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FUTURE STATE GOTHAM #2 REVIEW

08 Tuesday Jun 2021

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, DC Comics

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Batman, DC Comics, Denis Cluver, Future State, Future State Gotham #2, Giannis Milonogiannis, Gotham, Jason Todd, Joshua Williamson, Magistrate, Next Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood

Future State Gotham #2

Review by Paul Bowler

Jason Todd vows to carry out justice in Future State Gotham #2, no matter what the cost! As Gotham reels from a devastating tragedy Red Hood finds himself newly promoted to the rank of Peacekeeper Red in the Magistrate’s regime. With the Next Batman seemingly responsible for the attack, Jason must bring down this new Dark Knight, but he’s got to get past Nightwing and the rest of the Bat-Family first!

Writers Joshua Williamson and Demis Culver have taken the dark concept of a Gotham City run by the Magistrate’s cybernetically enhanced Peacekeepers, established during DC Comics Future State event, and elevated it to a whole new level with this Future State Gotham series. Having sided with the Magistrate to hunt down outlawed superheroes, Future State Gotham #2 has Jason Todd struggling with a crisis of conscience as his role as Peacekeeper Red brings his betrayal of the Bat-Family to the fore and forces him to fight his former allies.

Battle lines are drawn, emotions run high, and not everything is as black-and white as we’ve been led to believe by Williamson and Culver. Jason Todd’s methods and actions have always made him something of a divisive character, and never more so than here in Death by the Family. Jason seems at loggerheads with everyone and everything in this issue. Theres a brooding sense of cross and double cross as the narrative unfolds, which in turn leads to some great character beats, and even a surprise revelation when Red Hood’s secret ally finally emerges from the shadows.

The Akiria themed artwork by Giannis Milonogiannis stylishly captures the frenetic action and pace of the issue. Action flows seamlessly from one scene to the next, with the with roof-top face-off between Jason and the rest of the Bat-Family and a high-octane dash to Blackgate which culminates in a showdown with the Next Batman all just some of the many visual highlights in this issue. I’ve always been a fan of black and white artwork like this in comics, and I think it suits the Cyberpunk tone of Future State Gotham perfectly. 

Along with the major plot elements that begin slotting into place during this issue, which in turn gives a whole new context to Jason’s mission and indeed the series as a whole, there’s also a great back up story The Cavalry featuring the Next Batman by writer John Ridley and artist Oliver Coipel to enjoy. With its intricate storyline, strong characterisation and great art Future State Gotham #2 continues to impress with a striking Neo-futuristic take on the Dark Knight’s world and legacy.

Publisher DC Comics

Writers Joshua Williamson and Denis Culver

Art Giannis Milonogiannis

Lettered by Aly’s Troy Peteri

Cover Ladronn

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

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Future State Nightwing #1 Review

19 Tuesday Jan 2021

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, DC Comics

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Batman, Bruce Wayne, DC Comics, Dick Grayson, Future State Nightwing #1 review, Future State Nightwing#1, Gotham, NCBD, Nightwing, The Next Batman

Future State Nightwing #1

Review by Paul Bowler.

Dick Grayson carries on the good fight in Future State Nightwing #1 as he leads the resistance in Gotham against the Magistrate’s oppressive regime. Batman is gone and Bruce Wane is believed to be dead. In order to stay one step ahead of the Magistrate and his cybernetically enhanced troops Nightwing has established a base in the abandoned Arkham Asylum, but a visit from Gotham’s new Batman could prove fortuitous — at least so long as he can fight like a Dark Knight!

DC Comics Future State is in full swing now following the aftermath of the multiverse saving events of Death Metal, and it looks like this possible glimpse into the future is going to be very dark indeed for Nightwing. Now as Nightwing’s mission to keep the citizens of Gotham safe from the Magistrate’s police state begins to escalate, writer Andrew Constant quickly establishes how grim the situation has got in Gotham since Batman was murdered by Peacekeeper-01. Right from the get-go the stakes are raised as Nightwing intervenes to help a couple being harassed by a Cyber, although everything isn’t quite what it seems, and plans are being hatched in Magistrate HQ to take Nightwing out — permanently!

