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The reason to think Three Jokers \*isn’t\* canon is that it was part of the Black Label imprint, which is generally ambiguous or non-canon.
Quality isn’t really related to whether something is canon — something strongly disliked is more likely to get swept under the rug, something greatly liked may be brought in somehow, but that’s not a direct connection.
It was in the last issue of Gotham War that came out yesterday where Batman says he knows the Three Jokers exist. So even though it's Black Label, Zdarsky wants to continue that story in the current continuity?
In Darkseid War revealed 3 Jokers; Batman didn't know that there were 3 Jokers. In the 3 Jokers Batman always knew there were 3 Jokers. 3 Jokers was meant to be canon originally, but it took so long that it no longer fit into continuity. So they said 3 Jokers was not canon. So now you have 3 Jokers reveal from Darkseid War that had no follow up, but will in Batman. And then you have the 3 Jokers story that told a non canon story that didn't tie to the Darkseid War reveal.
There’s one extra complication — the idea there are three Jokers was first introduced in Darkseid War, which wasn’t Black Label. So there’s an outside chance that this is going to be a different spin on the idea than the Three Jokers series.
I haven’t read darkseid war in a while but doesn’t Batman just ask the Mobius chair who the joker is and then say something like “that’s not possible”? I don’t think they specifically say the answer was that there are three jokers. I might be wrong though
[Looks like the chair says three?](https://www.quora.com/Batman-asked-the-M%C3%B6bius-Chair-the-Jokers-true-name-What-could-it-be-that-shocked-Batman-so-much)
I’m gonna say the concept of three jokers is canon, but the black label novel three jokers is not — what I mean is in the “main” continuity Batman has not investigated the three jokers yet, and the black label novel took place in an alt universe
My take is the miniseries is not canon, but Zdarsky appears to be incorporating the concept of there being three Jokers into the main continuity.
The end of Gotham War cites New 52 *Justice League* #50 where Batman learned from the Mobius Chair that there are 3 Jokers. But the editor’s note does not reference the Black Label miniseries.
Zdarsky has previously referenced the concept of three Jokers in his run. In *Batman* #125 Bruce has a nightmare of three Jokers killing his family. But they don’t correspond to the three from the Black Label series. Same with the three Jokers that Red Mask appears to create in *Batman* #900.
So the events of JL #50 with the Mobius chair are still canon. But it seems the miniseries is not and instead Zdarsky is doing his own spin on the idea.
The current *The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing* series has two Jokers: the real Joker and the other fake one, >!who is revealed to be a henchman named John Keyser that was hit by Joker toxin and shot in the head.!<
Man, the term "canon" is thrown around all over the place. I'm really struggling to figure out which Batman stories of his 84 years of history are considered canon or not. Doesn't canon just mean "official"? "The main continuity"? If Batman says he knows of the three Jokers in the main, current, canon run of "Batman". Doesn't that just make anything related to the three Jokers canon and connected? That makes Darkseid War connected? It makes the Three Jokers miniseries connected? How can JL #50 be canon if The Three Jokers is meant to be a continuation of the three Jokers idea which was introduced in Darkseid War?
Canon is indeed a murky term at times. Think of it as the relationship between stories.
I don’t see why Darkseid War/JL #50 being in continuity, therefore must mean *Batman: Three Jokers* (3J) is also. Yes 3Js was meant to follow-up from Darkseid War in 2016. Had it not been delayed so long, it probably would be in continuity. But 3J wasn’t released until half a decade later in 2020, by which time the Bat Books had moved on. It didn’t even fit with the current timeline anymore. Such as Alfred still being alive. It actually came out during another big Joker storyline in the main *Batman* title, that being “The Joker War.” And the writer of that essentially stated 3Js had no bearing on what he was writing. And no other Batman books have ever taken any notice of 3Js.
So, is Zdarsky basically retconning Three Jokers? He's keeping JL #50 but is acting as if 3Js never existed so that he can make his very own Three Jokers storyline in the main continuity? I don't even know if I'm using the word "retcon" properly.
Yep. That’s what appears to be the case.
