Review: Batman Who Laughs #4

Where to begin…..In an effort to “see what he sees” Batman allows the Joker Toxin to take over his body and he fashions a visor akin to that of The Batman Who Laughs (TBWL).  Alfred, in a protective role, rips the visor from Bruce in an effort to make sure he doesn’t lose Bruce.  In a knock down, drag out fight, Alfred more than holds his own, however, words hurt.  And in a moment of lucidness, Bruce and Alfred embrace and Bruce admits that Alfred was his ultimate moral compass and teacher.  But Bruce is bent on seeing Gotham as TBWL sees Gothan, so visor is on.  Unfortunately, TBWL is always ahead and for a moment, we think he can see through Bruce’s visor.  However, he and The Grim Knight are interrogating/torturing Jim Gordon who is strapped to a chair.  Meanwhile as Bruce patrols the city with his newly fashioned visor, the younger Jim Gordon is working the water system and in a subtle way, his conversation with Batman takes a turn to where he admits he knows how Batman sees things and how everything makes sense (in one’s own view of the world) (Possible Turn of Events Spoiler!).  The younger Gordon affirms to Batman that he is going to win, but asks if he has a fail safe in case things go bad.  The unfortunate fail safe is in the form of the Joker who confronts Batman in one of the water reservoirs.  Batman is given a glimpse of what he thinks the Joker is there to do via his visor, however, he allows the Joker to talk.  The Joker indicates that the back and forth between he and Batman is not about one winning or losing, it is simply about the chase.  This is so engaging to him that he never wants it to end.  Therefore, the Joker and the Batman make a vow that if he turns into a form of the TBWL, then the Joker will kill him.  In a nod to time travel/world travel, Batman goes to Blackgate prison following energy readings in order to find TBWL.  However, he has hit a portal where he is confronted by a Bruce Wayne who runs Blackgate.  Deep beneath Blackgate, it appears The Grim Knight is hungry for the hunt and releases the elder James Gordon, and a brutal hunt follows complete with Rabid Robins attacking James.  Subsequently , TBWL poses as a prison guard who kills the Blackgate Bruce Wayne, and reveals to Batman that he is really his one true child.  And subsequently, we see TBWL as a prison guard giving the order to kill Batman to the other prison guards using a hail of gunfire. And what is that in the younger Jim Gordon’s hand as he is looking in the reservoir?  Hang on….Part Four leaves another Bruce Wayne corpse in the wake of The Batman Who Laughs.