Nicola Scott’s artwork and Ivan Plascencia’s vivid color palette stylishly conveys every nuance of the plot as scenes shift from Nightwing’s vertigo inducing rooftop skirmish, to the gleaming Cyberpunk vista of Gotham, the  high-tech interiors of Magistrate HQ, and the gloomy ruins of Arkham Asylum that Nightwing now calls home. Nightwing’s costume for Future State is  a nice blend of the classic look with some cool looking futuristic refinements. Although the story is primarily action driven, its in the quieter moments where Dick talks via video link to his allies, especially Barbara, where Nicola Scott’s art really shines and accentuates the scripts emotional beats with powerful effect. Yasmine Putri’s cover portrays a stunning depiction of Nightwing – its almost as if Gotham has a new Arkham Knight!

The face-off between Nightwing and the Next Batman is easily the big highlight of the issue. While I found this new Dark Knight’s debut in Future State The Next Batman #1 rather underwhelming, his characterisation here in Future State Nightwing is much less one dimensional, and far more satisfying as a result. Andrew Constant really fleshes out the characters and their motivations in these scenes, which, though heavy with exposition, skilfully adds an intriguing    plot twist into the mix as the Magistrate’s forces close in. 

It seems the future hasn’t been kind to Dick Grayson, but he’s still very much depicted here in Future State as the character that can resist the darkness and remain in the light — despite all the friends and allies he’s lost. Although Future State Nightwing #1 might not exactly be the most groundbreaking chapter in DC Comics current line-wide Future Sate event, the exciting story by Andrew Constant and impressive artwork by Nicola Scott nevertheless still provides a fascinating glimpse into these dark times for Nightwing in Future State.

Publisher DC Comics

Writer Andrew Constant / Artist Nicola Scott

Colorist Ivan Plascencia / Letterer Wes Abbott 

Cover Yasmine Putri

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

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Batman #99 Review

15 Tuesday Sep 2020

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, DC Comics

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl, Batman, Batman #99, Batman #99 Review, Batwoman, Bruce Wayne, Clownhunter, DC Comics, Dick Grayson, Gotham, Harley Quinn, James Tynion IV, Joker War, Joker War Part 5, NCBD, Nightwing, Orphan, Punchline, Red Hood, Red Robin, Signal, The Joker

Batman #99

Review by Paul Bowler.

The endgame of Joker War looms in Batman #99 as the Dark Knight and the Joker prepare for the ultimate showdown. Batman knows he cannot win this war alone. He’s going to need the whole of the Bat-Family to help him reclaim Gotham. It’s time for a reunion with the first Robin, Dick Grayson, but is he ready and willing to return as Nightwing so soon after reclaiming his lost memories?

Everyone is in place as the penultimate chapter of Joker War unfolds, writer James Tynion IV delivers his most thrilling issue of Batman to date, and the rich level of characterisation he employs is mind-blowing in the extreme. We are treated to a frightening insight to the Joker’s twisted psyche and his anarchic vision of Gotham. Equally chilling is his warped use of the Wayne fortune, enjoying his luxurious new Jokermobile as he surveys the carnage he’s unleashed, and his ruthless demeanour towards his minions — including his new partner in crime Punchline – as he makes his final preparations at ACE chemicals highlights just how determined the Joker has become over the course of Joker War.

With theaters now filling with Gothamites for a movie where the Joker will ultimately kill them all and Clown goons running riot across the city, Batman calls in the Bat-Family for a rooftop meeting to help him form a strategy to retake Gotham. It’s great to see Red Hood, Signal, Orphan, Red Robin, and Batgirl all reunited alongside the Dark Knight. Harley Quinn is also along for the ride, Batwoman and the GCPD are busy having recaptured Wayne Enterprises and saved Lucius Fox (as seen in Detective comics #1025), but of course the biggest highlight is the return of Dick Grayson to the fold. DC Comics have come to their senses and the whole Ric Grayson debacle is finally over at last! Dick has his memories back and is ready to work alongside Batman again to save Gotham, Tynion crafts a fantastic and moving reunion for Dick Grayson and Batman, and while its not quite the big set-piece hinted at on the cover this scene is still easily the standout moment of the whole issue.

Harley Quinn also gets a good share of the action and some wonderfully snappy dialogue. She challenges Batman’s plans, her furious aside to Red Robin is hilarious, and her heartfelt resolve to finish the Joker if the Dark Knight should fail is as touching as it is brutally frank in its examination of the terrifying schism and collateral damage that Batman’s never-ending conflict with the Clown Prince of Crime has wrought over the years. The only complaint I can really level at the issue of Batman is that Punchline is seemingly sidelined by the Joker himself, Clownhunter gets thrown into the mix as just an afterthought, and even Catwoman’s scheme to strike back at the Underwriter feels a little underwhelming by caparison with the bigger events going on in the  rest of the issue. 

