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_mery98_'s review
3.0
3.5/5
The issue centers around a young man called Jeremy, who escaped from Arkham Asylum with the Joker in the latest breakout. Jeremy is mentally ill, and writing that is a dangerous line to walk; you need to capture a level of nuance and sympathy for this person without belittling or misrepresenting them, and that’s made all the more difficult when paired with one of the biggest psychopaths in literature history. As this issue points out, mentally ill people are far more likely to be victims of violence than the perpetrators, and the book makes Jeremy a rather sympathetic character, who seems to be guided by Joker through a funhouse of horrors for most of the issue, without having agency (at first).
The story of Jeremy is one we’ve seen before, but having him standing next to the Joker as he goes about his crimes creates an important contrast between the two. Along the way, we spot several cameos; some are funny and appropriate, such as Condiment King, and some feel a little confusing. I’m looking at you Enchantress. The story is best when it keeps to its street-level roots, so the bombastic superhero-level scenes don’t feel that effective.
Throughout the issue, though, Carpenter and Burch have a good grasp on Joker’s voice. This is the kind of Joker I’m the biggest fan of; the trickster who’s always a second away from exploding, with a gag in his mouth and a gun in his hand. Joker is unapologetically cruel in this issue, and it creates a few moments of rather dark comedy. There also happens to be a reference to an episode of The Batman throughout this issue, which I greatly appreciated – that was the show I loved to watch as a kid, and I have a “Top Ten Episodes” list on the way to this site.
The gag of Joker in a Batman outfit is not great, and I’m so glad the two writers built most of the issue around Joker’s “superhero” act. Ultimately though, the strongest elements of the writing from Carpenter and Burch are what amount to a rather dark exploration of a mentally ill boy’s mind (surrounded by the usual bombastic nature of these comics). At first, I had to admit I was a little worried about where the two were going with this story. While the book does point out how mentally ill people are often the victims more than the perpetrators, the line immediately following that is “maybe that’s what makes Gotham special” … so I was a little concerned about what the message of the story might be.
Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised at how effective and impressive the climax of the story was, without losing any of the Joker’s edge. When Jeremy finally finds agency in the story, the mood shifts to create an important distinction between him and the Joker, and what the nature of sanity is. I won’t spoil this issue, but I absolutely WILL share this out-of-context panel.
The man responsible for visualizing the demented Joker erotica now floating around your head is Philip Tan, and you can see how his artwork really makes this issue. His Joker is equal parts demented and bubbly, like the earlier image of “Batman and Robin”, where you can see Joker’s suit trying to escape his Batman outfit. His Joker seems to have a new, interesting and equally twisted look from every angle, and it’s a delight to read for just the art alone. His work also serves an important part in conveying Jeremy’s state of mind, such as how his thoughts blend together with the destruction the Joker is causing on the page.
I would absolutely love to see more from this team if the quality is about at the same level as this. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, as it doesn’t do anything to blow my mind – but for a first outing, it’s a strong standalone that gives you a refreshing one-off story about the Clown Prince of Crime. If they continue to make stories together about this villain, I don’t think I’d be feeling fatigued any time soon.
The issue centers around a young man called Jeremy, who escaped from Arkham Asylum with the Joker in the latest breakout. Jeremy is mentally ill, and writing that is a dangerous line to walk; you need to capture a level of nuance and sympathy for this person without belittling or misrepresenting them, and that’s made all the more difficult when paired with one of the biggest psychopaths in literature history. As this issue points out, mentally ill people are far more likely to be victims of violence than the perpetrators, and the book makes Jeremy a rather sympathetic character, who seems to be guided by Joker through a funhouse of horrors for most of the issue, without having agency (at first).
The story of Jeremy is one we’ve seen before, but having him standing next to the Joker as he goes about his crimes creates an important contrast between the two. Along the way, we spot several cameos; some are funny and appropriate, such as Condiment King, and some feel a little confusing. I’m looking at you Enchantress. The story is best when it keeps to its street-level roots, so the bombastic superhero-level scenes don’t feel that effective.
Throughout the issue, though, Carpenter and Burch have a good grasp on Joker’s voice. This is the kind of Joker I’m the biggest fan of; the trickster who’s always a second away from exploding, with a gag in his mouth and a gun in his hand. Joker is unapologetically cruel in this issue, and it creates a few moments of rather dark comedy. There also happens to be a reference to an episode of The Batman throughout this issue, which I greatly appreciated – that was the show I loved to watch as a kid, and I have a “Top Ten Episodes” list on the way to this site.
The gag of Joker in a Batman outfit is not great, and I’m so glad the two writers built most of the issue around Joker’s “superhero” act. Ultimately though, the strongest elements of the writing from Carpenter and Burch are what amount to a rather dark exploration of a mentally ill boy’s mind (surrounded by the usual bombastic nature of these comics). At first, I had to admit I was a little worried about where the two were going with this story. While the book does point out how mentally ill people are often the victims more than the perpetrators, the line immediately following that is “maybe that’s what makes Gotham special” … so I was a little concerned about what the message of the story might be.
Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised at how effective and impressive the climax of the story was, without losing any of the Joker’s edge. When Jeremy finally finds agency in the story, the mood shifts to create an important distinction between him and the Joker, and what the nature of sanity is. I won’t spoil this issue, but I absolutely WILL share this out-of-context panel.
The man responsible for visualizing the demented Joker erotica now floating around your head is Philip Tan, and you can see how his artwork really makes this issue. His Joker is equal parts demented and bubbly, like the earlier image of “Batman and Robin”, where you can see Joker’s suit trying to escape his Batman outfit. His Joker seems to have a new, interesting and equally twisted look from every angle, and it’s a delight to read for just the art alone. His work also serves an important part in conveying Jeremy’s state of mind, such as how his thoughts blend together with the destruction the Joker is causing on the page.
I would absolutely love to see more from this team if the quality is about at the same level as this. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, as it doesn’t do anything to blow my mind – but for a first outing, it’s a strong standalone that gives you a refreshing one-off story about the Clown Prince of Crime. If they continue to make stories together about this villain, I don’t think I’d be feeling fatigued any time soon.
anthroxagorus's review
5.0
My tendency is to sympathize somehow with the Joker, to identify with his queer behavior and see his work as a sort of love song to Batman. Here, we are reminded sharply he is, in fact, a fully conscious villain.
thirty37seven's review
4.0
So it turns out that being Joker's sidekick is not all it's cracked up to be. I'm shocked, I say.
Ol' J-Bird always looks creepy as fuck when dressed as Batman.
Ol' J-Bird always looks creepy as fuck when dressed as Batman.
etienne02's review
3.0
3,5/5. Interesting Joker's comic... but I was expecting something more. Being focus directly on him in a «special» issue. Good but nothing ground breaking!
jmbz38's review
1.0
Wow, what did I just read? Story was okay I guess but I hated the art style. Nearly impossible to tell what's going on. Took me half the book to realize six of hearts wasn't a woman. Kind of a lame ending too in my opinion.
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