The Batman Who Laughs by Scott Synder issue #6-7

This review covers both the last issues of the series.

The Batman Who Laughs, in some ways, could have been an interconnected arc to The Black Mirror, which was the previous collaborative work for a Bat-title between writer Snyder and artist Jock. Perhaps they've always intended it to be that way. In fact, a few of its elements had seeped into the narrative of BMWL including James Gordon Jr. himself, the primary villain for TBM. As I look back on all the seven installments I've read, I must say that there were glaring missteps that, to me, held back the series from becoming a full-fledged amazing Batman standalone story. The supposed core of The Batman Who Laughs is reminiscent to Darwyn Cooke's shorter work entitled EGO. I believe TBMWL delivered a hefty serving of a rather intimate psychological horror in which Batman came face to face with his worst self (literally and figuratively) in this hybrid of nightmares and insecurities known as the titular villain. 

However, after finishing all the seven issues, I found that overall production of the story underwhelming (if not convoluted at least) for two reasons which I will cite separately below w in m respective sixth and seventh issue mini reviews.

 

ISSUE NUMBER 6

The penultimate issue was probably the most suspenseful installment that attempted to connect all the pieces found in the earlier issues while ensuring the suspense was both taut and smooth sailing. Ninety percent of the time, it truly was an outstanding exploration that was brisk and nuanced particularly when it came to Bruce Wayne/Batman's tenacity as an individual. We see the inevitable unraveling between Batman and his worst self page after page of visually striking panels that conveyed the horror in bold strokes that bleed red.

Regardless of my reservation and nitpicks about the series, I will say that a lot of these illustrations are atmospheric in such a cinematic way that from the final rating I'd give The Batman Who Laughs out of 10, the four stars of that solid 7 belongs to the art of this comic book. I have my reasons why I think the art outweighed Snyder's narrative, which I'll touch upon now.

This story was immense in the scope it tried to embody which was essentially more psychological than the fanfare found in other titles since no other comic book superhero ever created can carry the weight of something like this than the the Dark Knight Batman. His very mythos and history had time and time again covered archetypes found in both noir and gothic literature. Batman stories can become not just detective stories but also ones that are steeped in psychological suspense and a dash of superlative horror if and when said standalones land in the hands of talented writers and artists. There's a reason why DC movie-verse seems so obsessed manufacturing the same gritty atmosphere that only really flourishes in a Bat-title, forgetting, of course, that such a macabre flavor is unique to the Dark Knight alone among all DC character. You can easily see Bruce Wayne/Batman jumping into Vertigo titles, which I believe did happen in stories I can't recall at the moment (like that one with John Constantine). But I digress. 

What I believe was the missing ingredient that would have elevated The Batman Who Laughs into another classic was the diminished portrayal of its titular villain. After seven issues, BMWL was utterly one-dimensional. Not once did I feel he was that big of a threat to Batman save for the dark alternate reality he supposedly embodies; this twisted image that married the Joker and Batman in a depraved shell that only knows how to deceive and win. But I never connected with him at all as a reader, which is the point of any horror story. Readers must be invested in the fears and risks that characters face and must resolve, or feel either dread or relief when the characters were changed at the end. There just wasn't a lot of that for The Batman Who Laughs.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ISSUE: The parallels between scenes for BMWL and Batman, and the Gordons and the Grim Knight are incredibly layered. As Batman struggles to hold onto his sanity with Alfred on the comms urging him never to give in or give up, Jim Gordon is confronted by the Grim Knight in regards to how he really feels about his psychopathic son. What I found most interesting for the latter scene was that it definitely feels like the encore for the finale in The Black Mirror. James Jr. has been fractured a long time, and some might say his disease of the mind and heart is incurable. The confrontation revealed that perhaps his own father was beginning to believe that, and his lack of faith that his own progeny can overcome the nature of his Beast was quite heartbreaking, far more so than the push and pull between Batman and his worst self. Still, there was a correlation between these scenes.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

ISSUE NUMBER 7

The second reason I thought held back this entire series from being a classic was the overreaching plot point about the Last Laugh and infecting Gotham citizens with toxin (?) that would transform them into the worst versions of themselves. Isn't that the plot adapted from a fairytale written by Hans Christian Anderson? Because I'm pretty sure I watched that same kind of storyline unfold in one of the seasons of ABC's Once Upon A Time. It felt as if Snyder fell back on what he knew best, because he used this at least three times in his original run for the flagship Batman title, and they worked in their own way with a few deviations. 