Joker War has seen the work of artist Joege Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey elevate DC’s flagship Batman title to new heights of visual opulence, and Batman #99 is no exception to that rule. With its burning panoramic vistas of Gotham, the Joker’s bloodthirsty treatment of his Clown thugs, and the Bat-Family reunion are all highlights from this issue, but the star of the show has to be Batman’s arrival at ACE chemicals — beautifully rendered by Jimenez and sumptuously coloured by Morey these scenes in particular are almost cinematic and breathtaking in scale and intensity.

Batman #99 wraps with another nerve jangling cliffhanger and it seems Dick Grayson isn’t the only one who gets a costume change this issue either! The excellent creative team of Tynion, Jimenez, and Morey are on fire with this title, and everything is now set for the momentous 100th issue of Batman and the conclusion of Joker War!

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: James Tynion IV / Artist Joege Jimenez

Colors: Tomeu Morey / Letters: Clayton Cowles

Cover: Guillem March & Tomeu Morey

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About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

 

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Batman White Knight #6 Review

13 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, DC Comics

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Batgirl, Batman, Batman White Knight, Batman White Knight #6, Batman White Knight #6 Review, Batmobile, comics, DC Comics, Jim Gordon, Mad Hatter, Matt Hollingsworth, Mr Freeze, NCBD, Neo Joker, Nightwing, Sean Murphy, The Joker

Batman White Knight #6

Review by Paul Bowler

Gotham’s most iconic alliance is shaken to the core in Batman White Knight #6 as Gordon’s trust in Batman reaches breaking point! The Dark Knight’s fall from grace has been orchestrated by the reformed Joker – aka Jack Napier – now seemingly cured of his homicidal madness by therapy and medication. But the drug Jack relies on is gradually loosing its effect, the city is slowly descending into chaos, and with Batman defeated it’s up to Jack to step up to the plate when the Neo Joker finally instigates her grand plan to seize Gotham…

Set in a world that has uncannily turned the Batman into the villain and the Joker into a hero, Batman White Knight, with its story and art by Sean Murphy, and colors by Matt Hollingsworth, continues to go from strength to strength with every successive issue. Napier’s ascension in this mini-series has seem him cured and released from Arkham, from where he’s gone on to expose the corruption that has festered in the GCPD for decades, becoming a champion of the middle-classes, and covertly using an army of super-villains – along with the collateral damage this conflict causes – to discredit the Batman‘s standing in the eyes of Gotham‘s citizens.

Batman White Knight #6 sees this mini-series reach a major turning point, as Murphy’s dark tale brings Batman’s world crashing down. Seeing Gordon resolve to bring Batman in is a powerful, defining moment here, as is Nightwing assisting him by delivering the means for him to do so, and the subsequent fracturing this has on the Bat-Family when Batgirl, aghast at Nightwing’s actions, refuses to have anything to do with the plan.

This book and its starkly grim take on the Bat-Mythos, especially the look and tone of Gotham itself – being more industrial and gothic, and less generically NYC like most of the main Bat-Books – are key elements that really make Batman White Knight stand out from the crowd. Sean Murphy’s edgy, moody artistic style further enhances the grim sense of foreboding in this issue, while Matt Hollingsworth’s richly atmospheric colors bring added gavatis to every scene. The sheer fan boy glee at seeing the Batmobile from the1989 Tim Burton Batman movie Vs the Batman White Knight’s Batmobile in a high-speed chase sequence is undoubtedly one of the big highlights of the issue, however, it is the blood-spattered, bone-churching face-off between Batman and Jack Napier that follows which really steals the show – whilst also vividly illustrating the warped schism Murphy has crafted between the Batman and the Joker in this mini-series.

With Batman facing an ignoble fate in Arkham, its not long before the Neo Joker, having taken control of the villains utilizing Mad Hatter’s technology, seems hell bent on holding the city to ransom after she unleashes a giant freeze cannon on Gotham. Other standout moments that shine in this issue are an especially poignant scene between Mr Freeze and Batgirl, and Harley tires in vain to get through to Jack again as he prepares to face Neo Joker.

