Written by Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Brett Booth
Published by DC Comics
Man, this storyline has been great!
Jurgens has brought back the original Joker and put him in the futuristic setting. The results have been off the charts and full of fun! The creative team is clearly having a good time and it’s translating to the page!
This is their best issue yet!
The opening sequence is a nine panel grid of the Joker talking. This is a really well done page and shows Booth’s ability to draw great facial expressions and body language. The Joker gives us a heck of a monologue and it’s engrossing.
Then the next page reveals just who he is talking to.
It’s the future version of Robin, of course.
And the Joker is ready to bash Robin’s head in!
Robin proclaims that Batman is going to save him. But will Batman be able to? We get to see Terry racing to the rescue! But can he make it in time? Jurgens and Booth ratchet up the tension big time here.
Suddenly, the Joker makes a big broadcast. He is going to show the entire world the broadcast of him killing Robin. Bruce Wayne is watching almost in tears. And then, at the last possible moment, the Joker stops. The Joker knows that the original Batman is watching and he stops himself. He wants Bruce for to face him.
Terry continues to try to find Robin. He fights against a bunch of the Jokerz. Yet, it seems like it might be too little too late. Jurgens and Booth put Terry through tons of anguish before the issues end as a result and at certain points it almost becomes too tense to read! That’s a credit to the creators for telling us a good story.
The end of the book has a confrontation between the Joker and Bruce. Suffice to say, it’s pretty awesome. The book and the storyline end a little quick however. We got to an awesome place story wise and then things just end abruptly.
The journey there however is more than worth the price of admission. The creative team did another fine job on this issue.
RATING: B+
