The Joker #1 Review

Writers: James Tynion IV and 

Sam Johns

Artists: Guillem March (Joker) and

Mirka Andolfo (Punchline)

Rating: 7 of 8

The Joker #1

Evil. There's few things as horrific and inescapable. It haunts the families of the dead long after they've died and it torments the victims themselves, long after they were first victimized. It's hard to know what to do with it and if you can even escape it, or if it becomes as much a part of you as it does the perpetrator. 

That's certainly the case for Jim Gordon, whose own Devil has become as much a part of him as anything else. He's there when he's awake; he's there when he's asleep - and he's even there when he visits his own son's grave. There's no escaping him really, for every time he disappears, every time he gets locked up and even when he's presumed dead... the Joker always finds a way back. 

Though his attention's usually fixed on Batman, the Joker's web of chaos can't help but ensnare even the kindest of men. Jim Gordon is one such man, whose life has been inexorably altered by one man's madness. It's because of him that his daughter was paralyzed - and it's because of him that his son lost what little control he had left. It only makes sense that Tynion chose him as the lead.

After all, there's few people quite as versed in his madness and the wreckage he leaves behind. Using him helps give the comic the feeling of a hard boiled detective story, which definitely fits a tale like this. After an incredibly trying year, Gordon's finally himself again and, after everything he's been through, he's ready to hang up his coat - just not yet. 

If there was ever a case to go out on, it's this one. After a horrific attack on Arkham Asylum, most of the staff and inmates are dead - and it looks like the Joker's responsible. Showing some trademark gallows humour, the city calls it A-Day - and if you say that slowly, you'll see just why it's so bleak. It's a meeting with a strange woman and mystery man, though, that launches him on a hunt that could finally put an end to a storied career and a nightmare he's faced for far too long.

It'd be remiss of me if I didn't bring up Guillem March's truly impressive art. Throughout, he imbues it's lead with an emotion and edge that simply fit him perfectly. Whenever we see the Joker, he's brimming with glee, curiosity and unhinged menace. When Gordon visits his son's grave, we see an image of the Clown Prince towering overhead, illustrating just how vast his trauma really is.

Though there's a Punchline backup story, it's too short to really make an impact and, compared to the main tale, it's underwhelming. It might pick up in future issues, though right now, the main draw's definitely James Gordon and his hunt for the titular clown. For that alone, this issue's most definitely a must read.