Batman: The Joker War Zone #1

[cyberghostface]

Comments

[icon_uk]

I actually... kind of like this.

The Joker critiquing another villain's methods and being genuinely disgusted at the lack of creativity (somewhat ironic in terms of Joker's usual no-note personality these days) and missed opportunity.

I'm hoping the story within the anthology this is from is at least twelve pages long so we can reasonably have four pages from it posted within the 1/3 rule?

[cyberghostface]

I just checked, it's ten. I'll remove a page.

[nyadnar17]

I really like this. And I say that as someone who is beyond sick and tired of the Joker, this was a really good scene.

[thanekos]

" You didn't tell the story hurt the Bat the way I would've, so I'm going to take it upon myself to punish you for it. "

The Joker - he's a fan.

[icon_uk]

"I have some notes..."

[scorntx]

"I've seen smaller novels!"

[deh_tommy]

I mean, Joker here is right — that story was all about breaking the Bat (tm), but the most “breaking” Bane and Thomas did was go through needlessly convoluted measures to pettily mess with his life, then beat him up and scream “YOU ARE BROKEN” over and over.

[agharta75]

I can hear Mark Hammill's voice.

[chalicother]

Who can't?

[armycat23]

What's interesting is that the Joker seems perfectly ok with the idea that Bane could have been Batman's worst enemy, instead of himself. I think this is very smart writing, because as much as the Joker loves being a focus in Batman's life....he loves the "art" of a villan more.

[lucean]

That was... shockingly awesome? Like that tirade from Joker was so good. I'm waiting to collect the Joker War in whole, but I might pick this issue out first just for this scene.

Also I find myself hesitating and thus have a question to those who read the whole issue. I absolutely loathed King's run and his pseudo-'insightful' take, so I'm trying to be careful not to force on my own view on things. Does the tone here feel critical of the Bane storyline in general to anyone else and how did it read in the full story?

[beyondthefringe]

This is like the end of Infinite Crisis when he murders Alexander Luthor, all because "you should have let the Joker play as well."

I mean, it's extremely understandable that the Joker would be annoyed with Bane for basically taking one of the best tricks possible and completely wasting it.

[icon_uk]

Though it is worth noting that when Joker killed Jason Todd, he did it in the most UN-Jokerish way possible AND attempted to cover up the fact he'd been involved in it.

Batman was only sure it was Joker from the outset because Jason's mother made a deathbed confession to him.

[lego_joker]

The really sad thing is, Joker and/or Tynion could have made it a legitimate point if they focused on how Joker baited Jason's mom into betraying him. It's not especially Joker-ish, but it is fantastically cruel even by his standards.

[scorntx]

... huh. Didn't know Joker attempted to cover it up.

That's weird. Especially, y'know, for the Joker.
(Seems like something Three Jokers could bring up... if it was interested in it.)

[icon_uk]

Yeah, he was apparently having so much fun beating a teenager to death with a crowbar (a sentence which it sickens me to type) that he forgot about Batman being the vengeful sort, and is only reminded of it by Jason's mother, so that's why he sets the dynamite to blow the warehouse up, to remove any sign of his involvement (since he didn't use anything like a Joker-ish method to kill Jason)

[dan_ingram]

I guess the Batman is only a good detective when his bad guys sign their work?

[scorntx]

"Well, this room is filled with dismembered corpses, some of which have been partially eaten, and there's what looks like a chunk of scaly skin here, so the obvious culprit is... Killer Moth!"
"... Ummm..."
"KILLER MOTH, I SAY!"

[magnetoisright]

I hate to agree with the Joker but him saying that City of Bane was absolute garbage is impossible to argue with

It's also fitting to use the Joker to point out its flaws it since the entire story was a bad joke