogue of the Joker Wars gives us a full page view of Ghost-Maker as he watches the chaos unfold on his computers. His small bit of dialogue tells us that he is coming for Bruce soon; rumors say his first full appearance will be in Batman #101 or #102. For now, I would also look into the "Jimenez" variant for #100 as this cool card stock art for these issues have become very popular lately.
Final Remarks:
The Joker Wars definitely shook things up in Gotham and has led to the creation of some memorable characters and moments in the new Batman series, which has made this latest run very interesting. Not only are we seeing old characters coming back, but many new faces are appearing. We'll see what time holds for these new antagonists, but for now, I think these are great issues to pick up for collectors and readers alike.
