Batman: Three Jokers #1 Review

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Jason Fabok

Rating: 8 of 8

Batman: Three Jokers #1

 

The worst of scars run deep. They don't always heal. Sometimes, they linger long after the wound has healed, a daily reminder of their trauma.

It's something that connects the Bat-family. It drives them and pushes them to prevent that same trauma being inflicted on other people and it's something that links three of them most of all - especially to the Joker. This is why it was a brilliant move on Johns' part using not only Batman, but Jason Todd (Red Hood) and Barbara Gordon (Batgirl).

Years ago, Jason went on a personal quest, one which ended with him being captured and viciously beaten by the Joker. It's something that's stayed with him and changed him at his core. Much later, Barbara suffered her own trauma when Joker shot her in her home, an attack which left her paralyzed for many years. 

We see these moments revisited as Barbara remembers the night she was attacked. Despite how long it's been and despite her recovery, she still remembers it as vividly as ever. Fabok does a great job recreating the scene, coming eerily close to Brian Bolland's style from the tale in question. Though he doesn't replicate Jim Aparo's, (from Death in the Family) he does in one panel do well in recreating an iconic moment from that scene.

Throughout the issue, the trio investigate 3 different crimes committed by the Joker - all done at the same time, in completely different places. All three tie into different parts of the Joker's past, with the 3 Jokers representing different versions of him over the years: the Criminal, the Comedian and the Clown. 

Throughout, Johns and Fabok often use a 9 panel grid, a technique most famously employed by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons in Watchmen, last used by Johns - and Gary Frank (Superman: Brainiac) - in Doomsday Clock. Though that made sense in maintaining Watchmen's visual style, I'm not sure why it's used here, though it does work. Though I was surprised seeing 2 longtime Bat characters used here, considering where things are with them in the regular Batman titles, it can be easily explained.

Overall, an absolutely stunning 1st issue, which kicks off the series in spectacular fashion. Whether you're a Batman, Joker, Batgirl, or Red Hood fan, I highly recommend it. As the issue ends, the 3 Joker enigma remains just that - and yet I'm hooked, already ready to tear into the next two issues. 

Death Metal: Guidebook #1 Review

Writers: Chris Priest, Vita Ayala, 

James Tynion IV + many more

Artists: Doug Mahnke, Becky Cloonan,

Dan Panosian + more

Rating: 7 of 8

Death Metal Guidebook #1

 

When things fall apart, it can be wise to go back and see where it all went wrong. That's essentially what we get here, as we see just where the Justice League went wrong in this latest dystopia. It's a world ruled by alternate, evil versions of Batman, with evil, drive and intellect being the few things that link them.

Similar to Metal, these Batmen have some special twists that make them forces to be reckoned with. Bat-Mage's a fearsome mage, Darkfather's the Lord of Anti-Life, Bathomet's an aquatic Elder-Beast, while another's a living Gotham. The opening story, Fall of the Earth, helps establish these various Dark Knights well, along with the state of this dark new world.

Though the writing, art and a certain guide's narration make it an enthralling read, I wish this had come out before Death Metal, as it helps explain the state of the world and just why certain characters, like Wonder Woman, are in the situations they're in. It also got me excited for Justice League #53, which is set to show us another side of DM. I also liked that it showed a degree of remorse in our guide, though I'm not sure if they should've been explaining their desire to who they did.

This alone makes the issue worth picking up, though it's not all you get, as there's also Batman, Harley, Ivy and Aquaman stories to keep you happy. Though I'm not a big Harley Quinn fan, Zdarsky gets her personality down perfectly, while injecting the tale with some welcome humour. Khary Randolph's art imbues the tale with an OTT, cartoonish style, which fits the character perfectly.

If there was one criticism I'd give the Aquaman tale, it's that I would've liked it to have gone on a little longer than it did, though perhaps it went on just long enough. Cloonan wrote the Sea King well, giving him lofty dialogue which fit him well. She also gives us a chilling, unearthly creature in the Umibozu and, though we don't get much of it, it definitely leaves an impression. I'd definitely love to see more of Bathomet, as it'd be great to see more of him, his tempestuous relationship with Aquaman and a bit more of what he's capable of.

