Fans will have to wait a while longer to see more of Batman's latest foe - and Joker's latest sweetheart - Punchline, as writer James Tynion IV announced on twitter recently that the highly anticipated Batman #92 is being held back until June. The tweet comes right on the heels of DC's announcement that they will begin independently shipping new issues of its books beginning April 28, in a move that may signal a distancing from their former exclusivity agreement with Diamond Comics Distributors that could potentially mean major changes for the industry.
Described by artist Jorge Jimenez as the "anti-Harley Quinn," Punchline is an unflinching, no-nonsense killer, a stark contrast to the whimsical, cartoonish antics of Harley. She was teased in a single panel in Batman #89, and the character certainly piqued a lot of fans' interests, with the issue (as well as Batman #90, where she makes her proper debut) selling for outrageous prices on the secondary market. There have already been two re-printings of Batman #89 to meet fans' demands, with the third round of the print being among the first titles DC is shipping. Batman #92 was originally slated for an April release, but when the coronavirus brought the comic book industry to a standstill, fans were left eagerly awaiting to learn more about the still-mysterious new character.
The delay in the release, Tynion IV tweeted, is to get the book into as many fans' hands as possible on its release date, once distribution and sales of physical comic books become more stabilized. He finished the tweet by teasing "#PunchlineIsComing."
This additional delay is made all the more frustrating when we know that Punchline is expected to cross paths with Harley Quinn herself in Batman #93, and from the preview art we've seen, the showdown looks to be not only epic, but possibly even fatal, with one panel showing Punchline slitting Harley's throat. All of this is leading into DC's coming Joker War arc, which is expected to give fans one of Batman and Joker's most epic face-offs yet, with Punchline apparently playing a big role in events. So fans will have to be a little more patient to see the ultimate fate of Harley and how Joker's new love interest/lieutenant impacts the coming war.
But in the meantime, the good news is that we're finally getting fresh content from DC very soon, even if we have to wait to see more from Punchline. Once new issues do start hitting shelves, DC has even provided readers with a handy comic shop tracking tool to help find what shops in their area are currently doing business, though it's always a good idea to contact your local store first before heading out, just to be sure. Fans may be disappointed in the longer wait, but hopefully, this is a sign of a return to normalcy.
Source: Twitter