Batman
When DC launched the New 52, the Bat books were missing a key component. The Clown Prince of Crime. The Joker. In the first issue of the New 52 "Detective Comics" relaunch, The Joker cut his face off and left it as a gift. It was being held by GCPD. When Scott Snyder began his instant classic run on "Batman," you knew it was only a matter of time before he threw Joker into the mix. A year into his run, he decided to deliver one of the definitive Joker stories of all time.
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| Art by Capullo |
Batman Vol 2. #13-17 - The Joker is back in Gotham City. He terrorizes the GCPD to get his face back and then decides that the reason his archenemy has gone soft is because of his connections to the Bat family. Joker is not messing around. He kidnaps Alfred and is dropping hints that he knows Batman and the rest of the family's secret identity. With Joker making his most personal attacks yet and Batman keeping secrets, will the Clown Prince finally be successful in defeating his greatest foe?
When you've got someone like Scott Snyder who is clearly crafting a all-time classic Batman run, you really want him to sink his teeth into Batman's classic Rogues. Don't get me wrong, the Court of Owls and the Talons were awesome, but we are here for those legendary villains and Snyder doesn't disappoint. He has crafted a Joker centric tale for the ages.
This arc is just wonderful. It's brutal. It changes the way you look at Batman and the Joker. It sheds light on different aspects of this rivalry. When the New 52 began, the Joker cut his face off and took off. It was one of the most compelling parts about a reboot that felt pretty arbitrary at the time. So, Joker coming back was a huge deal and right from the start, it's terrifying. One of the most tense sequences that I've ever read in a "Batman" comic is that sequence in the GCPD when Joker breaks in to steal his face back. It's chilling. It gives a great example of how the Joker can take seasoned cops like Gordon who have seen it all and make them quivering piles of fear.
The whole story really comes at the Batman/Joker relationship in a different way. The way the Joker talks about Batman in this story is almost like in a twisted, romantic way. His feelings towards the family come off as jealousy. I love finding out things that happened in the past that we haven't known about. This idea that Joker maybe found his way into the Batcave back when Batman first encountered him is great. It tweaks continuity in a great way. It alters thing in a way that makes sense. It's not bending over to backwards to make something work. It just like sheds some light on a crevice and really enriches things.
This story also looks at the way the Joker terrorizes his fellow Rogues. It's not just about putting Batman and the family through hell, he also does it with Joker, Two-Face and Riddler. The back up stories throughout "Death of the Family" aren't just throwaways. They aren't just page filler. It's great to see that even these big bad guys shaking in their boots when confronted by the Joker. And man, the Harley interaction in this story is so small, but so impactful. Snyder really drives home the point that the Joker/Harley relationship is not something that should be emulated ever. Hopefully people finally get that.
I've said a lot of great things about Greg Capullo's art and I really can't stop heaping on the superlatives here. Capullo started off his run on Batman at such a high level and just keeps raising the bar and this arc is no different. His Joker is one of the scariest thing that I have ever seen. It's next level. Just looking at the detail, especially when it comes to Joker's face, is incredible. The close up shots of his decayed face with the flies landing on them are so detailed and realistic that it makes you a little sick to your stomach. Like, you can almost smell the decay wafting off it. I also love the expressiveness that he works into Batman's mask. You see that a lot with Spider-Man, but not a lot with Batman. It could come off as really cheesy and hokey, but it works really well here. The whole thing is so dark and atmospheric and you just want to soak up every panel and every line. It's stunning.
"Death of the Family" is probably my favorite Joker story of all time. Snyder adds new dimensions to Joker and his relationship with Batman while at the same time fundamentally changing Batman's relationship with the "family" forever. Snyder continues to craft a Batman run for the ages.
Next up, Snyder and Capullo begin a definitive take on Bruce's first year as the Dark Knight.
As always, if you're local you can pick up Batman, Vol. 3: Death of the Family at Mayhem Collectibles in Des Moines or on Amazon.
Do you love this as much as I do? Is there anyone out there who doesn't love Snyder's run? Let me know in the comments.
When you've got someone like Scott Snyder who is clearly crafting a all-time classic Batman run, you really want him to sink his teeth into Batman's classic Rogues. Don't get me wrong, the Court of Owls and the Talons were awesome, but we are here for those legendary villains and Snyder doesn't disappoint. He has crafted a Joker centric tale for the ages.
 |
| Art by Capullo |
The whole story really comes at the Batman/Joker relationship in a different way. The way the Joker talks about Batman in this story is almost like in a twisted, romantic way. His feelings towards the family come off as jealousy. I love finding out things that happened in the past that we haven't known about. This idea that Joker maybe found his way into the Batcave back when Batman first encountered him is great. It tweaks continuity in a great way. It alters thing in a way that makes sense. It's not bending over to backwards to make something work. It just like sheds some light on a crevice and really enriches things.
This story also looks at the way the Joker terrorizes his fellow Rogues. It's not just about putting Batman and the family through hell, he also does it with Joker, Two-Face and Riddler. The back up stories throughout "Death of the Family" aren't just throwaways. They aren't just page filler. It's great to see that even these big bad guys shaking in their boots when confronted by the Joker. And man, the Harley interaction in this story is so small, but so impactful. Snyder really drives home the point that the Joker/Harley relationship is not something that should be emulated ever. Hopefully people finally get that.
 |
| Art by Capullo |
"Death of the Family" is probably my favorite Joker story of all time. Snyder adds new dimensions to Joker and his relationship with Batman while at the same time fundamentally changing Batman's relationship with the "family" forever. Snyder continues to craft a Batman run for the ages.
Next up, Snyder and Capullo begin a definitive take on Bruce's first year as the Dark Knight.
As always, if you're local you can pick up Batman, Vol. 3: Death of the Family at Mayhem Collectibles in Des Moines or on Amazon.
Do you love this as much as I do? Is there anyone out there who doesn't love Snyder's run? Let me know in the comments.
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