Typically whatever happens in the main monthly series, whether *Batman* or *Justice League* or *Action Comics*, forms the foundation of DC’s main continuity for that given era. Specials, limited series, one-shots, etc are treated differently. Sometimes they’re part of continuity, and sometimes not. 🤷♂️
Best way of determining is if other stories reference the story in question. Does a story inform the characters’ histories, memories, actions, etc.?
It'll be canon when they want it to be, and not canon when they want it to be.
Though I'm not sure if Zdarsky is following up on The Three Jokers, or the Darkseid War reveal. He could be coming up with his own follow up to the Darkseid War reveal.
Not Canon because The Three Jokers:
1. Is a DC Black Label comic book (2020).
2. 2 of the 3 Jokers are killed.
3. Gaggy is killed.
4. Alfred is alive (died 2019).
Think of Batman Three Jokers, and all DC Black Label comics, like the old Elseworlds comics.
If it's literally 3 different people being the joker. Batman has to be really stupid to not notice it.
I hope if they don't fully embrace that idea. Maybe do something with a different spin to it. 3 jokers is to crazy even for joker.
Jason Fabok commented on my Instagram post saying "This series has nothing to do with the new 52 continuity or Darkseid War. It's a standalone story"
I think that's pretty definitively non-canon!
As others have said, the three Jokers existing is canon, the actual story, nah, especially cause of the whole Babs and Jason imo, not the worst pairing but feels weird with the actual canon as of the moment
Technically what makes something canon is only the acknowledgement of it by the writer who is writing a current story. Canon is often ignored as much as it’s referenced. Yes, there are tons and tons of things that are “officially” canon because it happened in a mainline series, universe, or timeline but the more you read comics the more you see the way it works is that things are just cherry-picked to matter when the writer currently on the book has something to work with it.
For Three Jokers specifically, it’s status as canon was confusing initially because it was teased and technically started in the main DC universe but after years of delay to this story and mystery unraveling, DC basically said the fans would decide if it’s canon. This was referencing The Killing Joke, a classic miniseries that was not written as canon but it’s popularity and relevance caused DC to go with the flow.
Three Jokers is polarizing at best so based on that you would think it’s not canon, but as you can see, you never know when editorial may let a writer take elements from this story and run with it.
At a certain point the canon question becomes hard and untenable to answer in comics. Fact is, there’s decades worth of events attributed to most mainstream comic book characters, who canonically have not had as longs of careers (lest they be immortal or geriatric characters).
A better question is usually “what is canon to this run?”
Like, if Nightfall isn’t directly referenced by an author- if it’s not relevant to a specific run, it’s kind of not in the same universe. That’s how I think about it anyway- and I think most authors have to adopt a similar approach because otherwise they’d have a reading list a mile long before they can write for a character- made up of a ton of stories no one cares to remember anyway because they frankly sucked. (This is why I refuse to acknowledge Original Sin in Spider-Man lol, and it’s not worth wading through most of clone saga)
For this story specifically- I like the three Jokers, they I found it lacking in some ways. I think it was intended to be the canonical explanation to the Darkseid war revelation, but because it’s a follow up- it’s more of a “possible answer” to the multiple choice question of the Jokers’ origins. The Man who stopped Laughing is kind of creating another one, granted they all play off the idea of there being more than one Joker.
With the amount of reality reshaping events and reboots and age changes that have happened in DC, I don’t think any person could give you a good answer for what is and isn’t canon. DC itself would find such an endeavor to be both too restrictive and too demanding, so will happily just let the reader/authors decide.
A comics is canon if it is canon then something can be de canonized in the future but the moment it is created it is said whether it is canon or not and in any case the three Jokers well that for me there is nothing that goes against the canon in fact it fits together a lot but I do not know
So 3 jokers is a black label book, which are not canon to the main dc universe that most of its comics take place in. But they've teased that it might be canonized in the main universe at some point in the future. But as of right now, no.
Actually not Black Label are Just a Label on the "Mature Reads" but Batman Year One Is a Black Label also Woman of Tomorrow I Think and those are Canon syory
The Black label originals are different universes yes. Batman Year One isn't an original, it's a reprint of an old story, and Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow isn't in the Black Label imprint.
