Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman/Catwoman #2 from Tom King and Clay Mann
In the latest issue of Tom King's Batman/Catwoman #2, the Phantasm is sowing a path of vengeance in Gotham City's present, all while the tragic tale is further supported by interchanging narratives from the past and future. The story has also seen Batman and Catwoman working together and the progression of their ongoing romance. However, Joker has been quite involved as well. While the Clown Prince of Crime is one of Batman's most evil and terrible villains, it appears as though the Phantasm is the one foe who can truly scare Joker himself, so much so that he does the unthinkable by the issue's end.
While the Phantasm debuted in the 1993 animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, the villain has since made the jump to the DC Universe thanks to Tom King's 12-issue maxi-series. Now, Andrea Beaumont is seeking revenge for the murder of her son at the hands of the Joker and his crew, seemingly after the events of the animated film. Becoming the cloaked Phantasm once more, Andrea's been hunting down the Joker thugs involved one by one, crossing names off her list all while presumedly leaving the Joker as her last kill.
Meanwhile, Batman and Catwoman are seen searching for Andrea herself now that she's become the Phantasm again in Batman/Catwoman #2 from Tom King with art by Clay Mann. While the Bat Signal was lit, Batman noticed that something wasn't right as the angle was wrong. Sure enough, upon the Bat and Cat's arrival to the roof of the GCPD, Joker was waiting for them, being the one who turned the signal on. Surprisingly, Joker seems quite worried as he waves a little white flag, begging Batman for his protection from the Phantasm's inevitable wrath.
While Joker should never be trusted (his surrender could very well be a ploy), the move to willingly put himself in Batman's custody and away from the Phantasm is an interesting one. It does indicate that Joker has some genuine fear of the Phantasm, seeing the Dark Knight as the only true way he'll be safe. However, the future narrative of the issue reveals that Joker and Phantasm will again meet all the same, as Selina Kyle seems determined to kill Joker for some terrible thing he'll end up doing to Andrea Beaumont down the line.
While a Joker in control is bad enough, perhaps a scared one is worse, and could be more prone to lashing out with an amplified viciousness. Does Joker's fear of the Phantasm lead to her gruesome death, one Catwoman "can't ever get out of her head?" However it plays out, the relationships between Tom King's 4 main players in Batman/Catwoman are continuing to becoming more dynamic and tense, and it seems as though Joker's role is only going makes events even more volatile as the maxi-series continues from DC Comics.