Warning! Spoilers for The Joker #2
While Batman’s wide variety of gadgets are one of the hallmarks of his character; in the old-school comics, it seemed the Dark Knight always had just the right tool for any given job tucked away in his utility belt. While many of the Caped Crusader’s campier instruments have been phased out over the years, DC just reinvented one of Batman’s classic gadgets - but with a deadly new twist.
The Joker by James Tynion IV is a new series following DC’s Infinite Frontier event. In the wake of the huge Arkham attack, which destroyed the iconic asylum and killed off several major DC villains, the retired Commissioner Gordon was approached by a woman named Cressida - who was revealed in issue #2 to be connected to the Court of Owls. Knowing Gordon’s personal, tragic history with the Joker, Cressida enlists him to track down and kill the Clown Prince of Crime for a reward of $25 million. As honorable as Gordon is, it's a tempting offer, but he’s at least smart enough to seek out some help before he commits to anything - and who better to help track down the Joker than Batman?
In The Joker #2, Gordon fills Batman in on the plan and asks for access to some of his resources - namely the bat-computer files on the Joker - to aid him in his search. Knowing Batman would never agree, Gordon leaves out the part about killing the Clown, but he does tell Barbara the truth after revealing he’s known about Batgirl's biggest secret for some time. Barbara seems more open to killing the Joker, but even she’s not convinced. Regardless, she gives Gordon what he asked for - a smartphone capable of contacting Batman and accessing files on his computer. Interestingly, the smartphone is red, which seems to be a clever callback to the red bat-phone from the 1960's Batman series.
Making the smartphone red is a nice little easter egg for fans of the 60s Batman TV show, but the device also has a dangerous new feature. Given all the information the phone has access to, it would be incredibly detrimental were it to fall into the wrong hands, so Barbara tells Gordon he needs to check in with her at least once a day. If he misses his check-in, the phone will self-destruct. It’s a logical protocol to have, but it also seems likely that this phone is now the Chekhov’s gun of the series, meaning the explosion will inevitably backfire at some point during Commissioner Gordon's quest.
Regardless, adding a ticking bomb element to the story is a good way to build tension, as the threat of it being weaponized against Gordon will loom over the rest of the series. Even if it isn’t used against him, that phone is Gordon’s only lifeline to Batman, so should it self-destruct, he’ll be left to his own devices in a foreign land against one of DC’s most brutal villains. Only time will tell if he has what it takes to survive.