| Title | : | Batman (2011-2016) #15 |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 32 |
| Publication | : | First published December 12, 2012 |
Batman (2011-2016) #15 Reviews
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Reading this i am scared for batman, and he is a fictional character! and i am genuinely scared for him.
This issue the bat family are arguing with batman, on wither the joker knows who they are or not, and the possibility of that.
The follow up story is about the Riddler, and color me impressed, i love him he is even smarter than the one in the tv series!
My head is tingling with excitement, but i ll call it a day and not read anymore batman. -
Even with a chapter or issue without the Joker, the reader could still fill his palpable presence. This was the lull before the figurative storm and this was the death of the family when Batman's agents began to doubt their mentor.
This also has a Damian appearance which was always welcome then. I wished Snyder used him more. -
perfect!
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I liked the part about enigma...there were 46 ways for him to get out of the bloody cell but he was just waiting for the right time.....lol
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one of the best Joker stories I've read.
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I keep on loving the art. I thought that Joker shooting a horse in the backup story was a bit much though.
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This was brilliant
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JOKER IS BACK!
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Picking up right after the momentous confrontation in the bridge between the Joker and his darling bat from the last issue, this installment entitled But here's the kicker serves as the foreboding quiet before the massive storm that is about to hit, and reveals several of the Bat-children's feelings towards Bruce Wayne's insistence to carry the burden of his own secrets which in turn keeps them away at arm's length. The Joker continues to remain evasive yet using so much blunt force to drive his points home at the same time. Meanwhile, Batman continues to humanize him which has always been his mistake from the start. But now we get the sense why he does it.
The very first full page of the issue is Batman's inner monologue as to the nature and humanity of the Joker and we all know he's lacking on the latter department. And yet for some reason, Batman believes there is still something that could be killed in the Joker; something he could get his hands on and rip him into shreds with. It took a while for Batman to admit what it was at first until we get to the last page. But before that, I want to talk about the only great part of this issue which is Bruce having a dream where he was surrounded by his surrogate children. It's worth noting that they were out of their costumes and are gathered around his bedside like a family would do. And then Alfred comes in, wearing the Joker's face and proceeds to butcher them all. This was when Bruce wakes up inside the batcave with his surrogate children who donned their masks the entire time and are about to have an intervention.
Bruce was the only one who was physically unmasked here as he told them a story about a confrontation with the Joker a long time ago. It was here that he revealed that the Joker's 'calling card' got caught in one of Batman's vehicle. Batgirl, Red Robin and Nightwing immediately jumped into the conclusion that the Joker is not lying after all, and that he might have discovered who Batman was all along (and subsequently their own identities) because he got inside the batcave. Bruce insisted that it was impossible and that fact was irrefutable because of the lack of evidence that the Joker had been inside the cave before. Unconvinced, the three still continued to interrogate Bruce and he tried to appease their anxieties as he advises them to be careful if the Joker is indeed coming for them (you can read these confrontations in the tie-in issues). It's only Damian, Bruce's son and the current Robin, and Jason Todd (Red Hood and the Robin whom the Joker killed once before) who seemed to take a more neutral side to the issue at hand. Damian seems more concerned about joining Batman in battle than anything else, and Jason obviously couldn't give a fuck.
I enjoyed this scene because of the level of tension and distrust that is starting to form among the Bat-family members. Each of them knew the Joker in an intimate way, most especially Barbara Gordon who had been victimized by the Joker once, and Dick Grayson who had been with Batman the longest and saw firsthand all the evil things the Joker had done. And though he was murdered by the Joker before, Jason Todd is trying to distance himself from the ordeal, but perhaps only to mask his own fear. Damian is the only one who has yet to make his formal acquaintance with the Joker, and I think he's the one I fear for the most while reading this. If there is one person aside from Alfred whom Bruce Wayne loves, it's his only son.
I struggled to rate this issue because nothing really happens, action-wise, that progresses the plot. What we are provided with instead is a more concrete portrait of what Batman feels about the Joker. On the last panels of the final page, Batman still maintains the notion that there is still something human in the Joker but only because the Joker had allowed him a glimpse of it. And the one thing that makes the Joker human is Batman himself, at least what he feels for Batman does. And here he admits that what he saw in the Joker's eyes every time he stares into them is LOVE. He knew and he felt that the Joker loves him in the sickest and most senseless of ways, and that frightened him the most. The most abominable and disgusting piece of filth that ever lived has love for him. This is enough to shake anyone, even Batman, to his core.
