Warning! Spoilers for The Joker #4 ahead!

Anyone who's foolish enough to face off against the deranged supervillains of Gotham is guaranteed to be pushed to the limits of sanity, and Joker just revealed that the only reason Batman hasn't gone insane himself is because of Police Commissioner James Gordon. Of course, Joker is known for his warped ideology and contorted views on life that don't quite match reality, but his words are chilling nonetheless.

Joker makes this stunning claim in The Joker #4 by James Tynion IV and Guillem March after capturing Gordon, who had been hired by the mysterious Cressida to kill the deranged jester. Although Cressida's true identity is unknown, it's assumed that she's one of the many criminals who are seeking Joker's blood after A-Day. Before his capture, Gordon is able to use the only lead that Cressida could provide on Joker's whereabouts to bring him literally to Joker's front door. Gordon's arrival couldn't have come at a worse time, however, because at that same moment, numerous criminals, including Bane's daughter Vengeance, descend on Joker. But, of course, Joker is well prepared, and unleashes a nerve gas on everyone, including Gordon.

Related: DC Hints Joker Only Kills When There's an Audience

When Gordon awakens, Joker has apparently been very busy, for the police commissioner finds himself tied to a chair next to one of the criminals who attacked the Clown Prince of Crime, Buddy Sampson. It's clear that Joker has done some work on Buddy to intimidate Gordon during this time, which soon culminates in a rather grotesque display of a cruel and unusual method of torture before Joker goes on one of his chilling rants. It's during his deranged speech when Batman's own sanity finally comes up: "I hope you realize [Batman] would have had some psychotic break years ago if everyone just saw him as the deranged head-case he is and resisted him. You ground him."

Joker 4 Batman Gordon Ally theory

Joker tells Gordon that Batman views the world like a kid, that he doesn't know that he's a hypocrite. But Gordon knows better, according to Joker. Gordon is an adult who knows that the world is broken, and uses Batman as a tool to navigate the broken world. Of course, the reason why Joker brings all of this up is because he wants to know what's been driving Gordon in his fight against evil, with the intent of proving that it has all been for naught to break him. Joker dives into Gordon's psyche and questions his motivations. If Gordon thinks the world is truly broken and that nothing he or Batman does can fix it, why continue fighting? Why has he kept Batman sane all this time? It's the "why" that Joker will crush.

Although this is all just a psychotic way for him to get inside James Gordon's head, Joker might also be curious. Just like how no one can truly understand the madness that consumes Joker, Joker can't truly grasp the sanity of others, though he does try so he can tear away at the little they have left to fill that void with insanity. But who truly knows what's going on in that messed up head of his?

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