A review by arinnroberson
The Joker: Death of the Family by Scott Snyder

3.0

I had a hard time deciding wether or not to give this a four or three. This book was very intense. and so I have three main things to talk about this book. 1. Art 2. Dark. 3.Story line
First the art:
The art was very well done as is per expect with the new 52. Intense and well drawn, I never felt that the drawing pulled away from the story causing me to pause and go what is going on but instead pulled me in with the flow of the story. If anything caused me to pause it was the parts where there were super long speech bubbles of Joker explain why Batman hasn't killed him, which was confusingly long and just confusing because it was the Joker. Anyway off topic.
Second Dark:
Well if I wanted to go for creepiness and darkness I think I would have given this a five, (though the creepiness is probably why i gave it a three over four.) I haven't read enough Joker to be sure but he seemed crazier then ever and maybe that was because he cut his own face off! The Joker was dark and creepy on what I felt was a whole new level, but I am new to comics and the only Joker I really know is the Movieverse Dark Knight one and i thought that guy was crazy. The Joker went around massacring people turning them into creepy Joker insane with a gas, which I didn't really understand. How does breathing in a gas give you a pale face with a red smile painted on but who am i to question comics. He also went around severing limbs, while wearing his peeled face, that he wore upside down once. So yep. Creepy. Not for the weak hearted.
Three Storyline:
As far as a comic book went I was bit well whelmed not overwhelmed or underwhelmed. I feel the darker aspects sort of reigned supreme and the plot was basically just each of the people being caught by the Joker and being blown up and then punching the Joker and then blown up and or drugged again. Though each version had its own unique spin that kept me on the edge of my seat in anticipation. Batman didn't come in except in the first and last story, which I understood, but I couldn't help but wonder where he was while all his "family" was going through this, and then there was an inconsistence with the captured status of Batgirl, which through me for a loop causing me to back track and try to figure out what was going on.

All in all I'd say this was an intense read that had me on the edge of my seating waiting to see what the Joker had planned next. There is no villain quite like the Joker and he doesn't disappoint with his crazy well thought out plans, and gruesome insanity. So I'd recommended this to any hardcore Joker fan who doesn't mind some serious craziness this definitely not the Pajama batman version of the Joker. I mean even Harley said he was different...crazier.