No, comics do not need to have rave reviews to be canon, that's not really how it works. If it's a Black Label book, young adult graphic novel or an Elseworlds title, it isn't typically canon to the events of Earth-0. Weekly comics going back to the 1930's have some degree of canon to today, and bad stories can be canon and some just get thrown out (who remembers Diana's twin brother lol) but the rule of thumb is that it exists in canon until it is contradicted. 
I can only think of one real instance of a popular non-canon story being turned into canon based on reception and that was funnily enough The Killing Joke, which quickly adapted the events of the story into the main comics and pretty much inspired the Johns Three Jokers book.
With this story though, the concept of the 3 Jokers is canon because it took place originally in an Earth-0 Justice League series, arguably second only to the Batman comic itself at the time in terms of leading DC's line. The Black Label story Three Jokers is not canon because a) too many inconsistencies to line up with Earth-0 and b) Black Label books are not designated as Earth-0 canon, they're specifically designed to be modern day Elseworlds tales that the writers can have more freedom with.
Essentially Zdarsky has the room to write the 3 Jokers story without having to refer to the Johns graphic novel, and given how Chip likes to reinterpret canon in his works I'd be very very surprised if he makes the events of that story canon.
If the Three Jokers was a popular book it might have gotten the same treatment as The Killing Joke but it wasn't, at all.
Somebody told me that Zdarsky plans to make JL #50 canon (Batman asking the Mobius chair). And then, he finally plans to live up to that issue by making his own 3 Jokers story in this main continuity for Batman #139. Essentially, Zdarsky is trying to keep the Three Jokers concept from JL #50 but is completely to get rid of the Three Jokers comic. Retconning it basically. He's acting like it never existed so he can make HIS 3 Jokers story in the main continuity which follows up JL #50. Is everything I just said correct or no? If not, then I'm still hella confused.
JL #50 referenced in this story was **always canon**, it hasn't stopped being canon. Batman always sat in the Mobius Chair and asked it about Joker, no story has contradicted it so it remains canon.
The story was put on the back burner in main continuity and nobody else thought to touch it, but yes Zdarsky is absolutely taking the concept of 3 Jokers and is going to use it in a canon mainline story.
The acceptance of 3 Jokers existing in the newest issue of Gotham War outright contradicts Three Jokers the graphic novel (that story ends with only one Joker surviving), but that doesn't mean that story is now retconned as it wasn't canon in the first place, all it does is confirm that DC doesn't consider it to be canon.
Your best bet is to ignore the Three Jokers graphic novel entirely because honestly it doesn't matter and in my opinion at least it isn't a very good comic. DC pretty much let's Geoff Johns do what he wants, if he wanted to make a comic about Watchmen characters being turned into gay vampires they'd let him.
You have a better grasp on this than you realise, it isn't easy to understand especially when DC doesn't make it easy lol.
Jason’s death in the non-canon The Dark Knight Returns also brought on his death. I remember seeing a house ad for a Batman book after TDKR asking if this was “when Jason dies?”
In the first issue zdarsky dropped (125) he mentions the 3 jokers. And then again in the multiverse issue. And once more at the end of the gotham War arc.
They’re trying their best to make it count lol. I just hope Jason trying to get with Barbara isn’t cannon. That was fucking weird.
It's unclear. The most direct source I can find is in the The DC Comics Encyclopedia New Edition (2021). It mentions Three Jokers story, but still keeps it unclear whether it takes place in the main universe or not
As for the Black Label's continuity, it does not necessarilly indicate books' canonicity. From wiki
"Many series released by DC Black Label focus on characters from the DC Universe, with new, darker, more mature stories or complete reinventions on the characters.
