Warning! This post contains major SPOILERS for Batman #158

DC Comics' sequel to the iconic Batman character death I refuse to fully believe at face value. One of The Dark Knight's most sinister and fascinating foes, Tommy Elliot's Hush was a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne's turned bitter rival. Best known for his general plan with the Riddler involving several of Batman's rogues, it seems Hush has forged an all-new vendetta with The Dark Knight, having apparently murdered someone very close to him.

As seen in the new Batman #158 by original Hush creators Jeph Loeb and artist Jm Lee, Batman is shown facing off with The Joker. However, the Clown Prince of Crime is uncharacteristically repeating one of his earliest crimes with the infamous "joker fish". Even more surprising is the arrival of the hulking man named The Silence, who ruptures Joker's eardrums with only words before kidnapping the major DC villain while Batman's busy with the fish. Shockingly, this first chapter then sees Joker being tortured and perhaps even murdered by Hush himself (though I'm having a hard time fully believing it).

The Joker Is Dead (Or Dying) In The DC Universe

Seemingly Killed By Thomas Elliot's Hush

After recovering from the fish attack, Batman eventually tracks down the Joker using a trail he was more than likely meant to find. Heading to the abandoned amusement park that The Joker has used in the past as his sinister hideout, Batman eventually finds the remains of the Joker himself. Despite Batman recognizing that the Joker is a pawn in a much larger game, the fact that The Joker has become the first casualty in this new rivalry with Hush is huge.

That said, Joker dying is certainly a big enough deal that I'm having a hard time taking it at face value. Likewise, it's hard to tell if Batman made it in time to get Joker medical attention or if his arch-nemesis is already dead, having succumbed to the lethal wounds Hush surgically inflicted. If it's indeed the latter, and knowing Hush, I really don't think that Joker will be dead for all that long, even by comic book standards. After all, how often do deaths ever really stick in the superhero, especially on the page?

Despite The Gruesome Evidence, I Refuse To Believe Joker Will Die (At Least Not Permanently)

Batman's History With Hush Suggests Otherwise

On the one hand, the Joker's torture and probable death at the hands of Hush is incredibly brutal with great detail. Tommy taunts the Clown Prince of Crime relentlessly, all while cutting major arteries and doing some major damage to his mouth and tongue with surgical precision. However, it's worth ing Hush's original endgame with the Riddler. In the original Hush storyline, where Clayface posed as Tommy Elliot to make it look as though he himself was shot and killed by Joker.

The result was a clear manipulation of Batman's perceptions of reality, combined with the involvement of the Lazarus Pits, which led Batman to think that Jason Todd had come back to life. While this was actually Clayface as well, Hush did set up Jason's actual resurrection as the Red Hood with the reveal that his remains were indeed missing. Seeing as how Talia al Ghul is also in this first chapter of Hush 2, I do think there are already multiple avenues where a potential Joker death could somehow be faked, or can at least be undone to create parallels with the original Hush story.

I'm Still Excited About How Batman Will React Going Forward

Did The Dark Knight Really Just Lose His Arch-Nemesis?

I truly can't see Joker staying dead for very long, if Batman has indeed found his arch-foe in his final moments. That said, I'm still excited to see Batman react to the idea that his archnemesis will soon be no more (or is already gone). Having already been shown on monitors all the pain Joker has caused Batman's friends and loved ones like Jim Gordon, Barbara Gordon, and Jason Todd, The Dark Knight will undoubtedly be going through a wild mix of emotions and feelings, especially if he has to decide whether to save Joker...or simply let him die from his wounds.

It's going to be fascinating to see where Hush 2 goes next and what Tommy's full plan is. Based on this first issue alone, perhaps Hush (and Silence) intend to kill and/or mortally wound each of Batman's rogues one by one? Only time will tell. Regardless of the overall permanency, the potential and likely death of the Joker is certainly an epic way to kick off this new Hush sequel.

Batman #158 is on sale now from DC Comics.