The Joker is calling it quits on his ongoing comic, but will back for a second "season"

DC's ongoing Joker comic book series has been one of the publisher's top ten titles sales-wise since its launch in March 2021. But now the publisher seems to be mixing things up and using the previously-announced departure of series creator-writer James Tynion IV to seemingly change the title's format.

DC's Joker series will now be adopting the 'season' approach more common in the  TV world - or as it applies to comic books, a series of limited series that some comic book creators refer to as 'the Hellboy format'.  

But for those of us who wince when a season of a favorite TV series ends without news of renewal in sight (in other words, likely cancelation), the way DC is phrasing the ending of The Joker could be inferred to mean the title will return for a second season down the road.

The last issue of Joker's first season will be April 12's The Joker #14, coinciding with the decision Tynion made back in August for this to be his final issue (as part of a larger decision to scale back non-creator-owned work for himself). At the time, DC continued to say Joker would continue an ongoing series - clearly suggesting the series would continue after Tynion's last issue. But now, that's changed.

The Joker isn't the first DC title to switch to a seasonal format - the cult-favorite series Sleeper did that nearly two decades ago. But it's still rare, especially in the proverbial halls of DC.

More recently writer Grant Morrison and artist Liam Sharp took a 'seasonal' approach to two volumes of a Green Lantern series.

In his 14-issue run on The Joker, Tynion and artist Guillem March have centered the book on the retired Gotham City police officer James Gordon being pulled back in for one last case - to track down and capture the Joker. The title spun out of the events of 'The Joker War' and the A-Day event in Infinite Frontier #0, in which the Joker instigated an attack on Gotham that caused widespread panic and mayhem - including the destruction of Arkham Asylum.

Guest artists Giuseppe Camuncoli and Cam Smith join Tynion on The Joker #14, which will also include the regular backup story (which would also, assumedly be ending) 'Punchline' by Tynion, co-writer Sam Johns, and artist Belén Ortega.

The season finale of The Joker is coming April 12.

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