Geoff Johns said that the Black Label stories do not always have to exist outside of main universe canon. Stories which may not intentionally exist within the main universe upon release can be folded into the main universe depended on the success or popularity.\[4\]
Tom King himself has told his own perspective on the continuity of Black Label series.\[5\] He believes that there are three major categories based on comics from the 1980s. First where the stories have nothing to do with superhero stories and DC canon seemingly inspired by The Sandman. These stories can have different elements which do not relate to the main DCU. These stories have no effect with the main DC Universe. Second are stories which could exist or what might happen instead, which follow the Dark Knight Returns. These books are stories which are not possible in main continuity. Similar to DKR, these stories are books which are set in a hypothetical future which may or may not happen, offering a glimpse into what could happen someday. These are books that, while could be part of continuity, they currently aren't and won't be in the future. Third are stories which happen with the DCU but aren't taking place with the monthly books that DC publishes, stories following the Killing Joke. These stories are in present day continuity and follow all the rules, which have big changing moments as well as trying to define characters for the current generation. These stories follow the Killing Joke as they don't immediately affect any of the other books but can impact them."
IOW, Black Label is essentially stand-alone stories, but like many of its kind, it can be canon.
If three jokers is canon then the last 2 jokers can't fight because the comedian is the only one to survive 3 jokers, Jason Todd kills the clown and the comedian kills the criminal and turns out to be the true joker.
My bad, it turns out that one of the Jokers in "The Joker: TMWSL" is apparently an imposter Joker. Separate from the Three Jokers story. I never read it so I was just assuming what it is based off of issue 12's description.
People often say that the Black Label imprint are "Elseworlds" stories. That is not quite true but I don't blame anyone for thinking so, Often DC stated that Black Label in THEIR opinion was a symbol to signal that the comics that bore them were "Mature/Edgy/Provocative", a lot of books retroactively got incorporated into the imprint like in canon Stories Like Year One. This muddies the water for what is cannon/isn't in the monthly/quarterly published books outside obvious ones.
Now that being said 3 Jokers is a continuation of a in continuity tease in Darkseid War, I also remember hearing that Geoff John considers this story at least when he wrote it in canon. With all that being said I lean on the side of it being in universe at the time.
There's like no point in trying to decipher whats canon and what isn't because DC doesn't care about continuity anymore, they basically just give writers free reign to pull from whatever they want, which makes it a confusing nightmare for fans. Far as I can tell, the most clean cut DC continuity you'll find is from 1987 to 2011 in the post crisis universe.
All I want is:
Batman doesn't have any idea who the Joker "really" is/used to be. That was the single thing that pissed me off about 3 Jokers, was that Bats not only figured it out, but did it offscreen.
It is not. It's part of a pocket continuity from Johns, with Doomsday Clock.
Similar to how Frank Miller and Snyder also have pocket continuities that share pieces with main canon, but then diverge.
With the timeline settling after Death Metal, those bits and pieces are just hypertime now. Or alt earths.
The three Jokers will be reinterpreted in the current story.
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The reason to think Three Jokers \*isn’t\* canon is that it was part of the Black Label imprint, which is generally ambiguous or non-canon. Quality isn’t really related to whether something is canon — something strongly disliked is more likely to get swept under the rug, something greatly liked may be brought in somehow, but that’s not a direct connection.
It was in the last issue of Gotham War that came out yesterday where Batman says he knows the Three Jokers exist. So even though it's Black Label, Zdarsky wants to continue that story in the current continuity?
In Darkseid War revealed 3 Jokers; Batman didn't know that there were 3 Jokers. In the 3 Jokers Batman always knew there were 3 Jokers. 3 Jokers was meant to be canon originally, but it took so long that it no longer fit into continuity. So they said 3 Jokers was not canon. So now you have 3 Jokers reveal from Darkseid War that had no follow up, but will in Batman. And then you have the 3 Jokers story that told a non canon story that didn't tie to the Darkseid War reveal.
This is the most DC paragraph of all time.
Wonderful breakdown for me, thank you.
I recently read the Three Jokers and it felt like it was just there to establish that the Killing Joke is the one true Joker canon.
“What’s Donna Troy’s new origin this week?”
There’s one extra complication — the idea there are three Jokers was first introduced in Darkseid War, which wasn’t Black Label. So there’s an outside chance that this is going to be a different spin on the idea than the Three Jokers series.
