Review: The Batman Who Laughs #5
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist:Â Jock
Letters: Sal Cipriano
Colors:Â David Baron
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
The Batman Who Laughs has Batman pinned down by his own Gotham City police force. However, there is enough of the Dark Knight left to both improvise and brutally escape his demise. James Gordon escapes the clutches of the Grim Knight and we find out the origins of the Rabid Robins. The thrill is in the hunt for the Grim Knight. Another dimensional Bruce Wayne goes down via the hands of the Batman Who Laughs. And who is the main attorney making his case in front of the Court of Owls? Only the Batman Who Laughs (no Harvey Dent in this court room). And Batman is given another choice by The Batman Who Laughs. Who’s manipulating who in Part Five of The Batman Who Laughs?
Positives
The cover art has been amazing for all of the issues. And the second variant cover where blood drips from a batarang symbol onto a white adorned The Batman Who Laughs is simply art at its finest! Holy double entendres! The story begins with something as simple as a subway coin. Snyder is a genius taking something so simple and building really an entire story around something as simple as a token you submit to a turnstile in order to get a ride on the subway. Who does that? Well, only the best writers can find the complexity in the most simple of acts. The Batman Who Laughs shows off his “detective skills” as a police officer in order to get the Gotham Police Department to pin down Batman in a hail of bullets. Page 8 is not for the faint of heart as another Bruce Wayne fresh from running another dimension’s Blackgate prison is used as human shield and it doesn’t result in anything too pretty. Batman is inching towards an ultimate fate as being one with The Batman Who Laughs as he warns the police that if they do not stop, he will hunt them down as he knows all of them. The blend/transformation is happening ! The Robins are back, and it turns out they are fashioned after James Gordon’ son. Who knew? And that Grim Knight….he’s more in the chase than in the end result. The Batman Who Laughs appearing before the Court of Owls. Snyder has done it again. All roads lead to or through The Batman Who Laughs. And no matter the power that was wielded before in Gotham, it pales in comparison to what he is doing now! And an Court of Owls version of Bruce Wayne….Page 18 is gold! Pure gold! Finally, there is nothing like a good old timer…ticking down to what eventually will be Batman making either an ultimate sacrifice or having one last trick up his sleeve. Scott Snyder has him painted into a corner. Jock’s artwork is seamless in providing nothing short of perfect visuals to accompany this story line!
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Negatives
The only thing you’ll wish for is that this issue was thicker! Roads are converging at a quicker pace and thank goodness DC granted a one more issue extension to put this into a seven issue arc!
Verdict
Reimagination at its finest. Who needs reboots when you have the introduction of the richest character in DC history in some time? When Superman died, and when Batman was broke by Bane….you know how you felt then? Well, visit your local comic store, and catch up on issues 1-4 and get your hands on issue 5. Only two more to go to see who is really in control of Batman’s destiny.