This was another thoroughly enjoyable issue. With its intense action, brooding characterization, unexpected plot twists, and striking visuals Sean Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth constantly keep you on your toes in Batman White Knight #6, and as this mini-series enters its final act we are left wondering if the Batman can find possibly find a way back from everything that‘s happened, or will the Joker have the last laugh after all?

Publisher DC Comics

Writer / Artist / Covers / Sean Murphy

Colors & Cover Colors Matt Hollingsworth

Leters Todd Klein

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Detective Comics #968 Review

08 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, DC Comics

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

A Lonley Place of Living, Alfred, Alvaro Martinez, Azeral, Batcave, Batman, Batwing, Batwoman, Cassandra, Clayface, Damian, DC Comics, DC Comics Rebirth, Detective Comics, Detective Comics #968, Detective Comics #968 review, James Tynion IV, Nightwing, Raul Fernandez, Red Hood, Red Robin, Tim Drake, Tomeu Morey

Detective Comics #968

Review by Paul Bowler

A Lonely Place of Living reaches its astounding conclusion in Detective Comics #968, with Tim Drake now back on Earth, but he’s also brought a fearsome menace back with him – a future version of himself that has been tragically moulded by fate to become the Batman! This misguided Batman is determined to complete his mission to kill Batwoman and change the future, not even the Dark Knight and his allies can stand against him, and now Red Robin must fight to save everything that he’s ever fought and died for…

Suffice to say, Detective Comics #968 is not only one hell of an action packed issue, its also probably writer James Tynion’s finest story arc so far during his run on Detective Comics. With its throwbacks to A Lonely Place of Dying and nebulous links to the Mr Oz storyline going on over in Action Comics, this storyline with its timey wimey narrative has made for compelling reading, and effectively brought Tim Drake‘s story full circle as he returns to the fold in a battle royal with his future self who now wears the mantel of the Bat!

Tynion skilfully balances the cast of Bat-characters in this issue, with Batman, Red Robin, Nightwing, Damian, Red Hood, and Alfred squaring off against the future Tim / Batman in the Batcave, while Batwoman, Azeral, Cassandra, Batwing, and Clayface bravely confront a lethal attack from hacked Colony drones at the Belfrey. Everyone in the Bat-Family gets a moment to shine in the spotlight, the dialogue and banter positively crackles from the page, and the team dynamic that makes this book so strong will no doubt be made all the richer by the dramatic far-reaching implication of the events that unfold over the course of this issue.

Detective Comics #968 also dazzles with some especially striking artwork, with pencils by Alvaro Martinez, inks by Raul Fernandez, and colors Tomeu Morey, the bold, free flowing page layouts and panoramic double page spreads exquisitely relay the frenetic action and emotional beats in vivid detail; while the concise letting by Sal Cipriano ensures the dialogue seamlessly blends the narrative across each and every panel. From the face-off in the Batcave to the showdown in the Belfrey, the extensive cast of characters are all impressively rendered, dynamic perspectives give each location a distinct tone, and the temporal effect that intermittently manifests around the future Tim / Batman also provides an interesting visual flourish.

This story-arc has been nothing short of brilliant, and James Tynion IV has excelled once himself again with this issue. Detective Comics 968 delivers an extremely satisfying, powerful, and moving conclusion to A Lonely Place of Living. It’s great to finally have Tim Drake back after his apparent demise in the battle with the Colony and his subsequent incarceration outside of time by Mr Oz. A Lonely Place of Living has offered us an intriguing glimpse into the future (or at last one possible future), it will be fascinating to what happens now that Tim has returned to the Bat-family, and I can’t wait to see what Tynion and Co have in store for this team next!

Publisher DC Comics.

Writer James Tynion IV / Pencils Alvaro Martinez / Inks Raul Fernandez

Colors Tomeu Morey / Letters Sal Cipriano

Cover Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, & Adriano Lucas

Varian Cover Rafael Albuquerque

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Batman #17 Review

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, DC Comics

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Alfred, Arkham Asylum, Batgirl, Batman, Damien, DC Comics, Death of the Family, FCO Plascencia, Greg Capullo, Jason Todd, Jonathan Glampion, Nightwing, Red Robin, Robin, Scott Snyder, The Joker, The New 52

Batman #17

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

 Batman #17 (Cover)

It swoops from the shadows as the Dark Knight begins to regain consciousness, the dark emissary of his own soul, stripped to the bone and ready to steel his resolve in this, quite possibly, his darkest hour against the Joker. The final chapter of Scott Snyder’s phenomenal Death of The Family drags you kicking and screaming into the light, ripping away the blindfolds, and fixing our unblinking eyes on every panel of Greg Capullo’s art as the macabre delights of Batman #17 electrify our synapses.

