This Batman Storyline Is Everything ‘The Batman Part II’ Should Be
A 2014 Batman comic storyline, *Batman: Endgame*, is presented as a model for a high-stakes final Batman film. Written by Scott Snyder and drawn by Greg Capullo, it pits Batman against the Justice League and a besieged Gotham, while arguing that its horror atmosphere and uncertain threat could push the character beyond familiar film conflicts.
The article reveals that the apparent Justice League battle is a misdirection: the real threat is the Joker, returning after *Death of the Family*. A new airborne strain of Joker toxin turns residents into violent attackers and could kill those infected within hours, leaving Batman to face the crisis largely alone. The story also casts doubt on whether the Joker is simply human, making their long-running relationship part of the mystery.
In short
- *Batman: Endgame* is proposed as a blueprint for a final Batman film.
- Joker toxin turns Gotham residents into attackers and threatens their lives.
- The story frames the Joker as a possibly inhuman, horror-like threat.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Adapting Endgame could give The Batman Part II a more distinctive and urgent story, combining Gotham’s vulnerability, a citywide crisis and the unsettling ambiguity of Batman and the Joker’s relationship. Its apparent Justice League conflict could also offer a striking way to raise the stakes before revealing a more personal threat.
The case against
A film adaptation could struggle to balance the toxin outbreak, the Joker mystery and the spectacle of Batman facing the Justice League, making the story feel crowded or less grounded than the first film. Its extreme stakes and uncertainty about whether the Joker is human could also weaken the emotional force of a conflict that works best when rooted in recognisable motives and consequences.
Explained simply
Batman is a comic-book hero who protects Gotham City, a fictional city plagued by crime. His recurring enemy the Joker is a violent criminal whose history with Batman has been central to many comics, films and television stories.
In the 2014 comic storyline Batman: Endgame, writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo place Batman in conflict with the Justice League, a team of major superheroes. That apparent showdown masks a wider threat to Gotham, as the Joker uses a toxin that makes people violent and may kill them within hours.
The story combines a city-wide crisis with questions about the Joker’s identity and his connection to Batman. Its mix of superhero action, horror and mystery has led some readers to see it as a possible point of reference for a future Batman film.