Batman #15 review

Stop me if you've heard this one ...

The Joker can do anything he likes in Gotham City. He can stand in front of a bunch of Gotham cops after massacring their brothers, and not be shot on sight. He can have his men ambush said cops with explosives. He can waltz into Arkham Asylum and scare the guards into transforming it into his personal palace.

Yes, it's another issue of the Death of the Family storyline, in which The Joker is out to destroy the bonds between Batman and his proteges. The issue begins with Batman bound by the Joker on a bridge outside Gotham, but circumstances free him to grab the Joker - without his gloves on. Smart. Batman is, of course, immediately dosed with some Joker venom or other. He wakes up to find that the Robins and Batgirl have wound up the case, and faithful manservant Alfred has ... turned into a Joker. AAAARGHH!

Oh, it was all a dream. How clever, please inform the Eisner awards committee.

I really am tired of Scott Snyder's cheats. The writer is good at character beats, and moody descriptive passages, but he just loves the unearned resolution, the deus ex machina, the 'don't worry, he's Batman!' moment. We've had final page exploding buildings that do Batman no harm; Batman fine to fight after a week being driven mad, starved and disembowelled; a remote control exploding bat-suit to beat drowning in a tank of chemicals ... Snyder gives readers the super-dramatic scenes, without working harder for a fair resolution.

End of rant. Back in the comic, Batman wakes up for real, and he has some 'splaining to do. Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, Red Robin and Robin want to know what Joker meant when he said Batman had his calling card. It turns out that years earlier, after a run-in with the Joker, Batman found one of his trademark cards in the Batcave. Batman insists that no way could the Joker have gotten into the cave, but his partners aren't so sure, and fear their identities have been compromised. Both Nightwing and Batgirl have reason to believe that the Joker does indeed know their real names.

But Batman isn't having it, flouncing out to follow up on a clue.

And the younger set let him! The Joker has their friend Alfred. Batman is showing dodgy judgment. And five experienced Gotham knights let him wander off alone.

Imagine me here right now, sighing theatrically. I realise these are comics, but we're meant to associate them at least a little with the real world. I'm fine with Batman not calling Superman in to instantly find Alfred via x-ray vision, because this isn't the JLA or World's Finest. But in terms of the Batman Family of titles, it makes no sense that not one of the five strong-willed, smart heroes he's trained would insist on providing back-up. If they're going to be in this chapter of the crossover, we need a reason as to why they're sitting back and letting Batman go head-first into another trap.

Which seems to be exactly what he's doing, as he heads for Arkham Asylum, having needlessly terrified a guard's family over dinner. As the issue's main story ends, Batman is terrifying himself, with an interior monologue about how the Joker is 'just a man'.

Yes he ruddy well is, and unless he's suddenly gotten 5th Dimensional super-powers, six Bats beat one Joker any day of the week.

Oh, and I really hate this suddenly mincing, in-love-with-Batman Joker - are we seriously meant to equate 'gay' with 'sinister' in this day and age?

Do I sound frustrated? There's enough promise in recent issues to hint that Snyder has a great Joker story in him. Maybe even a couple. But expanding the current encounter to fill several months of interwoven titles has led to a bloated storyline in which all sense is farted away. I do not believe that taunting streetwise cop Harvey Bullock about his alcoholism would throw him off his guard. I do not believe that if there was the slightest chance the Joker got into the Batcave, Batman wouldn't warn Dick, Jason and the rest. Too much of this storyline, and the Owls business that preceded it, is made up of dramatic, crowd-pleasing moments that just don't stand up to examination.

Greg Capullo continues to sell this story with his pencils, giving us a rain-sodden Gotham as dark as Joker's soul. Batman looks suitably fierce and driven, Joker horrifying, the Robins stern and annoyed, Batgirl ... well, a bit strange as Barbara, but it is a dream. I've no complaints about the artwork, as inked by Jonathan Glapion. And the colours of FEO Plascencia complement the stripwork, with the flashback treatment a highlight.

Capullo and FEO are also behind the striking cover, which wraps up one aspect of the story in a memorable image (one which evokes a classic from the Seventies).

There's a linked back-up, showing us Joker treating Arkham Asylum as a fixer-upper, and dragging the Riddler into his plans. It's a good reminder of why the Riddler isn't so silly as some people think, but it loses points for animal cruelty. I'm used to Joker killing civilians randomly, but let's not upset the Bronys ...

Snyder and James Tynon IV provide the warped script, while illustrator Jock and colourist Dave Baron conjure up the images that are going to wreck my sleep.

All in all, a decent issue, but one which could have been a lot better with a tighter editorial hand.

Thanks to the Grand Comic Book Database for the link.