However, that same shit shouldn't roll for this one too. That was a nitpick of mine that could have been scrapped during the cutting floor. It felt so unnecessary and only dragged down what could have been a mesmerizing and intimate exploration of Bruce Wayne's ongoing damage and Batman's endurance in spite of the trauma and pain of the boy nobody saved until he became a man who must do it for others in the shadows. What should have been expanded some more are those alter Bruce Waynes. As the story was concluded, those other Bruces felt to me as if they died dishonorably, their legacies untarnished. I suppose that was the point BMWL wanted to make when he murdered all of them, but it never went beyond the cheap thrill and shock value of seeing these better, more successful, more proactive, happier versions of Bruce Wayne cut down. They became nothing but collateral damage to a strife as old as time.

I would give credit to The Batman Who Laughs for the way Snyder and co. depicted Batman's tenacity against his own darkness because it had been a fun ride. The action was pulsating every page but the unfortunate byproduct of that was how any other meaningful points in the narrative and development had to take a backseat. Characters didn't exactly flourish where the main hero and villain are concerned, but at least we got to wrap up James Jr.'s arc from The Black Mirror which was a gratifying spin-off.

I may read the accompaniment oneshot featuring The Grim Knight since it is included in the story's seven issues so it's sort of like an interlude. In any case, even though The Batman Who Laughs had a few missteps, the vision and scope of its story remained ambitious. Visually, there's also a lot to feast on for every issue, thanks to Jock and co, but as far as the narrative goes, I think at this point I expect more from Snyder if he ever wrote another Bat-title some time in the future.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

The Batman Who Laughs by Scott Synder issue #5

Now that I'm five issues into this seven-part mini series, I feel confident enough to say that this might not be a favorite Scott Snyder Bat-story. It's possible that my full appreciation is impeded by the fact that I've been so out of touch of Batman comics for the last five years. If I were to be honest, a lot of the content here felt as familiar as it is too comfortable for me. I acknowledge that Scott Snyder will always be one of the three writers that made Batman s enjoyable, nuanced, and thrilling for me. 

But for this title? A lot of it makes me think about his earlier stories when he was still the head writer of the flagship title that was DC's Batman. It borrowed a lot of the elements I recognized from his previous arcs as well as Gates of Gotham and Black Mirror. I suppose I could always view it as a pastiche of Snyder's own mythos which he cultivated and crafted as far as 2011, but is that all there is to The Batman Who Laughs? A collection of formulaic elements that he's already explored and became known as?

There are few nuggets of brilliance that had occurred in the five issues, honestly, but it's in this next part of the narrative that made me feel even more disconnected than ever before instead of feeling as if I'm about to solve a mystery or peel another layer of intrigue and mystery that was the metaphor and significance of Batman as a caped crusader. Is it possible that I have grown Batman/Bruce Wayne himself? I would hate to turn this review into an existential analysis of my overall relationship to this fictional character, but I supposed I might need some soul-searching about what Batman still means to me now that I'm in my thirties.

Save for the abandoned run of Tom King's early issues back in 2017 when I did take an unexpected hiatus, I'm not comfortable not thoroughly finishing what I started, which was why I wanted to pick up from where I left off and resurrect this blog. But after the initial rush of the past four weeks has now dispersed, it made me rethink of how I'll approach my next batch of reviews before the year ends and a new one begins. The truth of the matter is that after this one, I might combine my reviews for the last two issues of TBMWL. And that format may be more doable for me with other titles found in my Comics Shelf. It's simply not feasible for me to do reviews of individual issues, no matter how much I want to keep up with the new stuff soon.

So, a couples things first. Snyder and co. delivered something that was familiar territory for me, based on the kind of themes he and the artists had touched upon during his flagship run. That said, the interactions for this fifth issue are pitch perfect, if you were invested enough to see the terse interplay among Bruce Wayne/Batman of our universe versus BMWL and the Grim Knight. I'm still unsure how to fit the Gordon father and son add to it, aside from the far too on-the-nose association between them and the Waynes, but they're there along for the ride anyway. Once again, Snyder revisited what Gotham means to Batman, and what Batman means to Gotham and everything caught in between that push and pull relationship. It's a wonderful concept that fueled Synder's original run, and one that I ate up alongside many fans; we cannot separate the city from the Dark Knight and vice-versa.

Too many times we neglect the setting in which stories operate, but the most classically oriented novels that made an impact in history has treated the setting as another character to root for and sympathize with, and this is precisely what Snyder did for Gotham City. So what did Gotham City symbolize? How does that connect to Batman and the crusade he was fighting for? What happens when everything he believed was real and true about the justice he safeguards to protects its citizen had been nothing more but a delusion?