The banquet that the Joker has prepared for Batman is one of his most abhorrent schemes yet. Still strapped to his makeshift throne, Batman wakes in a dark cavern at the head of a long table. The rest of the Bat-Family are also bound to their chairs and seated with him. Dinner is ready to be served, with the table drenched in gasoline and rigged to explode to prevent Batman’s escape; he can do nothing but watch in horror as Alfred shambles into the cave. Driven out of his mind, and dosed with Joker toxin, Batman’s loyal friend obeys the Joker’s commands and prepares to serve the “family” meal…

Batman #17 (Preview 1)

With his friends overwhelmed by the horror of the banquet before them, Joker teases them all with a lit match. But the Joker hasn’t taken into account the Batman’s knowledge of the cave system, as the table becomes a raging inferno Batman breaks free and fires a charge at the ceiling that breaches an underground stream – flooding the room and dousing the flames. While the Joker tries to escape through the cave system, Batman frees his friends before giving chase. He catches up with the Joker, who tries to behead him with an axe, but as they fight the Bat-Family become exposed to a deadly new form of the Joker Toxin and violently turn against each other.

Batman and Joker face off on the edge of huge drop, where masks finally have no meaning, and the Dark Knight manages to turn the Clown Prince of Crime’s nefarious joke against him. Twisting everything the Joker professed to hold against him, using it to chip away at the last great divide between them, the one line in their nightmarish game of wits that only the Batman could ever be willing cross…

Even in defeat the Joker slips from his grasp, plunging into the waters below, leaving Batman’s family to recover from the horrific trauma the Joker inflicted upon them. Bruce oversees Alfred’s recovery at Wayne Manor, making a startling confession that only Alfred could truly understand. Alone in the cave Bruce studies the analysis of the new toxin Joker used to make the Bat-Family fight each other, and it is here, as  he gazes at the cold glow of the computer screen that the Joker’s greatest punch line is finally revealed.

With Batman #17 Scott Snyder beings the story of the Joker’s return full circle. Ever since the Joker broke into GCPD to retrieve his face from the evidence locker, leaving Gordon cowering in the darkness as he hears his officer’s necks being snapped one by one, we have been at the mercy of the Joker’s maniacal plan. Right from the outset, even Batman was left reeling when Joker abducted Alfred Pennyworth. After poisoning Gordon he systematically sets his sights on Batman’s allies, Joker’s revelation at the reservoir, that he knows their secret identities, leaves them all badly shaken. Later, when they learn that Joker may have actually found a way into the cave to leave his calling card, they are shocked that Bruce never deemed it necessary to tell them.

Now the final act of Scott Snyder’s masterpiece comes to fruition in Batman #17 after the Dark Knight raced to Arkham Asylum to save his friends from the Joker. As he wakes in the cavern the Joker taunts his captives mercilessly. He attempts to goad Batman into admitting why he has never exposed him or just killed him outright, in spite of all the heinous crimes he’s committed. Joker knows just what a slippery slope that would be for Batman, berating him for not having the courage of his convictions, mocking his allies with a love letter of hatred and lies.

Batman #17 (Preview 2)

Just when you thought you understood where Joker was coming from he summons Alfred, now a shambling wreck of his former self, who deliriously reveals the gastronomic delights the Joker has prepared for them. It is here that Batman #17 transcends all that has gone before, lurching into the realms of pure horror as Batman and his allies are confronted with a nightmare beyond anything they could have possibly imagined – and it is a scene that instantly conjures up images of a similar feast at the end of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

As the cavern explodes in flames Batman breaks free, blasting a hole in the roof to douse the chamber in water. Bruce goes immediately to Damien to make sure he is alright, then releasing Nightwing who tells him to leave them and get after the Joker. Placing his trust in them, Batman races after the Joker, but just after he leaves Batgirl notices something strange about the Joker’s two headed lion cub. A mass between its heads suddenly explodes, spewing out a new form a Joker toxin, one that sends them all into a violent rage, forcing them to attack each another whilst laughing maniacally. The return of the two headed lion cub is an inspired move by Snyder, this creepy little creature superbly illustrates the uncanny symbiosis the Joker shares with Batman, and it effectively places Batman’s allies at each other throats with its deadly cargo, peeling way their psyche as effectively as any scalpel.