Comments

  1. Haven't read this one yet, and now am not looking forward to it. One question, though. Does Joker again not use anyone's real name, making it further obvious that he doesn't KNOW their real names? I was fairly certain from when he didn't call Batgirl out on being his victims daughter... but this would confirm it.

    Did you ever watch the 90s Johnny Quest? There was a dude named Ezekiel Rage who had a Bible of some sort he always read from, and then it turned out to be a blank book with just a picture of his dead daughter in it. That's what I expect the Joker to have, roughly.

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    1. Hiya Mac, you're right to suspect that The Joker doesn't use real names, you have to be correct in your supposition. I don't think Jonny Quest ever made it to UK telly, though I like the character designs.

      I apologise for ruining this comic for you :(

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    2. I'm actually reading it now, and it's doing a fine job of being ruined on its own merits.

      I agree that the Joker flirting with Batman is downright offensive. Kevin Smith did it, must worse, but I think it started (albeit subtly) in the Dark Knight Returns. A comic that everyone loves, but I thought was garbage from beginning to end.

      But I digress. As far as THIS comic is concerned, what bugs me most is the Joker's face. All that skin is dead. So I don't know if it is supposed to impossibly re-attach itself, or if the Joker will simply discard it to reveal, what, another face? I'd say he could reveal the face of someone Batman knows, but there's been no one introduced since Nu52 it could be. It's gross, but not in a way that makes me creepier. Just... I don't know.

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    3. I don't recall reading Kevin Smith's Batman - didn't he have him peeing, or something? I hated the Dark Knight Returns, from ... well, you said it.

      Superb thinking on the Joker's face - whatever IS under there?

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    4. Kevin Smith DID make Batman pee, I'd forgotten about it. That was in a flashback to the Long Halloween. But the comic I meant was Batman: Cacophony. It's quite bad. Joker propositions Batman and states, I kid you not, "I bottom from the top". He's also in the wrong position for that to make sense so... all sorts of wrong.

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    5. Oh dearie Lord, why are the oomic book people so reluctant to tell movie and TV guys where to draw the line?

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  2. "Oh, and I really hate this suddenly mincing, in-love-with-Batman Joker - are we seriously meant to equate 'gay' with 'sinister' in this day and age?"

    ...

    You are reading waaaayyyyyy too much into this comic. We aren't supposed to get that, we are to see that the Joker has become more obessive and in love with Batman. Then again, is he really in love with him? This guy's personality is never the same, constantly morphing or changing with no offical persona to him. Also, he could be acting this way as well on purpose to mess with Batsy.

    What I'm saying is, you are getting something out of this comic that really isn't there or you're interperting it wrong.

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    1. Hullo! A person can't actually interpret something wrongly, interpret is what the reader sees - and I see an annoyingly queeny Joker. Unless you have Scott Snyder to hand with the last word, you can't say I'm getting it wrong.

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  3. My God, did this run take a sudden turn for the worse. While I have many complaints about the pacing, the art and the writing, the real thing that stands out to me is Batman finally saying that he recognizes the love Joker has for him.

    It just feels like a line has been crossed. It was too "in your face". I always thought I'd like something like this to happen in a non-canon story, but to have it just happen in this, man, it's just too much.

    Ten bucks says the "celebration" Joker's planning is a wedding.

    I hope Snyder really turns it around, though. I like him, and this story is still pretty fun, regardless of its shortcomings.

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    1. Nah man. Joker is marrying Batgirl.

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    2. Hi Anon, I wouldn't be surprised if this Joker is planning a polygamous wedding with Batman and Girl both.

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  4. Just the announcement of another massive crossover on the heels of the seemingly endless Night of the Owls caused me to drop Batman. Life is too short. Also, someone really needs to shoot the Joker. Dead. Now.

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    1. I believe there's a long Riddler story up next, Jonathan ...

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  5. Speaking of Batgirl Martin, did you hear about DC firing Simone from the title via email? I'm pretty bummed about that, not only because 1. Simone is a good writer and 2. she was one of the few women writers in DC, but also because 3. she really had a unique take on the female super-hero in Batgirl. Instead of the seemingly endless, but non-distinguishable, supply of vampish, ninja kick-butt women with incredible body measurements, we got a young woman who was at times hesitant, nervous, kind, forgiving, resourceful, and who, while competent and fit looked like a woman you might run into in your neighborhood. I guess this is one more step in DC's New 52 march to a world that only 14 year old boys can love...

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    1. Hello Mr Whiskas, yeah, I was following all the Gail Simone stuff. It's none of my business, but I really want to hear the other side of the story - what came before the firing email in terms of discussions? It'll be very interesting to see whether Barbara becomes a shallower character.

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  6. Thank God somebody else has avoided drinking the Snyder Bat-koolaid.

