Absolute Batman's Joker Redesign Shares Tie to Heath Ledger's Joker

The new design for The Joker of DC’s Absolute Universe has already earned its place in comic history, but now reveals a secret connection to what many consider the greatest Joker performance ever captured on film.

As one of the longest-running mysteries in the new canon of Absolute Batman, the true appearance and nature of The Joker has fueled fan imagination. But when the villain’s demonic form was officially unveiled, those same fans got more than they bargained for:

The cover art for Absolute Batman #11 offers the first official and unobstructed look at The Joker in his ultimate form. Yet the best secret behind this artwork is its connection to Heath Ledger, Christopher Nolan, and The Dark Knight trilogy.​​​​​​​

Absolute Joker Art is Directly Inspired By The Dark Knight’s Calling Card

The Joker Card is Used By Heath Ledger’s Movie Villain To Send A Message

Once the shock of the Absolute Joker character design wore off, it wasn’t long before readers and fans began to discern and highlight another feature. Artist Nick Dragotta’s cover art is a shockingly close match to one of The Joker’s calling cards from The Dark Knight, briefly shown in great detail in the film.

The side view, bent legs, and devilish tail are all a match, but it’s the monstrous horns adorning Absolute Joker’s head, turning the playing card Joker’s hat into a literal appendage, that may seal the deal for skeptics. Dragotta has yet to confirm the inspiration, but the evidence speaks for itself.​​​​​​​

Within the fiction of the movie, the message typed onto the card before affixing it to the corpse of a “hockey pad-wearing” Batman imposter is certainly the work of Heath Ledger’s villain. But the design of the playing card itself predates the film by many years (already vintage by the time it graced David Lee Roth’s 1991 album “A Little Ain’t Enough”).

Considering the number of playing card decks and designs that have been created and sold since their popularity rose following the 1860s, it’s difficult to identify the year or artist of this exact card design. But it was Nolan’s Joker who made it a part of the movie trilogy’s canon, and Dragotta who used it to debut the new, nightmarish take on Joker.​​​​​​​

The New ‘Demon Joker’ is Still Hiding His True Nature

This Absolute Version is Shifting Between Multiple New & Monstrous Designs

It’s more than fitting that the creative team behind Absolute Batman should bear such a direct link to this specific incarnation of The Joker. Despite an overwhlemingly skeptical or outright negative early response to Heath Ledger as Joker, he and Nolan defied those expectations to deliver a revered, beloved, and Oscar-winning performance.

The worls was similarly uncertain when first laying eyes upon the hulking form of Absolute Batman, but even excited readers couldn’t have predicted the outrageous success of the line. And through it all, The Joker has remained one of the biggest question marks. He still is, even if his monstrous form has been revealed prematurely.

In the current comics, Joker remains an unknown power broker sometimes restoring his immortality through horrific means, other times enjoying the beach in his signature white suit and hat. But we still don’t know where his ultimate, demonic form fits in. At least for Batman’s sake, we can only hope this is as monstrous as he can get.

Absolute Joker #12 is available now from DC Comics.