Whether Batman knew he was leaving them in grave danger is uncertain, but even when he catches up with the Joker and learns what has happened, his resolve is unshaken. Batman knows they will fight back against the Joker’s toxin, his faith in their spirit is unbreakable, and he believes they are stronger than anything this monster could spawn from his diseased mind. The fact that it is Alfred who brings them to their senses before they kill each other, clearly shows just how much he means to all of them.

The Joker uses his corsage to spray acid into Batman’s face, searing his cowl, but his escape route leads directly to deep chasm. Joker stumbles over the edge but Batman catches him by the arm, holding him suspended over the very drop where the Bat Boat would dive into the Bat-Cave. Here on the edge of this yawning abyss Batman reveals how he has seen through the Joker’s plans, effectively playing him at his own joke, but before he can pull him up Joker lashes out, leaving Batman to watch as he plummets into the dark waters below.

Every page of Greg Capullo’s work on Batman has been astounding. His dark and foreboding take on Gotham City enthralled us in The Court of Owls, the Night of Owls kept us on the edge of our seats, and now with Death of The Family we have been privileged to have Capullo to illustrate one of the most sensational Joker stories of all time. Together with Jonathan Glampion’s distinctive inks and FCO Plascencia’s remarkable colours, Greg Capullo has helped create one of the most distinctive looks the Joker has ever had.

Joker’s rotting face is now even more grotesque than ever in Batman #17, with flies now constantly buzzing around him, the cadaverous grin ends up even more lopsided after a few well placed punches in their climatic showdown. With the masks of flesh and cowl both discarded by the end of this epic encounter, Scott Snyder once again defies our expectations as the closing moments unfold back at Wayne Manor when Bruce tells Alfred  of the time he visited Arkham under the pretence of investing in a new wing for the asylum. After causing a distraction, Bruce visited the Joker’s cell alone and presented him with the calling card, and thereby instantly deducing the truth in the lunatic’s eyes.

Batman #17 (Preview 3)

In this instant we begin to understand why the Joker allowed his face to be removed by the Dollmaker, that his entire ploy to mess with Batman’s mind was ultimately doomed to fail from that moment on, even though the cost would be high for the Bat-Family. Indeed, the actual Death of the Family here is a metaphorical one, as we begin to realise Batman’s allies could never understand the Joker like he does. The physical wounds will heal easily enough, but the psychological scars of this experience will take a long time to fade.

The deeply moving scenes where each member of the Bat-Family makes their excuses not to meet Bruce and give him the chance to explain are brilliantly staged by Snyder and Capullo. We can feel the pain of those tense silences and blunt text messages, even Dick cannot bring himself to go into detail about what the Joker said to him. As Bruce returns to the cave to study the Joker’s new toxin the results bring Death of the Family to a close with chilling finality.

Batman #17 is everything fans of this series could have hoped for. Death of the Family has shown us the deep understanding that the Batman and Joker share, and proves that it is one that goes far beyond masks and secret identities. Snyder and Capullo are one of the few writers and artists that have ever come as close to exposing the actual mechanics of this dark relationship, they have taken Batman and the Joker’s eternal dance of obsession and violence and twisted it into an all encompassing legend that will be long remembered as one of the greatest Batman stories ever told.

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Batman #14 Review

26 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by Paul Bowler in All, DC Comics

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alfred, Batman, Commissioner Gordon, DC Comics, Death of the Family, Gotham City, Greg Capullo, Harley Quinn, Jonathan Glapion, Nightwing, Scott Snyder, The Court of Owls, The Joker, The New 52

Batman #14

[Contains Spoilers]

Review by Paul Bowler

Realizing that the Joker is re-enacting his old crimes Batman tracked the Joker to A.C.E Chemicals, but instead of confronting The Clown Prince of Crime he encounters The Red Hood, who Batman quickly realizes is just Harley Quinn in disguise, After being trapped inside a bubbling vat of chemicals and left for dead by a distraught Harley Quinn, Batman struggles to free himself as his makeshift prison begins to fill up with the same deadly toxins that created the Joker. Using an explosive device from his utility belt, Batman manages to blow the lid off the vat, even though his proximity to the explosion critically damages his Bat-Suit.

