The Batman Who Laughs

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The story reminded me a lot of Chris Nolan's 2008 Batman film, The Dark Knight, as they have similar plot points: Joker taunts Batman and Gotham with video messages, he takes out Gotham's elite one by one, and he causes panic in the general populace leading to a mass evacuation. It's to Brubaker's credit that his "The Man Who Laughs" storyline was used to great effect on the big screen and is definitely worth reading if you're a Batman/Joker fan. A war like no other–a war of the Batmen–has begun. As Batman’s closest friends, deadliest enemies, and doppelgängers from across the Multiverse get caught in the crossfire, only one question remains: Who will have the last laugh? The story takes place somewhere around Batman Year One and The Killing Joke. Batman is a novice, James Gordon is a captain, and Gotham seems relatively untouched by super criminals. Until now. And watching the Gotham trinity, Batman, Gordon, and Joker, in their prime, is quite a show.

Then there is Joker. Yes, there are better comics which portrays Joker brilliantly, but this story does a good enough job introducing him. I really have to buy the anniversary hardbound collection of the Joker stories soon. I feel that it's the remedy I've been looking for to purge me from my ongoing Joker fatigue at this moment.But most of all, this was just a really entertaining story. It’s not as dark and brooding as Year One or the 2008 Dark Knight movie. This is not a story that dives deep into the Joker’s psychological profile. Instead it’s a fun, fast-paced adventure with a lot of action and some excellent art. Ed Brubaker did the Joker justice with this tale, which I’d rate 4.5 stars. A war like no other—a war of the Batmen—has begun. As Batman's closest friends, deadliest enemies, and doppelgängers from across the Multiverse get caught in the crossfire, only one question remains: Who will have the last laugh? Discover the answer in The Batman Who Laughs--a terrifying reimagining of one of comics' greatest heroes--and villains--from the premier Batman writer of our time!

Half Batman. Half Joker. Combining everything that makes the Caped Crusader a hero and the Clown Prince a killer, the Batman Who Laughs is the Dark Multiverse’s deadliest criminal mastermind. Now he’s come to Gotham to turn Bruce Wayne’s home into an incubator for evil. While sampling of the digital (most notably in the audio form) has been around for decades the cultural process running underneath that creative process has been around since the dawn of Humanity. Truly there is nothing new under (this) sun and Brubaker here well exemplifies this archaic axiom by recycling yet another industry and cultural standard. However, the references employed here are mixed with only minor additions of the original. Banking on its utilization of well-known samples in lieu of forging its own additions of original content, for more thoughtful takes on the Batman mythos, most notably and recently Alan Moore and Christopher Nolan’s seminal contributions to the Caped Crusader’s mythology, ultimately Brubaker’s forged homunculus feels more paper-thin pastiche than anything in drab comparison.One of the main problems with this outing is that it felt misleading. Only half of the total content is the cover story while DC had thrown in another completely unconnected story. A different take on a Batman story, Made of Wood is a crime story involving Batman, a retired James Gordon, the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott, and a string of unsolved 1940s murders. Little did I know that Scott was based in Gotham just like Batman. It’s unsurprising that the legendary writer Ed Brubaker is behind one of the most paramount stories in Batman’s lore, the very mystery that introduces Batman to the Clown Prince of Crime. With his perfect grasp over noir fiction, this origin story impeccably captures the detective mystery that encapsulates the Joker’s sudden introduction to Gotham City. Throughout this adventure, with both Bruce Wayne and James Gordon’s first-person narration to immerse readers into their respective minds, you embark on a journey to try and elucidate the Joker’s modus operandi. Despite the hints he leaves around the city, his terrifying public performances through media outlets, his comical, goofy, yet deadly persona, he somehow still remains a giant question mark in the face of the Dark Knight as he tries to desperately connect the dots. Is he the Red Hood? Is he a deranged psychopath escaped from a psych ward? Is he out there on a mission or cluelessly prancing around in the anarchy he creates? Rest assured, writer Ed Brubaker perfectly delivers this story with deadly charm and charisma.