The Joker's Birthday Gift for Batman is Absolutely Twisted
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Detective Comics #1027
In a super-sized special issue of Detective Comics, legendary writer Matt Fraction has added one of the most wild and twisted elements to Batman's relationship with the Joker yet. Apparently, one day out of every month, Joker will set aside time to give Batman a "birthday" gift. However, these gifts are often just as random and twisted as the Joker himself. Even so, there was one gift far darker than all the others.
It began as soon as the Dark Knight had his second encounter with the Clown Prince of Crime. One day a month, every month, for their entire relationship, Joker gives Batman a gift. He'll stop whatever current scheme he's doing, and will do something separate and special just for Batman's "birthday." However, the Dark Knight notes that the gifts have never come on his actual birthday, but that doesn't seem to be the point. Sometimes the gifts would be incredibly violent and cruel, like tying up and leaving the Teen Titans underwater. Other times, they would be harmless, like a simple card with a crayon drawing of the two of them. Regardless, the gifts would always come every month, and Batman would count on their arrivals.
Related: Harley Quinn is Actually Going To Kill Joker in DC Comics
However, there was one month where there was no gift from the Joker at all in the short story from Fraction with art by Chip Zdarsky found in Detective Comics #1027. On the final day of the month, Batman began to worry, concerned that Joker was planning something big. He searched all over the city, calling every informant and every favor he had, even convincing the mayor to evacuate the city, still worried that it wouldn't be enough. Then, near the last hour of the day, Joker appeared all on his own. Desperate, Batman pounced on him, demanding his birthday gift, completely playing into the Joker's hands.
The gift was Joker himself, providing Batman with the knowledge that they'd be doing this forever, for as long as possible. Joker completely got in his head, absolutely driving Batman crazy with paranoia and fear, which was exactly the "gift" Joker wanted to give the man he sees as his other half, showing him how connected they are and will continue to be until one of them dies.
It's a completely wild concept that Fraction's created here, adding a whole new concept to their iconic rivalry. More often that not in Batman stories, Joker will initially throw Batman for loop, but the Dark Knight will typically find a way to compensate and manage, taking control of the situation, allowing him to win the day. However, this story is directly the opposite. Batman thinks he has a handle and control over Joker's birthday gifts, but in reality, he never did. He gets completely sidelined in this respect because of his assumptions that he knew what Joker was going to do, trying to prepare for something big and destructive.
In reality, the presence of Joker alone is worse, as it shows the power he was able to hold over the Dark Knight as a result. It's a crazy story, and one of the best featured in this special issue of Detective Comics.