The pressure is on as Batman races against time as the Joker virus continues to course through his body, rapidly changing his entire being.
Meanwhile, the Batman Who Laughs is wreaking havoc all across Gotham, causing Batman to make hasty decisions. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and with very few options left Batman, and Gordon turns to the only person who knows Gotham better than anyone, James Gordon Jr.
Will Gordon Jr help Batman in his quest to save Gotham? What of the Grim Knight? Can Batman maintain control of himself or will he be consumed by madness before it’s too late?
Snyder is truly in the best form that he has ever been on Batman. While that is debatable given that the upcoming Black Label title that he and Capullo are currently working on is in development, this will do for now. What’s so interesting about this series is the narrative tone of the book, which sets it apart from all of Snyder’s other works such as Justice League. Both books are polar opposites of each other, and while Snyder is having fun with both titles, I think Snyder is really having a blast on the Batman Who Laughs a bit more. Given that Snyder and Jock have worked together on Black Mirror, it feels like this series has been a fun reunion due to the insanity that occurs within the book making it all feel as though Snyder and Jock have come full circle on their Black Mirror story all those years ago. There are some fantastic scenes where Batman is just snapping on Gordon Jr, Alfred’s reaction to everything, and even The Grim Knight having more prominence In this issue.
Without giving anything away, there is a lot to unpack that requires some re-reading due to how the issue parallels in its intro and its outro, and how that parallels to the quarrels of Batman, the Grim Knight, Gordon, and Gordon Jr, it’s really well crafted narratively. It feels like this is just Snyder going off the wheels in all the right ways that only further complements the work that he’s developed throughout the entirety of his Batman run. Believe it or not, you wouldn’t have to read All of the other titles that spanned out from Dark Nights Metal to jump into this book. If you read Snyder’s Batman run, and Metal, it’s a fun journey to go on. But even without Metal, it still stands on own as a story. And this issue is certainly no exception!
In regards to the art, Jock’s beautiful silhouettes, use of ink, and page layouts all carry the narrative of this issue beautifully. David Baron’s color work does a good job at tonally capturing the perfect darkness that a series like this requires. Cipriano’s lettering achieves the same essence and spirit that the story itself conveys through the use of fonts and bubbles that provide distinct voices that help the characters within this series standout.
This is another solid installment of the Batman Who Laughs saga! This issue provides readers with enough action, mystery, and thrill to keep them engaged for the next installment. I definitely recommend adding this to your new comic book day pull list folks!
Newsdesk