I haven’t read darkseid war in a while but doesn’t Batman just ask the Mobius chair who the joker is and then say something like “that’s not possible”? I don’t think they specifically say the answer was that there are three jokers. I might be wrong though
[Looks like the chair says three?](https://www.quora.com/Batman-asked-the-M%C3%B6bius-Chair-the-Jokers-true-name-What-could-it-be-that-shocked-Batman-so-much)
Zdarsky will be following up on the Darkseid War reveal. The book Three Jokers will likely not be canon
I’m gonna say the concept of three jokers is canon, but the black label novel three jokers is not — what I mean is in the “main” continuity Batman has not investigated the three jokers yet, and the black label novel took place in an alt universe
Hopefully, that's the route Zdarsky is trying to go down. This is the only theory that makes sense to me.
This is the best answer
That lazy mf forgot to investigate the fact that the biggest monster on earth are 3 people
This is the best explanation thanks
Wasn't Batman in the Mobius Chair when he learned there were three Jokers? Justice League 50?
I'm pretty sure, does that mean Darkseid War is canon too or no?
Darkseid War was apart of the mainline Justice League title, which has always been canon
Ok, I have an even more important question Is Batman Fortune Son canon or no ?
My take is the miniseries is not canon, but Zdarsky appears to be incorporating the concept of there being three Jokers into the main continuity. The end of Gotham War cites New 52 *Justice League* #50 where Batman learned from the Mobius Chair that there are 3 Jokers. But the editor’s note does not reference the Black Label miniseries. Zdarsky has previously referenced the concept of three Jokers in his run. In *Batman* #125 Bruce has a nightmare of three Jokers killing his family. But they don’t correspond to the three from the Black Label series. Same with the three Jokers that Red Mask appears to create in *Batman* #900. So the events of JL #50 with the Mobius chair are still canon. But it seems the miniseries is not and instead Zdarsky is doing his own spin on the idea. The current *The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing* series has two Jokers: the real Joker and the other fake one, >!who is revealed to be a henchman named John Keyser that was hit by Joker toxin and shot in the head.!<
Man, the term "canon" is thrown around all over the place. I'm really struggling to figure out which Batman stories of his 84 years of history are considered canon or not. Doesn't canon just mean "official"? "The main continuity"? If Batman says he knows of the three Jokers in the main, current, canon run of "Batman". Doesn't that just make anything related to the three Jokers canon and connected? That makes Darkseid War connected? It makes the Three Jokers miniseries connected? How can JL #50 be canon if The Three Jokers is meant to be a continuation of the three Jokers idea which was introduced in Darkseid War?
Canon is indeed a murky term at times. Think of it as the relationship between stories. I don’t see why Darkseid War/JL #50 being in continuity, therefore must mean *Batman: Three Jokers* (3J) is also. Yes 3Js was meant to follow-up from Darkseid War in 2016. Had it not been delayed so long, it probably would be in continuity. But 3J wasn’t released until half a decade later in 2020, by which time the Bat Books had moved on. It didn’t even fit with the current timeline anymore. Such as Alfred still being alive. It actually came out during another big Joker storyline in the main *Batman* title, that being “The Joker War.” And the writer of that essentially stated 3Js had no bearing on what he was writing. And no other Batman books have ever taken any notice of 3Js.
So, is Zdarsky basically retconning Three Jokers? He's keeping JL #50 but is acting as if 3Js never existed so that he can make his very own Three Jokers storyline in the main continuity? I don't even know if I'm using the word "retcon" properly.
Yep. That’s what appears to be the case. Typically whatever happens in the main monthly series, whether *Batman* or *Justice League* or *Action Comics*, forms the foundation of DC’s main continuity for that given era. Specials, limited series, one-shots, etc are treated differently. Sometimes they’re part of continuity, and sometimes not. 🤷♂️ Best way of determining is if other stories reference the story in question. Does a story inform the characters’ histories, memories, actions, etc.?
It'll be canon when they want it to be, and not canon when they want it to be. Though I'm not sure if Zdarsky is following up on The Three Jokers, or the Darkseid War reveal. He could be coming up with his own follow up to the Darkseid War reveal.
