DC ROUND-UP: A surprisingly underexplored team-up in BATMAN & THE JOKER

THIS WEEK: With Batman & The Joker – The Deadly Duo #1, Marc Silvestri delivers a team-up that looks like it will have been carried out in the previous extra instances than it truly has. Plus, quite a few excellent DC titles maintain chugging alongside, together with Gotham City: Year One, Poison Ivy, Sword of Azrael, and, better of all, The New Champion of SHAZAM!.

Note: the evaluations under comprise spoilers. If you desire a fast, spoiler-free purchase/go suggestion on the comics in query, try the underside of the article for our ultimate verdict.

Batman & The Joker – The Deadly Duo #1

Writer/Artist: Marc Silvestri
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Letterer: Troy Peteri

This week’s headlining DC Comics title — Batman & The Joker – The Deadly Duo #1 — was first introduced all the way in which again at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. It’s been a protracted highway to publication, however now almost 4 and a half years later, the primary challenge of the collection has arrived. The background on how the e book got here collectively appears easy. It’s written and drawn by Marc Silvestri, a long-time buddy of DC Comics writer, Jim Lee. A whereas again Silverstri drew a single piece for a Batman anniversary celebration, and Lee preferred it a lot, that he steadily inspired his previous pal to do a full collection. And right here we’re.

The central idea of this collection is that somebody is sending items of Jim Gordon to Batman, whereas on the similar time, somebody has kidnapped Harley Quinn. Oh, and a pack of feral, Joker-looking monsters are working wild by way of Gotham City. There’s additionally simply usually an entire lot of severing occurring, from palms with weapons in them to heads to the aforementioned items of Gordon. Eventually, all of this results in Joker proposing that he and Batman be a part of forces, each to get Harley again and likewise to cease no matter is occurring earlier than Gordon “starts losing parts he probably wants to keep.” That’s the essential rundown of the premise because it’s arrange in this week’s first challenge.

I had an opportunity to listen to Silvestri discuss in regards to the collection final month at NYCC, in the course of the Jim Lee and Friends Panel, and he stated that when he proposed this concept — a Batman/Joker team-up — he assumed it was one thing that had been carried out many, many instances earlier than. While there days it’s more and more tough to search out any Batman concept that hasn’t not less than type of been carried out in the previous, a Batman/Joker team-up wasn’t as frequent place as Silverstri suspected it could be, and off he went. And I believe he should be proper, as a result of this story didn’t really feel acquainted or predictable to me in any type of broad sense.

On a micro stage, this comedian had loads of good consideration to element, nearly as if Silvestri, who to the very best of my information has by no means earlier than illustrated a largescale Batman story, was actually savoring his first main go to to Gotham City. There are some grandiose set items in this primary challenge — from the early two-page unfold of Batman crusing above a criminal offense scene to a really gorgeous establishing shot of the Gotham City skyline. But I used to be actually captivated by among the smaller decisions Silverstri makes right here, together with proper after that Gotham establishing shot, reducing to Catwoman coyly wanting on and observing from a perch, “A storm’s coming…” Nice little bit of ambiance, plus when you’re a Silvestri fan, you’re going to need to see his tackle as many Gotham faces as you may all through this e book (see additionally anytime he exhibits us Harvey Bullock, who matches Silvestri’s model surprisingly effectively).

So the visible storytelling in this comedian was attention-grabbing, and it was additionally well-paced, organising the items of this comedian shortly. Just usually, it felt just like the creators have been actually having fun with their time on this e book, and all of it labored effectively for me. I believe will probably be an enormous hit for DC, drawing in each Silvestri’s fanbase in addition to Batman followers. Batman, in spite of everything, is nearly all the time assured to ship gross sales success for the writer.

All that stated, that is perhaps a title that readers will get pleasure from (or not get pleasure from) based mostly on their relationships with Silvestri’s work. Basically, if somebody heard/learn “Silvestri Batman” and thought, oh hell sure, they’ll indubitably love this e book. I suppose it additionally works the other manner, too, however I believe people who find themselves in some way unfamiliar with Silvestri and simply desire a stable, attention-grabbing Batman comedian may even come away from this one glad that they took the journey.

Verdict: BUY IT

‘Don’t Read the Comments!’ – The Round-Up

Man, how good has The New Champion of SHAZAM! been? With the third challenge out this week, I’d say “so good that it is just about perfect.” So good that I haven’t had this a lot enjoyable with a SHAZAM! title in years. So good that I pulled a enjoyable line out from it to subtitle this round-up part with. So good that it makes you surprise what author Josie Campbell (a relative comics new-comer) will do subsequent. So good that you simply keep in mind Evan “Doc” Shaner is among the greatest DC Comics artist in the present secure. So good that I might simply maintain occurring, however my level is perhaps clear by now — this e book is superb. Catch-up now earlier than subsequent month’s finale drops.
I’ve loved author Tom King’s noir sensibilities once they have been utilized to different DC Comics characters. However, I’m having fun with these similar sensibilities much more in Gotham City: Year One, the place they’re dropped at life completely by the pencils of Phil Hester, the inking of Eric Gapstur, the colours of Jordie Bellaire, and the lettering of Clayton Cowles. In this pre-Batman Gotham City story, King can actually reduce unfastened along with his exploration of noir, taking it to sensible and engaging locations. This second challenge is maybe extra character-driven than the primary, but it surely additionally continues to advance among the questions on city growth accountability from the debut. Overall, after simply two points, this one is to date shaping as much as be one thing very particular.
Poison Ivy #6 left me with two ideas, which aren’t fairly at odds with one another however perhaps are somewhat bit. One, I’m comfortable that this collection was prolonged and can now run to 12 points, correct maxi-series size. Two, I’m unhappy as a result of G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Prianto, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou ship right here what would have been a really satisfying finale to a mainly excellent miniseries that might have been the defining Poison Ivy comedian for years to return. But hey, why can’t the magic maintain going? I’m going to attempt to be optimistic that it’ll.
Finally, if you’re a fan of Azrael, you’re in all probability having an excellent yr studying DC Comics. Sword of Azrael #4 is one other nice challenge in a comparatively under-the-radar miniseries that’s nearly as good as something popping out at DC proper now. I’ve largely been a light-weight Azrael fan all through my time studying DC Comics, and I’m nonetheless actually into this one. Just nice work throughout from Dan Watters, Nikoa Čižmešija, Marissa Louise, and Otsmane-Elhaou.