In the wake of the attack on Arkham Asylum in the pages of Infinite Frontier #0, the Joker has become the most wanted man in the world. The soon to be retired Jim Gordon is hired to track down the Joker. He soon discovers there are other forces who want revenge on the Joker and that there may be a deeper conspiracy at hand.
The Joker provides examples of:
- An Arm and a Leg: During her attack on the Sampson compound, Vengeance almost casually tears the right arm off of an attacker.
- Arc Welding: The penultimate issue ties Cressida and Bane's alliance back to his dealings with the Court of Owls during the events of Tynion's run on Talon.
- Avenging the Villain: Cressida's true motivation is to avenge her Father, who was the Grandmaster of the Court of Owls who was deposed and killed during Tynion's Talon.
- Asshole Victim: On Issue #13 several members of the Sampson clan get killed by Vengeance and the Joker. Considering they're all a bunch of crazy cannibals who would eat them if they had the chance, you don't feel much sympathy for them.
- Batman Gambit: Joker #14 reveals this was the purpose of A-Day and framing Joker. Cressida wanted to take down the Court of Owls and the Network and she needed Bane's strategic insight (and he also had skin in the game because of the Santa Priscan Generals' ties to the Network). They selected Joker as their plan's scapegoat partly because of Bane's current grudge, but also because they realized they could weaponize his chaotic nature. They correctly predicted Joker would go running for cover and try to figure out who had framed him… and would stir up utter chaos in his wake. Said chaos would directly and indirectly expose the Network's operations and to set up the Court and the Generals for the kill).
- Blunt "Yes": When Jim asks Barbara if his new phone to contact her is going to activate a Self-Destruct Mechanism if he does not answer, this is her reply.
- Bloodless Carnage: Not always, but some cases are extreme, such as the Off with His Head! example below, made more odd by how blood is clearly shown in other instances.
- Body Horror: The hideously deformed failed clones of the Joker from issue #9.
- Break Them by Talking: Issue #13 sees Vengeance catch Joker, who promptly responds by deftly and brutally verbally tearing her motivation to kill him apart, driving her into a shame-filled fury.Vegeance: Listen to me, clown. Listen to why I'm killing you.
Joker: Why should I? (gets punched) No, really. I don't care. They made you in a vat and turned you into a weapon? So what? We've got flying aliens and robots from the future running around these days. You think you're special? (gets punched) No. You know you're just a knockoff. You know that if you kill me, they're not even going to remember that it was you. It'll be… oh, isn't it wild that this random chick punched the Joker to death in Texas?
Vegeance: I don't need recognition.
Joker: But you need meaning, right? #*$@ that. There's no meaning here. You want to kill me because it feels good. Because it was programmed to feel good. You just wanted some excuse to make you feel noble about it. Because you're some nobody. Some nonperson. And you were born in a tube, right? So you're what? Like a year old? See, that's how I hope they remember it. Did you know that the Joker got killed by a giant baby?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Vegeance: SHUT UP! - Cannibal Clan: The Sampsons are essentially what might have happened if the Sawyers became billionaire oil tycoons. They are a sprawling clan of oft-deformed degenerates with a self-proclaimed inherent lust for murder and the consumption of human flesh.
- Captain Ersatz: Vengeance, as a female Opposite-Sex Clone created by a shady organization to serve as a private assassin, is basically Bane's version of X-23.
- Cruel Mercy: Why Joker spares Jim after their 'reunion' in Joker #3-4. Since Gordon has gone into the PI business, Joker wants to 'hire' him to investigate A-Day. While Joker does want to prove it was a frame-up, there's another, more sinister motivation. Joker wants Gordon to figure out if the culprit(s) is who he thinks it is...and that the revelations of how broken the world and the justice system really are will finally, truly break Gordon's spirit and what's left of his idealism.
- Downer Ending: Joker #13 and the end of the Punchline backups. Despite the efforts of Harper Row and Leslie Thompkins, Punchline is acquitted by the jury and has fooled much of Gotham into believing she was a victim of the Joker rather than a willing accomplice.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: The Network shelters Joker after the events of Joker War and A-Day for PR reasons. After all, every criminal and super-villain knows how much Batman hates Joker and that he will move heaven and earth to find him, right? So if even Batman can't locate Joker, it's good PR for the Network's capabilities and reach. Unfortunately, they quickly discover why having Joker as an extended house guest was a bad idea.