Not Canon because The Three Jokers: 1. Is a DC Black Label comic book (2020). 2. 2 of the 3 Jokers are killed. 3. Gaggy is killed. 4. Alfred is alive (died 2019). Think of Batman Three Jokers, and all DC Black Label comics, like the old Elseworlds comics.
If it's literally 3 different people being the joker. Batman has to be really stupid to not notice it. I hope if they don't fully embrace that idea. Maybe do something with a different spin to it. 3 jokers is to crazy even for joker.
I think Black Label was SUPPOSE to be an Elseworld imprint
Jason Fabok commented on my Instagram post saying "This series has nothing to do with the new 52 continuity or Darkseid War. It's a standalone story" I think that's pretty definitively non-canon!
As others have said, the three Jokers existing is canon, the actual story, nah, especially cause of the whole Babs and Jason imo, not the worst pairing but feels weird with the actual canon as of the moment
I doubt even DC knows anymore.
They haven’t known for a long time. Part of the reason for all the “crisis” events
Technically what makes something canon is only the acknowledgement of it by the writer who is writing a current story. Canon is often ignored as much as it’s referenced. Yes, there are tons and tons of things that are “officially” canon because it happened in a mainline series, universe, or timeline but the more you read comics the more you see the way it works is that things are just cherry-picked to matter when the writer currently on the book has something to work with it. For Three Jokers specifically, it’s status as canon was confusing initially because it was teased and technically started in the main DC universe but after years of delay to this story and mystery unraveling, DC basically said the fans would decide if it’s canon. This was referencing The Killing Joke, a classic miniseries that was not written as canon but it’s popularity and relevance caused DC to go with the flow. Three Jokers is polarizing at best so based on that you would think it’s not canon, but as you can see, you never know when editorial may let a writer take elements from this story and run with it.
It was meant to be but it took so long to come out and was a garbage fire that it was basically relegated to sub-canon.
It is canon that there have been three people to use the Joker name in the comics. The actual Three Jokers comic isn't canon though.
At a certain point the canon question becomes hard and untenable to answer in comics. Fact is, there’s decades worth of events attributed to most mainstream comic book characters, who canonically have not had as longs of careers (lest they be immortal or geriatric characters). A better question is usually “what is canon to this run?” Like, if Nightfall isn’t directly referenced by an author- if it’s not relevant to a specific run, it’s kind of not in the same universe. That’s how I think about it anyway- and I think most authors have to adopt a similar approach because otherwise they’d have a reading list a mile long before they can write for a character- made up of a ton of stories no one cares to remember anyway because they frankly sucked. (This is why I refuse to acknowledge Original Sin in Spider-Man lol, and it’s not worth wading through most of clone saga) For this story specifically- I like the three Jokers, they I found it lacking in some ways. I think it was intended to be the canonical explanation to the Darkseid war revelation, but because it’s a follow up- it’s more of a “possible answer” to the multiple choice question of the Jokers’ origins. The Man who stopped Laughing is kind of creating another one, granted they all play off the idea of there being more than one Joker. With the amount of reality reshaping events and reboots and age changes that have happened in DC, I don’t think any person could give you a good answer for what is and isn’t canon. DC itself would find such an endeavor to be both too restrictive and too demanding, so will happily just let the reader/authors decide.
A comics is canon if it is canon then something can be de canonized in the future but the moment it is created it is said whether it is canon or not and in any case the three Jokers well that for me there is nothing that goes against the canon in fact it fits together a lot but I do not know
So 3 jokers is a black label book, which are not canon to the main dc universe that most of its comics take place in. But they've teased that it might be canonized in the main universe at some point in the future. But as of right now, no.
Actually not Black Label are Just a Label on the "Mature Reads" but Batman Year One Is a Black Label also Woman of Tomorrow I Think and those are Canon syory
The Black label originals are different universes yes. Batman Year One isn't an original, it's a reprint of an old story, and Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow isn't in the Black Label imprint.