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    1. It's odd that Scott Snyder seems to be getting all the credit for the success of this run, considering the size of Greg Capullo's contribution (though Snyder does make sure to share the credit in interviews.).

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  7. I mentioned this elsewhere but wanted to let you know I agree.

    As I was looking at the issue the other day I was struck by just how hung up the supporting cast was on the notion that Joker might know them. Surely, they've assumed the risk. It points, moreover I think, to the nature of the "family book" crossover. The main title becomes the center of the wheel and while it often provides the inciting incident and the ultimate resolution its role is largely to vamp for time while the 2 months worth of supporting books dole out their individual and tangential niche stories.

    I think that's why you'll see such a glaring stop start of plot / character. "Batman is on the brink of complete collapse...but wait it's time for the resolution!"

    There was a time when, and I can't recall the issue numbers but it was early in the original Legends of the Dark Knight run, some of the Arkham inmates paid money to a dirty contractor who had the foresight to include escape tunnels for sale to the highest bidder while he was rebuilding Arkham. Batman got locked up inside to work the case, Robin did some detective work outside, Jeremiah Arkham was going quietly mad, and they effectively made a low rate guy like Zsasz seem very dangerous and vital.

    Now it seems the story itself is just an excuse to hang scenes and dialogue together. Why does Joker "love" or "obsess" over Batman? Because...Because...REASONS!

    I realize that it's easy to look back with rose colored glasses but some of this, in the current mindset, just seems like "acceptable losses" to industry pros.

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    1. The story you're thinking of is "The Last Arkham" from Shadow Of The Bat #1-4 by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle. It introduced Jeremiah Arkham, Zsasz and Amygdala. It was Zsasz who had the escape tunnel installed so he could sneak in and out to murder without being suspected. Batman fakes the murder of a cop so he is sent to Arkham where he can investigate.

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    2. Excellent work, Adam, thank you. In which case, I have read that story - wasn't Shadow of the Bat the one with a really boring cover gimmick, different-coloured borders? Whee!

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    3. Ah, thank you, Adam!

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    4. That's the one. It launched along side Batman Returns hitting theaters.

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  8. Hi J_Smitty_, you're dead on about the way characters and titles act in these events. Maybe DC want us to accept that this is just how things must be; I say, work harder, plug the plot holes and make every chapter integral. And if there's not enough to fill, say, a dozen books, make the crossovers shorter. Or better still, pack in the family crossovers, and let each book generate new ideas.

    Ah, new ideas, That's how we got the aforementioed Mr Zsasz, isn't it, back when Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle actually dared to contribute to the Batman mythos? (Who was the last new villain to 'stick' prior to their runs ... Killer Croc?)

    I'm not sure I've read that Dark Knight story you mention. Time to hit an online auction site, methinks.

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  9. What?....Joker can't love?
    I guess a heterosexual relationship with Harley Quinn as punching bag is a tad more acceptable. Besides, Joker could love Batman like a good puzzle or game you can't put down until you have beaten it.

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  10. Leandro M. DuarteFriday, 25 January, 2013

    Hello Martin!
    Man, you are spot on with this review. Snyder's and Capullo's run on Batman has really been one of the most frustrating reading experiences I've gone through in years. On the one hand, you have a skilled writer, an amazing artist who provides beautiful, moody artwork, a great colorist, good characterization and for the most part well written stories. But on the other hand, you have those hollow, superfluous crossovers with other books, the ridiculous deux ex machina moments every other issue, the fact that Batman has apparently received a blood transfusion from Wolverine and developed regeneration powers, glaring plot holes…
    I mean, if this was just a bad book, I could easily ignore it and live happily. But this book does have some qualities worth singing about, as well as the promise of potential that arises from the talent behind it, all of which only serves to accentuate the deep flaws that have ruined the storylines so far. Sigh…
    Your review nails with precision the great problems permeating this run.
    I know I'm pretty late on this, but only now did I finally manage to read this issue. Glad to see I am not the only one not buying into the hype revolving around this book!

    Cheers!

    P.S.: one thing from your review I disagree with is the interpretation that Joker is being portrayed as being gay for Batman. It is suggested that the Joker does love the Batman, but the nature of that love (whether a carnal love, romantic love, brotherly love, parental love etc) is not clear yet.

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    1. Hi Leandro, good to hear from you. I wonder if people discovering this story in trades will more readily notice the various problems, as they pile upon one another, page after page. So many people seem utterly dazzled, issue after issue. As you say, there are impressive aspects, plenty of them, but things just don't hang together. As ever, I suspect a stronger editorial hand and more time spent thinking through the storyline by Scott Snyder would pay great dividends.

      And I shall take another look at old Joker-Darling!

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