The notable thing I want to bring up next was this sideline plot device to the overall narrative of The Batman Who Laughs, which would be the trail of dead Bruce Waynes. If I'm recalling the order correctly, the first one featured in the morgue was a Bruce Wayne in an alternate reality in which he married, had a family, and was happy. The next one was a Bruce Wayne who was a politician who made a real difference in the city through bureaucratic channels; then we get one who was in competition with the Penguin's criminal enterprise and then another who took over Blackgate Penitentiary. Now, for this issue, we have a Batman who became the leader of the Talons of the Court of Owls. I don't know if anyone else saw a pattern here, but I believe BMWL ranked the best to the worst alternate Bruce Waynes here, including himself and The Grim Knight who are the extremes of the spectrum.

Now I'm not really sure what that entailed, and what it could all mean in the grand scheme of things, but it was fascinating to me, much more so than the plan BMWL has in which he made Batman lose hope in himself, the city and everything else he stood for. That's how this issue ends, on that not-so-original cliffhanger. With a lot of things running in the background, this major revelation was a tad underwhelming. Like, really? Gotham is not a beacon but rather the darkness itself? Can't imagine why. It is a violent and corrupt city where the most rutheless and depraved of killers and criminals exist. How could it be anything else but a bad place? Because Batman's there? Hell, Batman can be viewed as the bad guy who has to give it worse so the the worst monsters will keep in line.

I don't really know what to do with that last few pages. For issue #4, I commended the visuals team for the tireless and creative delivery they've achieved for this title. However, I feel as if they may have overdone it here and missed the mark. Some of the panels put a strain in my eyes as I read on. Too many details are going on in certain scenes but also sparse on the parts in which detail does matter. I am also getting sick of BMWL. I'd take DCEU's the Joker played by Jared Leto at this point because I am not entertained or interested in him as a villain. Maybe the Grim Knight should have had the starring role instead of playing lackey.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

The Batman Who Laughs by Scott Synder issue #4

Infected with the poison from the Joker's heart, Batman had been gradually giving in to the darkness that was always there, lurking in the fringes of his well-cultivated sense of control. It's the pinnacle of the Abyss Staring Back.

This installment from a very splendid mini series written once more by my favorite Bat-writer gave us more than just a few passing glimpses; instead it took us through an unnerving journey that was greatly supported by one of the best visuals I had seen drawn for a single Batman comics issue to date.

My reviews for the previous three issues substantially tackled Synder's writing chops. The man does know how to write compelling exposition, and more so for dialogue. All the Batman issues he's written have chock-full of glittering examples, regardless if there were inconsistencies in the plot.

However, at the risk of sounding repetitive at this point in time, I instead would like to review the other equally important side of a comic book issue which are the visuals. The synergy among Jock, Baron, and Cipriano was fully realized for this installment in particular. While it's possibly ninety-percent leaning on text blurbs since the dialogue for all scenes served to push forward the developments of the second half of the story, it wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for the engrossing art. 

I more than appreciated the use of red for some panels, especially since it conveyed effectively the state of mind Batman/Bruce was undergoing as the toxin has spread across his mind. It's truly horrific to watch him lose sense of reality bit by bit each time he looked at those he loved and cared about such as Alfred and--to a lesser extent--the ordinary folks of the city he wanted to safeguard. The metaphor for this issue, too, talked about how Bruce often tried to see the world through 'the eyes of children' or the innocent whenever he felt discouraged or too fatalistic. 

That was why the opening pages had Dick Grayson as the first Robin swooping down happily in the Gotham cityscape in all his bare innocence. But this time such an attempt to utilize the same practice was failing, since Bruce can hardly differentiate between what he truly sees and what the toxin wanted him to see. And the images are frightening, splattered in red and chaos. The notable adoption of the same visor BMWL wears made me uncomfortable; Bruce reasoned out it was a way for him to see what his enemy sees, but methinks it's just another manifestation of his dark side slowly taking over his defenses. But much like Alfred, I am placing my faith that Batman/Bruce can survive this. He's proven himself strong where lesser men are their weakest.

Red yet again was used to differentiate the text (courtesy of Cipriano) wherein certain terms or phrases were color-coded like that to indicate that Batman/Bruce was slipping while he's talking. After all, BMWL's own blurbs are colored purely as red, which I haven't noticed until now. He and the Grim Knight had abducted James Gordon, because he was Batman's 'best friend'. The Grim Knight doesn't share the sentiment, however, because in his world, the Commissioner was the one adversary that kept getting in the way of him claiming victory as a caped crusader. Going back to the well-known saying of how the Abyss Stares Back, it's also aligned to Synder's recurring metaphor of seeing things through 'the eyes of the innocent', which was twisted in this case.

The climactic confrontation in Blackgate was my favorite scene. The second would have to be Batman's quaint temporary 'truce' of a sort with the Joker. The installment ends with a grand soliloquy from BMWL which hits the right notes when he claimed, "You're trying to see things through the eyes of your Robins, aren't you? Through the eyes of your so-called children. But they knew, Batman. The hope you saw in people, it was a lie. That's why Dick, why all of them, stayed high above. Yes, the hard truth is you're finally seeing things clearly. Because of the first time ever, you're looking at Gotham through the eyes of your real child..."