Unable to raise Alfred on the communicator, Batman drives the Batmobile back to the Cave and issues a message to the other members of the Bat-Family, warning them that the Joker is now targeting all of them. Once at the Cave it becomes clear that Alfred is missing. Sensing something is seriously wrong Batman searches the Manor for his old friend, but all he finds is a small package on the doorstep containing an audio cassette. The tape holds a special message for Bruce Wayne. Joker gleefully explains that Alfred Pennyworth is now his hostage and how he will need Bruce Wayne’s employee to provide service for a special event he has planned. The message ends with Alfred screaming in agony as the Joker sprays Ammonia in his eyes.

Batman’s proximity to the explosion critically damages his Bat-Suit

Realizing that Gordon is the Joker’s next target, Batman goes to his home where Jim sits alone in the dark on his bed. With his nerves in shreds, Jim almost shoots the Dark Knight as he enters through the window, but he refuses Batman’s plan to take him to a secure bunker. Gordon knows he must confront the Joker if he is to face up to his fear, he even looks at some old photographs from the night Joker crippled Barbara, but as he does so his fingers begin to bleed.

Batman is shocked as Gordon collapses into his arms, his body bleeding profusely. He quickly rushes Jim to hospital where it becomes clear that the Joker had laced the pictures with a blood thinning derivative of Heparin. With Gordon stabilized Batman meets Nightwing on the roof of the hospital and brings him up to speed on the Joker’s plan. Nightwing is horrified to learn that Alfred has been kidnapped and asks Bruce if he thinks it’s possible that the Joker might have discovered their secret identities, but Batman doesn’t believe he has. Together they set out to face the Joker at the reservoir, where he once attempted to poison Gotham’s water supply, Nightwing heads for the aqueduct while Batman finally confronts the Joker on the reservoir itself.

It is here, at the scene of their very first face-to-face encounter so long ago, that history begins to repeat itself: the waters below are heaving with the bodies of innocent victims, Batman stands poised to knock the detonator from the Joker’s hand with a Batarang hidden behind his back, and Joker’s grotesque new countenance yields an even deadlier secret as he presses the detonator – unleashing a swarm of chatting Joker Teeth from the depths of the reservoir  that quickly ensnare Batman in a web of cables just as Nightwing is caught in an explosion at the aqueduct. With Batman trapped, and knowing that the rest of the Bat-Family will be able to hear him over the Police Wire, the Joker announces that he knows who they really are and that he is going to kill them all over the next seventy two hours to make them pay for making Batman so weak!

Joker’s reign of terror strikes right at the heart of the Dark Knights world

If last issue left you checking under your bed before you went to sleep, then Batman #14 will leave you reeling in shock as Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo continue to ramp up the tension as the Joker’s reign of terror strikes right at the very heart of  the Dark Knights world. The shock of seeing Alfred about to be bludgeoned with a hammer by the Joker at the end of Batman #13 is now supplanted by the discovery of an audio cassette left on the doorstep of Wayne Manor. As Batman listens to the tape Snyder leaves our rapt imagination to fill in the gruesome details, but just like Batman we are helplessly bound to our rage, unable to contemplate quite how this has happened. Before the tape ends Alfred starts screaming when the Joker sprays ammonia in his eyes, his tortured cries are cut short as Batman smashes the cassette deck, shattering our preconceptions to reveal that even Batman is not immune to such horror.

It is rare to see Batman react in this way. Of all the members of the Dark Knights rogues gallery there are few who can get under Batman’s skin quite like the Joker can, even during his darkest hour against The Court of Owls he was able to formulate some kind of strategy, but faced with the anarchic chaos of the Joker he is almost consumed by the grotesque schism of their unholy conflict. He does his best to reign in his emotions, even when later Gordon is almost killed by a blood thinning toxin – applied to the photographs in his bedside table by the Joker – the Dark Knight is once again powerless to prevent one of his closest friends being harmed by the Joker’s madness. It takes some stern talking from Nightwing on the roof of the hospital before Bruce actually acknowledges how Alfred’s kidnapping has affected him, but even here we can sense that Jim Gordon’s warning about never letting the Joker see your fear is still gnawing away beneath the Batman’s cowl.

