adopt-the-darkness
Explanation
The Joke
The comic is a Batman parody. In the opening panels, a character (resembling Batman) says "You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it." But instead of this being a threatening monologue, a woman (resembling Catwoman or a similar character) responds by saying that since she was adopted, she should be more open-minded about adoption. She points out that her "dark past" could include having been left at an orphanage.
The conversation then shifts entirely: she suggests that Batman's deformity (his obsession) is much more of a curse than her background, and that the mortgage payments and upkeep on his mansion allow her to focus on her goals. She proposes that they work together, that she "made a partial society" for him. Batman becomes alarmed, asking "Killed? Oh Bruce, oh no no no -- I don't plan to kill you." She clarifies: "I plan to love you. Like... make a family." Batman screams "Nooooooooooo!" and in the final panel (labeled "Later"), Robin says "You know, I was against it at first, but these feel like good changes. I don't know what you were so worried about." Batman grumbles: "Don't ask about Alfred."
The Humor
The comic takes Batman's famous "I am the darkness" edgelord persona and completely subverts it by having a practical, emotionally healthy woman treat his dramatic monologue as an opportunity for domestic partnership. Batman's greatest fear turns out not to be supervillains, but commitment and family life.
The escalating horror Batman feels at the prospect of a loving relationship and domestic stability is the central joke -- his "Nooooooooo!" is played exactly like his reaction to a villain's evil plan, but it's actually about someone wanting to love him and build a family. The final panel with Robin happily accepting the new arrangement while Batman remains grumpy completes the subversion: the "darkness" has been replaced by wholesome family life, and Batman hates it.
References
- The opening line "You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it" is a famous quote from Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), spoken to Batman.
- The comic features parodies of Batman, Catwoman (or a similar female character), Robin, and Alfred from DC Comics.
- The joke subverts the grimdark tone that has characterized Batman comics and films, particularly since Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns (1986).