Batman # 90 Cover A First Printing 2020 NM-

Batman #90, published by DC Comics on March 4, 2020, is titled "Their Dark Designs, Part 5" features the first full appearance and complete origin story of The Designer. Written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by breakout artist Jorge Jiménez, this key issue is a cornerstone of the post-Tom King era, providing the crucial origin story of a mysterious mastermind called The Designer and setting the board for the massive "Joker War" crossover. 

The Present Frame: Drones and Secrets

The framing narrative takes place on a rainy night in Gotham City. While Harley Quinn hilariously hijacked a fleet of Wayne Enterprises "Bat-Swarm" security drones to harass and keep Deathstroke pinned down on the streets below, Batman meets Catwoman (Selina Kyle) on a rooftop. There, Selina finally confesses a dark secret from early in their careers that she had hidden from Bruce for years.

The Flashback: The Tartarus House Meeting

The core of the issue is a lavishly drawn flashback tracking the early days of Gotham's underworld. Selina explains that a legendary criminal myth known as The Designer sent out cards marked with a "D" to four of Gotham's most lethal up-and-coming rogues: Catwoman, The Riddler, The Penguin, and The Joker. 

• The Proposition: They were brought by an undead ferryman to Tartarus House, a sinister mansion located in the waters just outside Gotham. The Designer revealed that he had watched their careers and recognized that they always failed because they lacked the long-term scope to match Batman's relentless intensity. He offered to fund and architect their ultimate, perfect crimes.
• The Master Plans: One by one, the villains designed their dream operations:
• The Penguin drew up a political assassination plot to usurp power and legally become the Mayor of Gotham.
• The Riddler mapped out an intricate labyrinth designed to permanently bankrupt and paralyze Gotham's law enforcement systems.
• Catwoman designed the ultimate heist—a plan to completely steal the entire Wayne family fortune out from under Bruce Wayne's nose.
• The Joker's Twist: Everything fell apart when the Designer sat down alone with the Joker. Whatever horrific, apocalyptic vision of pure chaos the Joker proposed absolutely terrified and enraged the Designer. He declared the Joker a madman and ordered all four villains killed on the spot. The rogues barely escaped with their lives as Tartarus House burned down. 

The Climax & Impact

Back in the present, Catwoman warns Batman that the Designer's sudden reappearance in Gotham means those precise old master plans are now being deployed against the city. Crucially, because she gave the Designer the blueprint to completely drain Bruce Wayne's wealth years ago, Batman stands to lose his entire financial empire if he walks straight into the trap.