WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1 by Sean Gordon Murphy, AndWorld Design and Matt Hollingsworth, on sale now.
Sean Gordon Murphy's Batman: White Knight and its sequel Curse of the White Knight are set in an alternate DC Universe, grounded a little more in gritty realism. It first explored the ramifications of a reckless vigilante operating in a city, and then twisted the long-established premise when Joker was cured and transformed into Gotham's hero, as Batman became its pariah.
Now, as Curse of the White Knight begins, we're greeted by a slightly more familiar status quo: Joker is once more locked up in Arkham Asylum, and Batman is back to protecting Gotham. But when the Clown Prince of Crime escapes, he sets off on a mission that stretches back to the city's founding. In doing so, he creates a potentially dangerous force: Azrael.
In DC canon, Jean-Paul Valley was brainwashed by the Order of Saint Dumas to become a sword-slinging assassin. Although dangerous, he was eventually freed from their control, and join the side of good.
But Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1 establishes a much a different origin for Jean-Paul. In the White Knight universe, he's a veteran who appears to be struggling with PTSD. He's prone to violent episodes, and is cast out by society. We later see him mopping the floors of a church he frequently visits, which helps us understand that he is devout, and searching for redemption and a purpose.
Such a man makes an easy mark for the Joker, who appears in the church as a larger-than-life figure, wielding a sword with ties to the history of Gotham. The Clown Prince of Crime tells Jean-Paul he is the rightful heir to the city, and that it's time he takes what is his with blood. Passing himself off as an angel, the Joker gives Jean-Paul his new name, Azrael, and convinces him to go after Bruce Wayne.
For the time being, there's no way to know whether the Joker is telling the truth about Jean-Paul's heritage. Could his family truly have ties to the secret history of Gotham? It's possible. But whether or not what Joker says is true, he twists Jean-Paul into something dangerous. He may not be at the mercy of a secret order, but this version of Jean-Paul was also manipulated into becoming a lethal force.
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