Ayala's tale, Seeds of Hope, is decent, but not as good as the others. It shows us what Wonder Woman's like as Hell's warden and just how someone like Poison Ivy deals with this dark and desolate Earth. The issue ends with Priest's Dragonlance, a story that brings the Dark Knight and undead cowboy, Jonah Hex, together. Their dynamic works well, with Hex more than able for Batman. In it, he tries to get him to prioritize a different goal, though it's likely that would've been his priority before this dystopia. I love Bruce's reasoning for choosing Hex, which definitely makes sense for him.

Overall, it's a pretty good issue, that I'd happily recommend. Though it would've been nice to have gotten a bit more of the other Knights and heroes, I was still mostly happy with what we got. If you'd like to see just where it went south for our heroes, this is a good place to look.

Devil's Highway #2 Review

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Brent Schnoover

Rating: 7 of 8

 Devil's Highway #2

They say the Devil's in the details, but here, you'll find him with everyone else, riding along the highway. It's someone Sharon Harrow looks to find, only growing closer and closer with each step she takes into this dark, mysterious world.

That world being that of trucking, one I don't often see explored in fiction, especially in a murder mystery context. Like most things, it has potential for a rich, interesting story - and so far, Percy has definitely delivered. It's a very personal quest for Sharon, as she hunts her Dad's killer. To make things worse, he wasn't even their target - he just got in the way.

Though I read the 1st issue, one of the best parts of this is that you don't need to. Though you find out what Sharon's trying to do there, it's reiterated here, without taking up too much time, or bogging down the issue. Most of the time, Sharon's pretty caustic, which can make her hard to warm to. Despite this, in both issues, Percy + Schnoover manage to show another side to her, purely through the art, which is a great achievement.

The team does a few good things in the opening scene: they get you excited early on, set the issue's mood and set something up that's explored later on. Around the issue's midpoint, an old friend of her Dad explains the world of trucking to her. Most of this scene's fine and maybe even goes some way to explaining how she knows so much about how to hurt someone. 

But I do have some small problems with it. When we briefly flashback to her past, she looks to have the same length of hair and I think, given her profession, it would've been shorter. Partway through their conversation, we get some text boxes of their convo, though there's nothing to indicate who's talking and I think it would've been good to add an initial at the start of each box, or a different colour for each, to make it clear who's talking.

Overall, a pretty good 2nd issue. Whether you've read the 1st or not, I definitely recommend this one. It's consistently well written, well drawn and almost pitch perfect in it's execution. I'd definitely recommend a midnight drive down this highway.

Batman Meets Godzilla #2 Review

Note: I received a digital copy to review.

Writers: Eric Elliott, Tim Young, Kyoei Toshi and more

Artists: Kero Wack, Howard Simpson, Josue Cubero + many more

Rating: 6 of 8

Batman Meets Godzilla #2

When it comes to crossovers, sometimes it's the stranger ones that really work. Whether it's the fairly innocent Scooby Doo with the far grislier Supernatural, or Square Enix characters mixing it up with Disney's, it can be surprising just how effective these kookier crossovers can be.

For the most part, Batman Meets Godzilla works well, though I would've liked if there'd been more direct interaction between the Caped Crusader and the Monster King. What we get isn't bad, but I feel more of it would've added something to the issue. For those disappointed at how little Godzilla there was in the last issue, they'll likely be a lot happier here, as he appears pretty frequently.

Early in, Dr Kono, an ally and employee of Bruce Wayne, tells the heroes about other kaiju (giant monsters), most notably Godzilla's arch-nemesis, King Ghidorah. This made me think we'd see some of them later on, though I understand the focus might be moreso on Batman, his allies and Godzilla and bringing other kaiju in could distract from that.

Throughout the issue, the art's pretty mixed. Sometimes, like in Batgirl's fight against Red Bamboo, the characters look larger and brighter than on the previous page. A few pages later, the art's a lot more detailed, which gives us a beautiful Godzilla, whose greater size is readily apparent by having Batman on the same page. This scene also delivers a majestic Dark Knight in flight, reminiscent of many a classic Batman image. The frequent changes in art create a disparate look and I feel having less people on art, or more with similar styles, would've helped.

Overall, it's a good issue. I liked it's use of Hugo Strange, someone I was pleasantly surprised to see last issue. It surprises me West's Batman never faced him, considering how easy he would've been to realize. In the scene where the Knight has to do his utmost to subdue the Monster King, I loved his line 'Some days, you know exactly where to get rid of a bomb', a great twist on his classic one - liner in Batman: The Movie. For those looking for some kaiju action, mixed with classic West flair, this one's for you.