Originally published on Patreon
The Joker is a character best done in small doses. Like a decent spice, if used too much it can overpower the dish, and could even put you off trying the flavour again. With The Joker already headlining an ongoing series, did we really need another book with him in the title role? Well, it kind of helps that this is an out of continuity story, one that you could even discount as not even being set in the past, but in another world in the DC multiverse if you wanted, and that can help make having another Joker book a bit easier I guess.
The story, for this issue, seems simple enough, Harley Quinn, who's still The Joker's girlfriend here, is kidnapped by a mysterious figure who's hoping to use her to lure The Joker out. Meanwhile, murders are happening across the city that look to involve The Joker, yet don't really fit with his usual patterns and methods. Batman comes across The Joker, but he's a huge, monstrous version of himself.
It turns out that it's not The Joker at all, and that people are being infected by something that's turning them into monster versions of the villain. The real Joker comes to Batman, asking for his help, and proposing that the two of them team up, making a Deadly Duo, in order to solve the case. Reluctantly, Batman agrees.
The story for Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo is interesting enough, though it's clear that there's more story elements to come in regards to the mystery of the Joker monsters and who's behind this. Using the Joker monsters, and the kidnapping of Harley, as a reason to get the two titular characters working together feels decently believable. I can see both characters putting aside their issues and working with the other in this kind of situation, both wanting rid of the extra Jokers for their own reasons.
The real draw for this book, however, is the art, provided by writer Marc Silvestri. A name that comic fans, particularly those who like Image Comics, will be familiar with, Silvestri makes the book look really good straight from the go. Using lots of line-work, Silvestri manages to make the boo look incredibly sharp and detailed, yet messy and muddy at the same time. This works great for the environments and backgrounds, as it really makes Gotham feel like a lived in, run down place.
The action also looks really good, and there's a nice weight and fluidity to things here. It feels like people rolling around, throwing punches, and trying to get the upper hand, rather than bigger than life action that can sometimes creep in to Batman stories. The designs of the Joker monsters is also really cool, and the final panel shows several of them, all of which sport their own looks that all feel like they're trying to evoke different types of Jokers we've seen before.
The book being different enough to what's going on in current continuity, and taking place outside that continuity, makes this a pretty decent excuse to have another Joker led book, and there's some interesting ideas amongst the gorgeous artwork. I'm looking forward to seeing what Silvestri does with the rest of the series.
This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!
No comments:
Post a Comment