Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Jorge Jimenez
Published by DC Comics
Well, it is finally here.
After a ton of build up and hype, this is the issue that starts off the “Joker War” storyline. I have to confess that the whole lead up to this has been fairly pedestrian. Would this finally be the issue of Tynion’s stale run that would break the mold?
Well, it definitely had a bit more pep than previous issues.
This one starts off with Batman in the Batmobile driving. His life is pretty destroyed, he is broke, and the Joker is starting an all out assault on Gotham City.
Things really aren’t looking too good for Batman!
We get to see some of the Joker’s carnage in effect.
The Joker and Punchline wreck havoc. We get to see some of the victims of the Joker’s toxin. We get to see Punchline bark orders.
There is a lot of energy in these pages for sure that has been missing.
That newfound energy is because of artist Jorge Jimenez.
He is so good that he could draw someone just standing and not moving and somehow make it extremely interesting. It helps with some of the weaker moments in the script too. You can stomach some of the dull writing more with the good art.
By the end of the issue, we are left with a bold story choice for once. I am interested enough to see where it goes. So I guess I can safely say that there are some bright spots in all of this muck.
This is a bit better than this title has been over the past few months. Punchline, however, is still annoying as always.
RATING: B