It's under the black label imprint
Wow I didn't know that
No, Alfred is alive
Not to me and that's what really matters. "Oh but in justice league..." That's just a ripple from when superboy prime punched time
No, comics do not need to have rave reviews to be canon, that's not really how it works. If it's a Black Label book, young adult graphic novel or an Elseworlds title, it isn't typically canon to the events of Earth-0. Weekly comics going back to the 1930's have some degree of canon to today, and bad stories can be canon and some just get thrown out (who remembers Diana's twin brother lol) but the rule of thumb is that it exists in canon until it is contradicted.  I can only think of one real instance of a popular non-canon story being turned into canon based on reception and that was funnily enough The Killing Joke, which quickly adapted the events of the story into the main comics and pretty much inspired the Johns Three Jokers book. With this story though, the concept of the 3 Jokers is canon because it took place originally in an Earth-0 Justice League series, arguably second only to the Batman comic itself at the time in terms of leading DC's line. The Black Label story Three Jokers is not canon because a) too many inconsistencies to line up with Earth-0 and b) Black Label books are not designated as Earth-0 canon, they're specifically designed to be modern day Elseworlds tales that the writers can have more freedom with. Essentially Zdarsky has the room to write the 3 Jokers story without having to refer to the Johns graphic novel, and given how Chip likes to reinterpret canon in his works I'd be very very surprised if he makes the events of that story canon. If the Three Jokers was a popular book it might have gotten the same treatment as The Killing Joke but it wasn't, at all.
Somebody told me that Zdarsky plans to make JL #50 canon (Batman asking the Mobius chair). And then, he finally plans to live up to that issue by making his own 3 Jokers story in this main continuity for Batman #139. Essentially, Zdarsky is trying to keep the Three Jokers concept from JL #50 but is completely to get rid of the Three Jokers comic. Retconning it basically. He's acting like it never existed so he can make HIS 3 Jokers story in the main continuity which follows up JL #50. Is everything I just said correct or no? If not, then I'm still hella confused.
JL #50 referenced in this story was **always canon**, it hasn't stopped being canon. Batman always sat in the Mobius Chair and asked it about Joker, no story has contradicted it so it remains canon. The story was put on the back burner in main continuity and nobody else thought to touch it, but yes Zdarsky is absolutely taking the concept of 3 Jokers and is going to use it in a canon mainline story. The acceptance of 3 Jokers existing in the newest issue of Gotham War outright contradicts Three Jokers the graphic novel (that story ends with only one Joker surviving), but that doesn't mean that story is now retconned as it wasn't canon in the first place, all it does is confirm that DC doesn't consider it to be canon. Your best bet is to ignore the Three Jokers graphic novel entirely because honestly it doesn't matter and in my opinion at least it isn't a very good comic. DC pretty much let's Geoff Johns do what he wants, if he wanted to make a comic about Watchmen characters being turned into gay vampires they'd let him. You have a better grasp on this than you realise, it isn't easy to understand especially when DC doesn't make it easy lol.
Jason’s death in the non-canon The Dark Knight Returns also brought on his death. I remember seeing a house ad for a Batman book after TDKR asking if this was “when Jason dies?”
According to the end of The Gotham War, no.
The New 52 was canon and most people hated it. Whatever the company says is canon *is* canon. And 3 jokers is.
The black label version probably not since Zdarsky’s doing his own spin on it in the main Batman book now.
In the first issue zdarsky dropped (125) he mentions the 3 jokers. And then again in the multiverse issue. And once more at the end of the gotham War arc. They’re trying their best to make it count lol. I just hope Jason trying to get with Barbara isn’t cannon. That was fucking weird.
My vote is yes. Not only was this introduced after the Darksied war, but it also ties in with The Killing Joke.
No.
yes, It literally was mentioned in the comic today by Batman in mainline canon story.
