This article contains spoilers for Batman #93.
DC's "Joker War" has begun - and two of Batman's allies, Harley Quinn and Catwoman, have apparently been killed in the Joker's first strike. Superman changed the world when he revealed his secret identity in an unprecedented press conference. The Joker fears Batman will follow suit, spoiling their game, and thus he has decided to launch his endgame plan. The entire Bat-Family stand in the crosshairs.
This week's Batman #93 is the end of "Their Dark Designs," the story that serves as a prelude to "Joker War." In this issue, Batman confronts the Designer, the one who has orchestrated Gotham's recent chaos. But Batman has already deduced the truth about the Designer; he has been dead for a long time, and his identity has been assumed by the Joker so he can operate from the shadows. Unfortunately, Batman figures out the truth a little too late, because the Designer gambit has served the Joker's purpose. It has kept Batman busy while the Joker's new squeeze - Punchline - takes down some of the Dark Knight's greatest allies.
Harley Quinn and Catwoman have teamed up to investigate the Designer's plans, but they too are simply being manipulated by the Joker, and are distracted by an unexpected encounter with Punchline. It swiftly turns into a grudge match between Harley Quinn and Punchline, the Joker's ex, and his current, and it doesn't go well for Harley. Unlike Harley, Punchline uses knives - and she slits Harley's throat. Harley is left bleeding out, choking on her own blood. She still attempts to fight back, but Punchline kicks a gun away from her hands, and then has her goons toss Harley into the sewers. It's hard to see how Harley Quinn is going to survive this.
While Harley is fighting and dying, Catwoman is otherwise occupied hacking into the Wayne Foundation's accounts. She thinks she's saving the day, but in reality, she too is being played; Joker wanted her to access those accounts, so he could steal all Bruce Wayne's money. Now she has served her purpose, there is no need to keep Catwoman alive, and so Punchline shoots Selina Kyle in the back. Her last word: "Batmaaan..."
The Joker's first strike has been absolutely horrific. He's succeeded in his goal, stealing Bruce Wayne's wealth and having Deathstroke wound Batman to keep his disoriented. Meanwhile, the Joker's latest girlfriend has been clearing Gotham of some of Batman's most notable allies. It's actually quite chilling to see how little the Joker really cares about Harley Quinn; he doesn't even take the time to confront her himself, simply allowing Punchline to take her down. This is without a doubt the Joker's most ruthless plan to date - and Batman has fallen for it, losing more than he knows.