- Evil Versus Evil: The Joker finds himself up against sinister government agencies and a family of murderous cannibals.
- Expy: The Sampsons are essentially a mash up of the Sawyers from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the Clampetts from The Beverly Hillbillies; a family of Texas cannibals who become rich after discovering oil on their land whilst shooting at fleeing "food" — only in their case, that "food" was a fleeing teenage girl.
- Facial Horror: In issue #4, Joker leisurely threads red-hot heated wire through the lips and cheeks of Buddy Sampson, then wraps the same still-heated wire around Buddy's face. Then he yanks it back out.
- Faking the Dead: Joker #12 reveals Bane did not actually die in A-Day. He's been alive this whole time.
- Foreshadowing: In the very first issue, Gordon reflects that, on his last night as a cop in Chicago before transferring to Gotham, an old veteran named Danny Ryan had a conversation with him about the difference between regular criminals and true evil. Danny mentions he discovered true evil when he encountered a cannibal eating the face off of a 17 year old girl; in issue #3, Gordon adds that Danny tracked that lunatic his entire life and ended up committing suicide over his apparent failure to do so. Issue 2 introduces the Sampsons, who we later learn are a billionaire Cannibal Clan with widespread roots across America who use their family wealth and political connections to cover up their twisted predilections.
- Frame-Up: When Jim finally catches up with him, Joker insists repeatedly that he wasn't responsible for the A-Day attack. He claims he's been set up by parties who got wind of his post-Joker War plans and were terrified enough to nuke the Asylum just to try and take him off the board. Joker #12 reveals he's right and it was actually Bane.
- Glass Eye: The Joker has one after being shot by Harley during the Joker War.
- Hillbilly Horrors: The Sampsons are essentially an homage to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre; a Cannibal Clan out of Hooper County Texas, who kidnapped, murdered and ate travelers. Their muscle in the 70s was Billy "The Brute", a huge but mentally simple man who ran around in a black mask wielding a chainsaw in an obvious homage to Leatherface.
- Irony: In issue #5, it's established that Billy Sampson was actually a model inmate at Arkham who was always quiet, well-behaved and gentle, to the point that when the Joker first arrived, James Gordon actually called Billy's brother to talk about the possibility of moving Billy for his own safety. This fits into Billy's status as a Leatherface expy, as some depictions of the character have at least suggested that Leatherface is only a killer because he's being goaded on by his more psychotic kinsfolk.
- I Take Offense to That Last One: In issue #13, Joker hurls a series of insults at the Dumb Muscle "Cookie" Sampson, but it's not until Joker accuses Cookie of being a poor chef who can only "burn the flavor out of meat" that the cannibal finally reaches his last nerve, grabs a butchering knife, and yanks open the Joker's cage to kill him. Naturally, the Joker lampshades that this was the last straw for Cookie.Joker: Oh, really? That's what got you all riled up?
- Locked Out of the Loop: Lampshaded in-story by Joker in the penultimate issue when Vengeance and Bane are clashing. He has absolutely no idea what the hell's going on, but is loving every moment of it.
- The Man Behind the Man: Sorta with the Network. Barbara discovers the Bat Family's unknowingly crossed paths with them before. They were the ones behind A Death in the Family — or at least, they were the ones who brokered the deal that allowed Joker to acquire the nuclear missile that kicked off that story. In a sense, they're indirectly responsible for Jason Todd's death.
- Motive Misidentification: Joker #14 reveals Joker's hypothesis earlier in the run about the purpose of A-Day (that unknown parties had discovered his post-Joker War plans and tried to take him off the board) was wrong. The A-Day attack was actually the opening salvo of a multi-front attack on various villainous organizations (with Joker as dual scapegoat and weaponized pawn).
- Not Me This Time: Again, Joker claims repeatedly A-Day wasn't his doing. And again, Joker #12 reveals he's telling the truth and it was actually Bane.
- Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: Joker doesn’t have powers and Vengeance isn’t that impressive compared to the bigger names in DC Comics. The Sampsons are essentially horror movie villains and serial killers who prey upon normal people. The Sampsons learn that the supervillains are out of their league.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Invoked in-story by the Joker during the flashback to his first night in Arkham in Joker #5. He plays mind games with the younger Gordon and suggests that this is why he stayed overnight at the Asylum to supervise his prisoner: That Gordon wants to believe Joker's just an anomaly and things will get back to normal in Gotham. And yet, deep down, Gordon secretly fears the Rubicon's been crossed and that Joker — to paraphrase his own words — is really just the first dark cloud on the horizon rather than the hurricane itself.
- Off with His Head!: Vengeance punches Buddy Sampson so hard in Issue #13 that his head flies off like a cork from a bottle. Surprisingly, there isn't a drop of blood.
- Opposite-Sex Clone: Vengeance turns out to be a female clone of Bane.
- Pay Evil unto Evil:
- Issue #13 has Vengeance versus the Sampson clan. Since she has Super-Strength thanks to her Venom and the Sampsons are a bunch of deformed but otherwise human cannibal billionaires, the result is a Curb-Stomp Battle in which Vengeance massacres them.
- In issue #13, Joker stabs Cookie Sampson the cannibal chef in the back and leaves him face-down on his own griddle to burn to death.
- Retcon:
- Issue 1 retcons Gordon back to being in the older part of middle-aged by revealing his red hair since the New 52 was the result of him dying it at the suggestion of Barbara and once again depicts Gordon with white hair.
- It's also retconned that Gordon blaming Batgirl for Jim Jr.'s death in The Joker War was him lashing out in grief and he's aware of the Joker's role in it.
- The Reveal: Issue #14 reveals a number of things:
- The woman who sent Gordon on his hunt for the Joker was actually the granddaughter of a former head of the Court of Owls as seen in the Talon series. She's been wanting to take down both the Court and the Network for the longest time.
- A-Day was actually concocted by Bane to help draw out the Court, the Network as well as the Generals of Santa Prisca, who had the Court create Vengeance to have as a Bane who could be controlled by them. Joker was the perfect patsy since he was still nursing that grudge post-Joker War.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Invoked and discussed repeatedly. A big part of the series is the existence of "The Network", an underground railroad of super-wealthy criminals, degenerates, deviants and freaks who use their money and their political influence to escape justice. The Joker flees to a South American hideaway thanks to the Network, and the Sampsons have survived since the 70s because their oil money bought them an "in" with the Network.
- Signature Style: Joker cites this Trope as part of his claim that he's not responsible for A-Day. Oh, sure, he's dreamed up countless ways to nuke Arkham and kill everyone inside over the years; even a psychopathic clown needs a hobby, after all! But the way all the A-Day victims died? In their sleep where no one could see or hear them? That's so un-Joker like.
- Spin-Off: Of Tynion's Batman run, picking up the Joker and Punchline's storylines in the aftermath of Joker War.
- Supporting Protagonist: Jim is the main character of the book despite the title. In some issues the Joker only appears for a page or two.
- Tongue Trauma: In issue #8, Vengeance notes that her programmed instinct is that the first thing she'd do once she has the Joker captured is rip out his tongue, depriving him of his legendary ability to deliver breaking speeches, before systematically torturing him to death.
- Underestimating Badassery: The Sampsons think their wealth and savagery can hold up against "costumed idiots" like the Joker and Vengeance. The assaults they get from both, particularly Vengeance, proves them very wrong.
- Villainous Breakdown: Sawyer Sampson devolves into rage and panic as Vengeance butchers his entire family. By the time the authorities come for him, he is screaming to them that he would "eat them all alive," not even bothering to keep up appearances as a philanthropist.
- Wham Line: In-Universe, when Jim Gordon lets Oracle and Batman know he knew about the latter for quite some time (years, as he admits internally) who the former really is in order to avoid admitting he isn't going to be trying to call Batman to bring in the Joker.Jim Gordon: … Are you sure you're not just worried about your old man… Barbara?
- Wicked Cultured: The Sampson family are a bunch of cannibals, who acquired wealth and influence through the network to raise their status and become near-untouchable.
- Younger Than They Look: Vengeance, despite her bulky stature and mature mind, is only a year old, something the Joker can't stop mocking. Justified as she was born in a tank as part of the Network's experiments.