Few can get under Batman’s skin quite like the Joker

As Batman races on the Bat-Bike to confront the Joker at the reservoir his thoughts are still very much with Alfred: recalling the way he always used to talk over the details of a case with him first, calling him on the way to any given confrontation; almost as if he were seeking reassurance before venturing into the jaws of battle. The masterstroke here is that Snyder not only allows us to see how deeply Bruce has been affected by Alfred’s kidnapping, but he also plays on our own fears, drawing us deeper and deeper into the churning mire of doubt and panic that still surrounds Alfred’s fate.

Snyder also highlights the distinct psychological aspects of how deeply rooted the Joker has become in Batman’s psyche, illustrating how they share an uncanny duality that seems to have become an all consuming obsession beyond anything we could have conceivably imagined. The vat Batman is trapped in fills with the same toxic chemicals that created the Joker: after years of study over many sleepless afternoons Batman has learned the exact composition of this nefarious mix of sodium hydroxide, sulphuric acid, chromium solution, and zinc sulphide – even down to the small hint of copper that infuses this deadly toxin with its ominous green glow. You can just imagine Bruce alone in the cave, studying slide after slide of this toxic brew, looking for some key to the ghoulish monster it created; some small glimmer of understanding amidst all the horror and collateral damage the Joker has caused, only to see his own eyes reflected in the lens of the microscope…

Every panel of Greg Capullo’s stunning art and Jonathan Glapion’s exemplary inks ensures Batman #14 one of the most memorable yet – transfixing us with the horrors inflicted on Alfred and Commissioner Gordon – each page seeming to infuse us with the encroaching dread of Batman’s inevitable confrontation with the Joker. When they finally face each other at the reservoir we get our first close up glimpse of Capullo’s new version of the Joker. The grubby overalls have replaced the garish purple suit of old, the ragged remains of Joker’s face is now strapped to the raw meat of his skull, a monstrous parody of his former life – his workman-like approach to clawing away at the Batman’s resolve through his friends has refined the razors edge of Joker’s obsession into a weapon that is lethal enough to slice through to the Dark Knights greatest secret of all.

Batman issues a warning that the Joker is now targeting all of them

After ensnaring Batman in the cables spewed from the chattering teeth that fly from the waters of the reservoir, Joker reveals that he knows who they are, presenting Batman with a book he claims to have made from the skin of bats from the Bat-Cave itself – one filled with the secrets he has gathered as he watched and waited while Batman struggled against The Court of Owls. Batman still believes Joker is lying, yet as Joker screams his punch line up at the storm filled sky, you can’t help but sit back and wonder if the Joker might actually get to have the last laugh this time around.

Whether he actually knows the Batman’s secret identity or not, and those of his allies, the Joker has just opened the ultimate jack-in-the-box that will no doubt have serious ramifications over the coming months as Death of the Family spills into the rest of the Bat-Titles. Batman seems unperturbed by the Joker’s revelation and is convinced he is bluffing. They both know each other so well; it’s almost as if the masks have become the greatest joke of all, their lives now intrinsically bound together in ever decreasing circles of secrets and lies that neither would really seem complete without the other. In playing this ultimate “Joker” card Scott Snyder has given us one of the most delicious juxtapositions ever, one that alters everything but proves nothing, planting a seed of doubt that is as insidious as any of the Joker’s mind games. The Joker’s relationship with Batman has now evolved into something so dark and heinous that it transcends all that has gone before, and this time the stakes have never been higher. Joker’s warped fixation on what he perceives as the Batman’s weakness has made him more dangerous than ever, he is determined to tear down the support network Batman has built up around himself, and he seems genuinely disappointed when his “King” fails to realize how far he has fallen in his old foes estimations when they square off at the reservoir.

Batman is trapped in a vat of the same toxic chemicals that created the Joker

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo will take your nerves and shred them into tiny pieces with Batman #14, the closing moments on the reservoir mark one of the greatest standoffs ever seen between the Joker and Batman. This issues backup story (Men of Worship) features a clandestine meeting of almost biblical proportions between the Joker and the Penguin in a church on the outskirts of Gotham that literally oozes with menace. The blood splattered congregation of slaughtered lieutenants from every major crime family in Gotham sit silently amongst the shadows as the Joker makes Cobblepot an offer he cannot refuse. This chilling little tale serves as a perfect footnote to the main storyline and really empathizes just how meticulous the Joker has been about his return to Gotham City.

Death of the Family is only just beginning. We can’t even begin to imagine what Scott Snyder has in store for us next, but with the Joker involved, I think we can rest assured that there are twisted times ahead for anyone who crosses his path…

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