RECOMMENDED: 7/10
*Even with the absence of a progression plot-wise, the characterizations are given more dimensions this issue, including a great character moment from Batman as he finally accepts that, to the Joker, he is a significant other.
[DO READ MORE ABOUT MY BATMAN REVIEWS IN
http://batman-comics-geek.blogspot.com/] -
Disturbing.
I hate the damn joker. -
You can read the full review over at The Founding Fields:
http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/12/...
This also includes #13-14.
Anyone who’s been following the comics reviews on here knows that I’m a very big fan of Scott’s work on Batman. He has an excellent handle on the character and the setting alike; he’s made Batman, his allies and his villains his own, while also enriching the entire Batman mythos through the addition of a brand new enemy in the form of the Court of Owls. With these three latest issues, he goes back into what is familiar territory for all Batman fans: the Joker. That’s right, the big bad Clown of Gotham is back, and he’s back with a vengeance.
Comics rarely, if ever, scare the hell out of me. To the best of my knowledge, the only other time I’ve been seriously creeped out by a comic is when I read David Hine’s The Darkness: Rebirth Volume 1. With these three issues, Scott does three better than David did. The new arc is called “The Death of the Family” and it shows how Joker goes about exacting vengeance on every member of the Bat-family. Joker’s return to Gotham is explosive and brutal, as shown by his break-in at the GCPD headquarters and the massacre in the mayor’s office. Batman’s investigations eventually bring him to a face-off against the Joker, but by this point, the lunatic appears to be holding all the cards, especially since he claims to know the identities of all the heroes of Gotham: Batman, Nightwing, Red Robin, Robin, Batgirl and Red Hood. Plus the fact that Joker kidnapped Alfred too, from the Wayne Mansion itself! Snyder’s Joker is totally off his rocker, and his controlled madness really makes me shiver. I swear I’m going to start taking the Joker seriously from now on. I can totally do without the images of Joker’s stapled-on facial skin and his maniac laughter from Snyder’s pages and Capullo’s art.
Which brings me to the visual aspects of the three issues. In a word: fanfrikkintastic. Capullo is hands down one of the best artists currently working for DC. Ivan Reis, Nicola Scott and Amanda Conner are all pretty much on the same level as him. Capullo’s Joker is hell of a lot creepy. His Nightwing is very much in the same vein as Eddy Barrows’ from Nightwing. His Batman is consistent with the rest of the series. His panels are just so incredibly well-detailed and a treat to look at. And there’s so much dynamism in them. His work just brings Scott’s words to cinematic life and gives you the feel that you are watching a big-budget movie rather than reading a comic book.
There are back-ups in all three issues, co-written by James Tynion IV and Scott. In #13 we have Joker recruiting Harley Quinn to his cause. In #14 it is Joker making a deal with Cobblepot (Penguin). In #15, Joker partners up with the Riddler. The Clown seems to be gathering quite the villainous army! James has just as good a handle on Joker as Scott does, which is not surprising since they both cooperate on all Batman stuff, and since James is also doing his own series, Talon, which is a spin-off from the “Court of the Owls” crossover and features a good-guy Talon of the Court, out for himself and wanting to be left alone. James’ Joker is just as scary as Scott’s, if not more so, and I love his take on Penguin and Riddler. And Jonathan Glapion’s artwork is almost on par with that of Capullo’s. There is consistency between them as relates to character designs, so that’s a huge plus from me!
Overall, an excellent continuation from “Court of the Owls” and “The Death of the Family” is definitely off to a great start! The cliffhanger from #15 almost had me shaking with the utter deviousness of Joker. If you haven’t read anything from the previous arc, then don’t worry. #13 provides a great jumping-on point! Very promising for the next set of issues too! My only negative comment about these three issues is that #15 is not as spectacular as #14 was, though it has a stronger back-story, so it all balances out anyway!
Rating: 10/10 -
Uh-oh, Bat Family, looks like you're in for it. Snyder writes a wicked Joker. Very haunting and full of hate, but also bat shit crazy. Death of the Family is a fun arc so far, and it contrasts nicely with the Court of Owls epic. Recommended.
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5.0 - An utterly INSANE issue. The resolution of the Joker confrontation. A Bat-family throw-down that leads to a subtle and chilling retcon. And, an utterly terrific Joker/Riddler backup drawn by Jock that could have been a 5-star comic on its own.
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Settling down for serious mediocrity.
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Más flashbacks... Pero esta vez del hombre murciélago y el Joker. Se avecinan tormentas.
