The Penguin is about to declare war on Catwoman‘s neighbourhood in Gotham City! And it’s all based on a misunderstanding… and a little demonic possession. But an extra level of chaos will be thrown into the mix when the Joker’s Daughter joins the fight!
Minor crossover: The JLA issues aren’t essential reading, but help explain the larger story of Diana’s new role as well as Artemis’ efforts to eclipse her in the DC Universe.
Must-Reads: In the Fallout section, issues/story arcs marked with a ✔ are essential reading.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- DEATH OF THE FAMILY (2012-2013) – Catwoman has a run-in with the Joker
- THE BLACK DIAMOND PROBABILITY (2012-2013) – Catwoman breaks into ARGUS’ Black Room
- WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS (2013) – Catwoman joins the Justice League
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Catwoman #20
- Catwoman Annual #1
- Catwoman #21
- Batman: The Dark Knight #23.4: Joker’s Daughter
- Catwoman #22-24
- Catwoman #26
| Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Catwoman #20 Catwoman finds out the Penguin has been blackmailing her friend and fence, Gwen Altamont. She decides to get back at him by stealing from his vault after defeating his enforcer, Joe Pazzo. Later, Catwoman is attacked by the demon Escalate who has possessed Pazzo. Escalate tries to coerce bystanders watching the fight to commit suicide, so Catwoman slices his throat to end his threat. He returns to Pazzo’s human form, leaving the onlookers – with no memory of Escalate – believing she killed an innocent man. The Penguin retaliates, declaring war on Catwoman’s neighbourhood. |
| Catwoman Annual #1 The Penguin wages war against the street gangs of Gotham’s Badlands. Harvey Bullock is assigned to the police precinct handling the case. But Detective Tammy Keyes is convinced Catwoman is responsible for the bodies of the Rat-Tails gang in the street. Catwoman visits Alice Tesla to gain tech capable of avoiding the drone the Penguin uses to track her. Catwoman reprograms the drone and follows it back to Penguin, allowing her to confront him about the Black Ice drug he’s sending out to the streets. Penguin coerces the criminal Hypnotic to end her attack, but Catwoman uses Hypnotic against him, threatens Penguin and escapes. |
| Catwoman #21 Wild with rage, the Penguin rains missiles down on the Badlands. Catwoman sides with the Rat-Tails leader, Rat-Tail, as all-out war hits the streets. Thaddeus Volt is struck by a downed power line. Penguin has Gwen Altamont tortured to find out her true identity, but to no avail. Penguin flies his helicopter into the Badlands, blowing up the street and leaving a giant sinkhole. Unsure if Rat-Tail or Tess Pazzo are dead, Catwoman considers escaping underground. 1st appearance: Tess Pazzo |
| Batmans: The Dark Knight 23.4: Joker’s Daughter A young girl unhappy with her looks and her life turns to self-harm by cutting her own face. She eventually flees to the Nethers beneath Gotham City where she finds the Joker’s severed face and wears it as her own. Claiming herself to be the Joker’s Daughter, she rejects the offer of help from the leaders of the Nethers society living underground and proclaims herself as leader, putting the women in charge! Also see VILLAINS MONTH 1st appearance: Charon |
| Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Catwoman #22 Days after the sinkhole opened in Gotham, Gotham City Police Department get the hole filled. Catwoman gets a tech upgrade from Alice Tesla and heads below ground in search of Rat-Tail. She steals a diamond for Alice as payment, then heads into the tunnels beneath Arkham Asylum where she encounters Doctor Phosphorus, ruler of Charneltown. To survive, she agrees to spy on rival tribe, the Warhogs. Phosphorus gives Catwoman his daughter, Tinderbox, as an offering to Warhog’s son, Rake! 1st appearance: Doctor Phosphorus/Alexander Sartorius, Tinderbox, Warhogs, Zakaria, Charneltown |
| Catwoman #23 Tinderbox turns against Catwoman when they get close to the Warhogs, but the tribe overpower them both. Warhog himself gives them a tour their site, including his lab where he’s creating a symbiotic bacteria to counter radiation poisoning. But Catwoman thinks he might try to use it as a weapon against Gotham if they suspect an attack on the Underground. When Rake rejects Tinderbox, Catwoman steals a vial of toxin and leaves with her. But their path is blocked by… a female Joker! 1st appearance: Joker’s Daughter/Duela Dent, Rake, Warhog |
