Punchline #1 Review

 Writers: James Tynion IV and 

Sam Johns

Artist: Mirka Andolfo

Rating: 6 of 8

Punchline #1

To every great joke, you need an equally great setup - but you must never forget about the punchline. Tynion and Johns certainly keep that in mind as they return to the former's recent breakout creation, Punchline. Though the Joker was, understandably, the focus of The Joker War, here it's shifted to his (current) deranged partner.

Even though, for a longtime, he's been a classic villain, even the classics get a little tiring if you play them too many times, so someone new like Punchline can be pretty refreshing. Despite coming from a similar world of deranged villainy, she succeeds in standing out from her counterpart in a few different ways.

Unlike him, she has a definitive origin, something that clearly made her who she is today. Unlike Harley Quinn, it's less a crush and more an obsession, one that only grows as time goes on. It's like she admires him and what he has to say about the city, but curses it for refusing to listen.

She even criticizes him for focusing so much of what he does on Batman, saying ''But when you tell a joke to one person, instead of a whole city, how can we learn from you?'' But the story isn't all about Punchline, as we only find out more about her by Cullen Row listening to her podcast. One that details her research into the Clown Prince and her growing obsession.

If you don't recognize Cullen's name, I can't blame you as, unlike other parts of Batman's supporting cast, he hasn't appeared in anything for a long time. That looks set to change, though, as, with Punchline's upcoming trial, he and his sister Harper (Bluebird) make their return - though with decidedly different roles.

It's that divide that could make for a remarkably tense conflict, especially with Cullen's new 'friend'. The art's mostly unremarkable, though a scene with a notably 'dead' reservoir is a stirring one, as is the following page's brief visit to Arkham Asylum, one filled with both a sense of fear and, with Punchline, adventure.

Overall, it's a pretty good issue and, though I'm not exactly sure what the future holds for the young villain, I'm more than happy to see it unfold. If there's one thing I'd criticize, it's that the story ends just when the fuse is lit, but not when the keg goes off. Hopefully it won't be too long until we get to see it. Who's Joker? I don't really know. Who's Punchline? I can't wait to find out.