Batman Sets Up Clownhunter’s Ultimate Nemesis and Teases His Violent Mentor

The Clownhunter in Gotham City just gained a powerful new enemy — and set himself to gain a member of the Bat-Family as a possible mentor.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman Secret Files: Clownhunter #1, on sale now

Clownhunter was introduced during the course of the Joker War. A young man who’d years earlier witnessed the murder of his parents, Bao Pham decided enough was enough during the Clown Prince of Crime’s massive attack on Gotham. He quickly made a name for himself as Clownhunter, murdering a number of Joker’s henchmen over the course of the event. However, he’s also shown a level of restraint — sparing Harley Quinn after she apologized for her role in the death of his parents.

Now, Clownhunter has been roaming the streets of Gotham and has found himself with a powerful new enemy in Batman Secret Files: Clownhunter #1 by Ed Brisson, Rosi Kampe, Andrew Dalhouse, and Simon Bowland — along with potentially impressing a possible new mentor.

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Inspired by the Joker and taking to his side during the events of the Joker War, Punchline is currently in prison. But that doesn’t mean she is powerless on the outside. Rather, she’s even gained more and more loyal followers as she manipulates the public to take her side against the authorities. She still commands the Joker henchmen too though, using her influence on them to lay a trap for Clownhunter. Even when the inital trap of a bomb fails to kill him, it does alert every other clown in the area to Clownhunter’s location. But even after he’s beaten and strung up in the streets to be executed, Clownhunter refuses to back down. He brags to Punchline how he’s now officially killed twenty-seven clowns — and that he fully intends to be the death of Punchline down the line.

Unlike almost any other character Punchline has come up against, Clownhunter and his words seem to genuinely get under her skin. But before her men can finish the job, they’re all targeted and knocked out by someone wielding a crowbar — Red Hood. Initially, a wounded and weakened Clownhunter tries to tell Red Hood he doesn’t have time or patience for a lecture from someone sent by Batman. But Red Hood explains he’s actually been watching Clownhunter, and Batman has no idea he’s come to speak with him. In reality, he completely understands where Clownhunter is coming from and wants revenge against tthe Clown Prince of Crime too. But he’s convinced that while Clownhunter has the heart and the strength to fight, he lacks the skills that will keep him alive for an extended period of time.

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Red Hood offers to train Clownhunter and show him the ropes. Notably, Clownhunter doesn’t shoot his request full down. He even admits that he’ll consider it as he runs into the alleys to escape detection. Clownhunter becoming something of a new sidekick/protege for Jason Todd is a match made in (a particularly bloodied and vengeful) heaven. Jason’s own experience could easily help inform the man that Clownhunter becomes, and could help keep him from suffering many of the same misguided mistakes that Jason made during the early days of his time as Red Hood.

With the help of the established anti-hero, Clownhunter could learn to grow as a crimefighter and become the kind of person Red Hood would want himself to be. He could also gain the skills needed to deal with someone like Punchline, who has quickly proven that she has the intelligence and skills to be a major threat on her own, outside of her connection with the Joker.

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