| Catwoman #24 The Joker’s Daughter attacks, triggering Catwoman’s rage after her recent run-in with the Joker himself (during DEATH OF THE FAMILY, 2012-2013). Catwoman escapes and finds Rat-Tail. The diamonds Alice Tesla wanted were made by Doctor Phosphorus, but he made every diamond a bomb. Alice accidentally sets her diamond off. Joker’s Daughter floods the tunnels and forms an alliance with Tinderbox. |
| Catwoman #26 Catwoman lands at Rock Bottom where she finds Doctor Phosphorus’ diamond stash. Having survived the explosion, Alice sends Catwoman the detonation frequency. Tinderbox seals the Joker’s Daughter in wax and gets back to her father who plans to turn Gotham into a volcano they can rule. Catwoman sets the diamonds to collapse Rock Bottom on top of Phosphorus. Warhog takes his own formula so he can fight Phosphorus one-on-one and keeps him trapped in the area as it collapses. Doctor Phosphorus survives and escapes, but Tinderbox is seriously hurt. Catwoman and Rat-Tail return to the surface. |
| Must Read | Issue & Fallout | Event / Crossover |
| Batman and Catwoman #22 (2013) – 436 Batman is unavailable around this time because he’s grieving over the death of Robin. | STAGES OF GRIEF | |
| ✔ | Batman: Joker’s Daughter #1 (2014) – 470 The Joker’s Daughter, refusing to believe the Joker is dead, draws Batman out in the hope of being beaten by him; the Joker’s Daughter crosses paths with Arkham orderly Eric Border, unaware that he’s really the Joker; Dollmaker agrees to sew the Joker’s face onto Duela Dent and gives her vials of the Joker’s blood for her to inject so she can truly have his blood running through her veins; Joker’s Daughter receives a note from someone she believes is the Joker. | |
| Forever Evil #1 (2013) – 533 Doctor Phosphorus returns, aligning with the Secret Society of Super Villains; the Joker’s Daughter is also seen among the villains gathered before the Crime Syndicate. | FOREVER EVIL | |
| New Suicide Squad #1-3 (2014) – 595 The Joker’s Daughter briefly serves as a member of Task Force X, but is thrown off over her constant clashes with Harley Quinn. | ||
| Catwoman #30-32 (2014) Volt returns, using his powers in the race to track down kids hidden by Roulette; Rat-Tail assists Catwoman one last time when she pursues Roulette. | ||
| Batman: Eternal #2 (2014) – 627 Doctor Phosphorus is revealed to be imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, though someone appears to be sending his powers out of control. | ETERNAL | |
| ✔ | Batman: Eternal #16-17 (2014) – 627 The Joker’s Daughter is manipulated into using the body of Maxie Zeus as a host body to resurrect the Joker, though it’s actually Deacon Blackfire who’s been playing her and takes possession of Zeus’ body. | ETERNAL |
| ✔ | Catwoman #38-40 (2015) Selina Kyle becomes the head of the Calabrese Crime Family and finds herself at odds with the Penguin again. | ETERNAL |
| Batman #35 (2015) – 714 Eric Border is revealed to be the Joker, who’s been very much alive the whole time. | ENDGAME | |
| Red Hood/Arsenal #7 (2016) – 786 Red Hood tries to rehabilitate the Joker’s Daughter by taking her on as his protégé. | ROBIN WAR | |
| ✔ | Red Hood/Arsenal #8-9 (2016) – 788 Charon seeks revenge against the Joker’s Daughter, only for her to kill him. | |
| ✔ | Red Hood: Outlaw #48 (2020) The Joker’s Daughter comes close to meeting the Joker, only to be pummeled almost to death by Punchline. | THE JOKER WAR |
| ✔ | Red Hood: Outlaw #50 (2020) With her facial scars healed, Duela Dent abandons her Joker’s Daughter persona with help from Red Hood and Pup Pup. | |
| ✔ | Detective Comics #1086-1088 (2024) Duela Dent finally meets the Joker who convinces her to resume her Joker’s Daughter identity. | GOTHAM NOCTURNE |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Catwoman vol.4: Gotham Underground | Batman: The Dark Knight #23.4: Joker’s Daughter Catwoman #20-24, 26 Catwoman Annual #1 |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| DC Comics: The New 52 Villains Omnibus | Batman: The Dark Knight #23.4: The Joker’s Daughter |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2026
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