Warning! Spoilers ahead for Joker #5
The latest issue of DC Comics' Joker takes a look into Gotham and Jim Gordon's past, revealing how the Joker's first visit to Arkham Asylum literally changed the facility overnight. Before the Clown Prince of Crime's ongoing residency, Arkham was apparently a much calmer institution with minimal security and largely non-violent residents. However, that was all before the Joker checked in with DC's newest addition to the history and canon of Gotham City.
As the series has gone on, it's become evident that the Joker is just as much Gordon's nemesis as he is Batman's, and it's clear that no Gotham villain tops the Joker in terms of the sleepless nights he's caused the former police commissioner to suffer through. While the present has seen Gordon being hired to kill the Joker and end his evil once and for all (a decision he's still grappling with), Joker #5 from Matthew Rosenberg, James Tynion IV, and Francesco Francavilla looks not only into Arkham Asylum's past but also the beginnings of Gordon's obsession with Joker's darkness.
From the get-go, Gordon knew that Joker was bad news and more of a threat than Gotham had ever encountered before. As a result, he grew very concerned that Joker's insanity defense went through in the courts, which lead to him being sent to Arkham Asylum rather than Blackgate prison. This motivated Gordon to ignore his marriage counseling to make sure that Arkham's security was enough to hold Joker. While his requests for Joker to be moved to the facility's most secure room were ignored, Gordon's fears proved to be right when Joker escaped not once, but twice to eat some pie during his first night. Despite this act of "innocence", it was revealed that all of his fellow residents had become aggravated to crazed and violent levels the orderlies of Arkham had never seen before.
The Joker effectively created a paradigm shift for Arkham Asylum after only one night, and soon plans for an entire high-security wing were made leading to the facility looking much more like its present-day depiction, all thanks to the Clown Prince of Crime. However, Gordon was changed as well. After Joker's second escape that evening, Jim chose to stay at Arkham, seated right in front of Joker's cell to make sure he wouldn't get out again. However, his obsession with the Joker leads to dire consequences on a personal level. The following morning revealed that several of his fellow officers had been shot by the gangs due to his absence. Additionally, he also missed his anniversary dinner with his wife, driving a wedge even further that would eventually lead to his divorce.
In any case, this new development in Arkham's history is as dark as it is intriguing. Not only does it prove how influential the Joker truly is in his madness and the chaos he generates, but it's yet another layer to the complex relationship between Gordon and this major DC villain. Joker has affected Gordon on levels no one else has, warping his concepts of justice and good and evil, while also tormenting him and his family both physically and mentally over the years to horrific extremes. It's no wonder that Arkham Asylum was transformed in the way that it was and that Gordon is strongly considering putting a bullet in Joker to finally end his evil for good.