The latest issue of DC Comics' Batman spin-off, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing, is getting heat after depicting its star, the Joker, as a pregnant man. Yes, that's right: the Joker appears pregnant in the latest issue of the comic and it's being framed as woke culture run amok by some in the commentary community. Here are the details.

Where Does The 'Pregnant Joker' Controversy Come From?

On Tuesday, the fourth issue of The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing, a Batman spin-off starring the DC Comics villain the Joker was released. Each issue includes a "backup story" at the end. These backup stories, drawn in the style of bronze age comics, have nothing to do with the overall plot of the comic itself, instead offering a more lighthearted, often comedic way to tie things up.

In this latest issue, Joker has a confrontation with Zatanna, a magician superhero who he is infatuated with. She rejects his flirtatious behavior and casts a spell on him, saying, "On eno esle lliw reve evah ruoy ybab," or, "No one else will ever have your baby!" Joker wakes up the next morning with a large, pregnancy-like belly. He assumes he's pregnant and goes to the hospital to give birth, as any man who finds themselves mysteriously pregnant should probably do. The doctor attempts to deliver his baby but then he throws up a mud monster, which morphs into a miniature version of the Joker. The Joker embraces the creature as his own and brags about him to Zatanna, showing her the family she could have been a part of.

How Is The Internet Reacting To 'Pregnant Joker?'

Technically, The Joker doesn't get pregnant despite looking very pregnant and assuming that he is pregnant. Nobody impregnates him, he just has a mud monster in his belly and attempts to birth it in the traditional way. Still, when the internet got a hold of the images of pregnant Joker they had a field day, especially commentary YouTubers and creators on the more conservative end of the spectrum.

Some commentators are calling the comic "too woke" and blaming the "woke agenda" for the plotline, claiming that DC Comics is trying to push a "men can get pregnant too" agenda. Others are saying the comic represented the writer's barely disguised fetish, the fetish in question being male pregnancy. Whether you agree with any of that or not, many others are saying the story is simply poorly written and unnecessary, including Batman-News reviewer Theresa Campagna, who gave it a 2/10 rating.

Today, DC released a comic in which the Joker becomes pregnant and gives birth to a mud monster who transforms into a child-version of himself who he adopts as his son. …I don't know how much longer I can do this…ComicLoverMari MrGabeHernandez pic.twitter.com/WUIUf4RI23

— Jester_Bell 🎥 🍿 🥳 (@TheresaCampagna) January 3, 2023

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For the full details on the Pregnant Joker, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.