I don't know how James Gordon and his son would play into this, but I have a feeling it has to tie up with the ongoing parable between Batman and his darker alters. It's worth mentioning that there's a Grim Knight oneshot that's connected to this, so I might have to look for that and read. Overall, this was far more impressive than the previous issue which I have a few nitpicks in my review. The loose ends were being tied up here while it also has more room to surprise readers yet again. 

Two more issues to go before The Batman Who Laughs hopefully wraps up amazingly.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

The Batman Who Laughs by Scott Synder issue #3

 

Much like the last two issues, we open with yet another flashback; this time it was a familiar (if not already iconic) scene when a young Bruce Wayne fell in a hole and encountered bats for the first time, prompting his phobia for them. It was a monumental moment for a child, who will one day become a caped crusader, overcoming primal fear of the dark and unknown. Thomas Wayne was quoted saying, "See it in your head, Bruce. See the rope, see yourself climbing out, see yourself being brave." 

This act of visualizing carried on as the boy became a man and then the Bat. Bruce stressed that this was how he learned to build on plans especially contingency ones. More than the trauma of seeing his parents killed at gunpoint in one of the alleys of Gotham, or seeing a bat sweep across the window of his private chamber, the memory of being trapped down that hole and hearing his father's voice to be brave, to imagine getting out and then doing it--that singularly propelled him to daring heights as the Dark Knight. It's all about being ready and having plans to outwit and outmaneuver the most intelligent of his foes.

After all, what's a predator without its habits? Batman wasn't just a brute force hammering down on thugs; he's also a well-trained sleuth with a keen eye for detail and patterns in the crime. This time, however, certain things elude him. And when he's fighting a toxin slowly pumping madness into his veins, Batman definitely has a lot to overcome for this story arc alone. He would need a little help from his friends.

Speaking of allies, Commissioner James Gordon set out to find his son, a confirmed megalomaniac psychopath that bore his name. James Jr. has been institutionalized and carefully monitored for years after he was revealed to be nothing like the man who rasied in. James Jr. was sadistic and merciless and at some point during The Black Mirror arc, he even wanted to poison an infant nutritional facility. Because, you know, if you want to prove you're one malicious sick fuck, you always must go after the innocent children. This issue featured a more mellowed out J.J, however. He didn't try to reverse his medication anymore to 'increase his psychopathic tendencies' while he's...I don't know, a clerk in some shop, in charge with packages? 

It didn't matter to his dad; at this point, Commissioner Gordon has given up hope that his son can ever be cured. His psychopathy can only be prevented through his medication and a current banal routine, but he was still never going to be the young man his father hoped would inherently pursue goodness. That didn't mean James Sr. would diminish the real progress his son made, even if meeting said young man was only possible right now because Batman required J.J's knowledge of the city's hidden pathways that BMWL and the Grim Knight are after. To be honest, I don't know what James Jr. is even doing in this issue aside from the fact that Snyder and Jock featured him on their previous collaboration. In the end, the Grim Knight wanted the commissioner, not his son. After all, it was stated in the last issue that Batman used his DNA and that of the other older man whom he trusted aside from Alfred. I actually lost track of the story's momentum because this issue also has another cameo appearance that I felt run on for too long that necessary.

I'm talking about the Penguin. While it always delights me to see Oswald Cobbleplot hobbling his way into the pages to be an utter nuisance of a menace, I didn't see the point of BMWL having that big monologue explaining to the readers that another version of Bruce Wayne became rivals with Cobblepot instead of merely stopping said crime lord's illegal activities. In the end, BMWL made yet another example of this Bruce Wayne much like with the others. Is there something particularly more significant to this Bruce alter than the last two? Are we going to see Penguin again later? That goes the same for James Jr.? There are only four more issues left for this series, so anything could happen, and there may be a lot more in store. However, with this break in the main narrative that contributed nothing except some action sequence whose violence felt somewhat lacking, I daresay this issue is the weakest instalment so far.

The plot was definitely meandering for this issue. What saves it from being completely dull of a read was the grand reveal at the end which supposedly has to be a game-changer, and I want to see what direction Snyder wants to go for. Not only has Batman succumbed to the toxin, but the Joker got away from Alfred's operating table in spite of all the sedatives. With the Joker, he always requires even the most pragmatic of readers some hefty suspension of belief. I can excuse Joker once more eluding capture because he is not a man of flesh and bones but more of a mythic bogeyman. I think it's fair at this point to subscribe now to that belief.

In spite of how underwhelming the overall content of this installment, I'm still looking forward as to how this all ties up and how exactly Batman plans to visualize himself climbing out of this clustefuck of a hole.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10