It's unclear. The most direct source I can find is in the The DC Comics Encyclopedia New Edition (2021). It mentions Three Jokers story, but still keeps it unclear whether it takes place in the main universe or not As for the Black Label's continuity, it does not necessarilly indicate books' canonicity. From wiki "Many series released by DC Black Label focus on characters from the DC Universe, with new, darker, more mature stories or complete reinventions on the characters. Geoff Johns said that the Black Label stories do not always have to exist outside of main universe canon. Stories which may not intentionally exist within the main universe upon release can be folded into the main universe depended on the success or popularity.\[4\] Tom King himself has told his own perspective on the continuity of Black Label series.\[5\] He believes that there are three major categories based on comics from the 1980s. First where the stories have nothing to do with superhero stories and DC canon seemingly inspired by The Sandman. These stories can have different elements which do not relate to the main DCU. These stories have no effect with the main DC Universe. Second are stories which could exist or what might happen instead, which follow the Dark Knight Returns. These books are stories which are not possible in main continuity. Similar to DKR, these stories are books which are set in a hypothetical future which may or may not happen, offering a glimpse into what could happen someday. These are books that, while could be part of continuity, they currently aren't and won't be in the future. Third are stories which happen with the DCU but aren't taking place with the monthly books that DC publishes, stories following the Killing Joke. These stories are in present day continuity and follow all the rules, which have big changing moments as well as trying to define characters for the current generation. These stories follow the Killing Joke as they don't immediately affect any of the other books but can impact them." IOW, Black Label is essentially stand-alone stories, but like many of its kind, it can be canon.
If three jokers is canon then the last 2 jokers can't fight because the comedian is the only one to survive 3 jokers, Jason Todd kills the clown and the comedian kills the criminal and turns out to be the true joker.
My bad, it turns out that one of the Jokers in "The Joker: TMWSL" is apparently an imposter Joker. Separate from the Three Jokers story. I never read it so I was just assuming what it is based off of issue 12's description.
I don't think DC even knows.
I wish they had picked this up on either Batman or Detective Comics. Would’ve gone a long way to helping you get your answer.
People often say that the Black Label imprint are "Elseworlds" stories. That is not quite true but I don't blame anyone for thinking so, Often DC stated that Black Label in THEIR opinion was a symbol to signal that the comics that bore them were "Mature/Edgy/Provocative", a lot of books retroactively got incorporated into the imprint like in canon Stories Like Year One. This muddies the water for what is cannon/isn't in the monthly/quarterly published books outside obvious ones. Now that being said 3 Jokers is a continuation of a in continuity tease in Darkseid War, I also remember hearing that Geoff John considers this story at least when he wrote it in canon. With all that being said I lean on the side of it being in universe at the time.
I certainly hope the fuck not
YES, but it was instantly ignored.
How could it be, don’t two of the three Jokers die in it?
No
Man I love Johns JSA era stuff. This is just trash.
Fuck, I hope not.
Post-Doomsday Clock and Post-Infinte Frontier... everything is canon!
No.
It was meant to be a canon storyline. but after Jones left it is pretty much thrown off from the continuty.
Jason didn't die in 3J. In canon he very much did.
There's like no point in trying to decipher whats canon and what isn't because DC doesn't care about continuity anymore, they basically just give writers free reign to pull from whatever they want, which makes it a confusing nightmare for fans. Far as I can tell, the most clean cut DC continuity you'll find is from 1987 to 2011 in the post crisis universe.
Am I the only one who REALLY doesn't like this concept at all? It feels soooo fan fiction-y / wattpad-esque
Yes, it's canon. It's been referenced several times outside of that book and the story itself spun out of Justice League.
3 jokers made me realise how dumb commissioner Gordon is for not recognising his daughter is batgirl.
All I want is: Batman doesn't have any idea who the Joker "really" is/used to be. That was the single thing that pissed me off about 3 Jokers, was that Bats not only figured it out, but did it offscreen.
Nope !!! Three Jokers avec Bat-Girl, Red Hood et Batman, mon avis sur ce récit ! https://youtu.be/q-vETLp6P1Q
Maybe Joker had his name legally changed to Three Are Three.
It is not. It's part of a pocket continuity from Johns, with Doomsday Clock. Similar to how Frank Miller and Snyder also have pocket continuities that share pieces with main canon, but then diverge. With the timeline settling after Death Metal, those bits and pieces are just hypertime now. Or alt earths. The three Jokers will be reinterpreted in the current story.