This article contains spoilers for Batman #99.
The Joker has just unleashed a joke so sick even Batman could never have predicted it. The twisted relationship between Batman and the Joker has always been a fascinating one; the Clown Prince of Crime is utterly obsessed with Batman, to the extent Harley Quinn has described him as the Joker's one true love. As such, the Joker delights in unleashing one mad joke after another, each intended to drive Batman to his breaking point.
The current "Joker War" arc is best seen as the culmination of their relationship, the Joker's endgame strategy. When Superman outed his secret identity to the world, the Joker feared the rules of the game were changing, and it would only be a matter of time before Batman did the same. As such, he initiated what he believes to be his final plan, the one that will break the Bat once and for all. He's successfully stolen the Wayne fortune, brought Gotham City to chaos, and wreaked havoc within the Bat-Family. But in this week's Batman #99, the Joker reveals a prank so twisted it may actually achieve its goal, and drive Batman to the point where he finally kills the Clown Prince of Crime.
The Joker has perfected a technology that allows him to turn corpses into reanimated pawns, and of course he's already set a literal theater's worth of techno-zombies against Batman. That seemed like just another sick prank, but now the Joker has taken it to the next level. He's reanimated the body of one of the most beloved members of the Bat-Family. He's literally turned the deceased Alfred into a Joker zombie.
Following Thomas Wayne's death, Alfred was the closest thing Bruce ever had to a father figure, and now his grave has been desecrated and his corpse has been turned into a Joker zombie. The Joker has launched some sickening jokes in his time, but this one has crossed the line. It's fortunate no other members of the Bat-Family are present, because they'd be sure to make an attempt to kill the Joker - and Batman may be too shaken to stop them.
"Joker War" really does seem like the final conflict between Batman and the Joker. James Tynion IV's script is pulling out all the stops, seeing the Joker go further than ever before in his insane attempt to finally defeat Batman. It's all building to a climax in the upcoming Batman 100, and it's going to be thrilling to see how this story ends - and how Gotham recovers from the Joker's madness.