The Joker 2021 Annual #1
"El Mal Duerme Bien" delivers a chilling dive into Gotham’s shifting underworld, where Commissioner Gordon’s crackdown on corrupt officers leaves a power vacuum—exactly the opening the Joker has been waiting for. With the city’s organized crime dismantled, he rallies a roster of costumed villains to seize control, turning chaos into a calculated campaign. Francesco Francavilla’s striking art, with its noir-inspired visuals and haunting shadows, perfectly captures the story’s oppressive atmosphere, while the layered writing by Matthew Rosenberg and James Tynion IV sets a tense, unpredictable tone.
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Years ago, after most organized crime gangs in Gotham have been eliminated, Gordon turns his attention to weeding out the dirty cops on the force. Meanwhile, the Joker sees an opportunity to step up his own crimes to fill the void left by the absence of the crime families, and recruits other costumed villains to his cause.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).