In turn, the Joker presents Batman with one of his ultimate challenges: to never break his “no kill” rule, no matter how much he hates the evil jester. Batman might fowl Joker’s plans, but he is also the only thing that gives the nihilistic clown any real meaning to his life. The fact that he and Batman are the complete and utter opposites of each other creates an unmatched chemistry between them. That’s where the Joker really works best. The fact is, we know this book is a bit of a side-quest and a cash grab from the real Joker stories for which everyone reads comics: the Batman stories where the Joker is the villain. Is This Really the Best Use of the Joker, Though? This discussion about the Joker’s “voice,” might sound petty, but remember, there is a very high standard for how the Joker should be portrayed, and making his character as entertaining as possible would carry an otherwise average plot a long way. (Chuck Dixon is a master at portraying a violently funny Joker, especially in The Joker: Devil’s Advocate). I do love that Rosenberg is going for a Joker that mixes both legitimate comedy and violence, but none of it is as funny or clever as I’m used to seeing the Joker portrayed. “Let the Batman deal with the Questionman, the Maskedman, and the… ummm… Melty-faceman, I guess,” Joker says as he explains that he must move on from Batman. Comparatively, Joker in this comic is doing a baseball player bit, while keeping hostages, and trying to manipulate people onto his “team,” which is all very much in character. It’s things like having the Joker come off of a series of horrible murders with a casual, cheery “what a life” exclamation that make him a villain you both love and are repulsed by. Mathew Rosenberg has a fine voice for the Joker that sounds “in character,” but at the same time, I can think back to writers such as Geoff Johns in The Three Jokers that gave the Joker much more punchy dialogue, and it elevated the story to a new level. My only real problem with it is: I’ve heard better. In every comic book that includes the Joker, I can usually project Mark Hamill’s sharp, smug, and darkly comedic tone onto his dialogue within a book, because writers have very well defined how the Joker should sound. With the Joker, however, DC writers and their editors have a pretty consistent definition and voice for him, so you can guarantee what you’re getting from the Joker in any one of his appearances. I’ve reviewed Harley Quinn, and that’s a character in which DC has lost all understanding of, yet they refuse to ever fix. I’ve reviewed Poison Ivy, and that’s a character that DC is just getting back on track, taking her back to her roots. It’s interesting to look at the kind of handle DC has on each of its characters. Carmine Di Giandomencino seems to be a good artist for the Joker, able to portray his wide range of expressions, from insincerely kind to maniacally evil. The panel layouts are incredibly simple, with many pages only using about five panels in a vertical row or a big page splash to visualize the story.
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