DC ROUND-UP: Do we really need a JOKER: YEAR ONE story?

THIS WEEK: The DC Round-Up staff — Cori McCreery, Cy Beltran, Joe Grunenwald, and Zack Quaintance — convenes for a roundtable dialogue about Batman #142’s Joker: Year One story, and extra.

Note: the critiques beneath comprise spoilers. If you need a fast, spoiler-free purchase/go suggestion on the comics in query, take a look at the bolded suggestions with out our dialogue for our last verdicts.

Batman #142

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Pencillers: Giuseppe Camuncoli & Andrea Sorrentino
Inkers: Stefano Nesi & Andrea Sorrentino
Colorists: Alejandro Sanchez & Dave Stewart
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

ZACK QUAINTANCE: Hey staff, welcome to our common DC Roundtable chat. Today we’re going to begin issues off by discussing Batman #142, which kicks off the brand new Joker: Year One story arc…so, what did we consider this subject?

CORI MCCREERY: It was… high quality? It was high quality for what it’s getting down to do, however I’m form of fully over the Joker proper now, and don’t really really feel like Joker: Year One was ever a factor that was really crucial to start with.

CY BELTRAN: I’m proper there too. It’s form of attention-grabbing, simply to see what Zdarsky is doing with this story, however I don’t particularly care about who the Joker was earlier than being… the Joker.

JOE GRUNENWALD: Agreed throughout. At this level I’m undecided what we’re doing right here with this story. What blanks really need to be crammed in in The Joker’s historical past? I additionally suppose it’s a very daring option to crib an iconic panel from The Killing Joke after which present what occurs two seconds later. The Joker’s little side-eye in that panel made me snicker, however I don’t suppose it was supposed to.

CORI: Wow Joe, the Joker has killed folks for saying he’s not humorous earlier than. Bold transfer, sir.

CY: It seems like tries to knock himself off right here too, as a result of it regarded like there have been Three Jokers™ right here? Which fully undercuts the entire Killing Joke reference.

JOE: There are three Jokers right here, after which I assume that plotline will get resolved instantly? It felt like that will be a larger deal than it ended up being.

CORI: I drink to neglect the Three Jokers, Joe, and now they’re again and in mainline continuity. God save my soul.

ZACK: Moving ahead, did this primary half get you excited for something to return on this story? And if not, what do you suppose this story may do in another way to be extra thrilling for you?

CY: I’m not too eager for no matter’s to return. I want the problem would simply concentrate on one factor as an alternative of leaping between two totally different components. The components of the problem advised previously had been considerably attention-grabbing, and I take pleasure in Camuncoli’s artwork, however I don’t know what the purpose of the long run story is. Sorrentino simply doesn’t work for me within the hyperrealistic scenes, and it doesn’t look like any of this connects again to no matter’s taking place previously?

JOE: I’m interested in what’s coming, however I wouldn’t say I’m enthusiastic about it. The Joker, to me, has at all times labored greatest when he simply seems and is, and seeing how he grew to become The Joker removes a number of the mystique of the character. And now it seems like Zdarsky is saying he educated one way or the other? I’m very skeptical, however open to the place the story needs to go at this level.

CORI: I’m really not even that curious. I truly want the Joker to be a large thriller. The extra mild shed on him the much less attention-grabbing he’s to me.

ZACK: Okay, effectively, one final query then — what do you all take into consideration how this story arc appears to suit into the bigger ongoing run?

JOE: It feels very disconnected, even from what Zdarsky has performed up till this level. I do suppose it’s attention-grabbing that it appears virtually like a sequel to Zero Year, a storyline I by no means anticipated would ever come up once more, in order that was a shock so far as the place it sits in Batman continuity. But so far as the remainder of the present run, I’m ready to see the way it matches at this level.

CY: Yeah, I’m undecided place this. I’m assuming that that is going to play some main position in no matter’s arising, simply primarily based off of the numbering getting near 150, however this doesn’t exhibit the bruised and battered Bruce we’ve been following to this point, so I’m pretty confused as to what we’re even doing right here. I’m hoping that’s cleared up within the subsequent two weeks.

CORI: I imply, I’ll be trustworthy right here, I’m months behind on Batman, however uh, this didn’t really feel prefer it was a part of an ongoing narrative to me, which is each good and unhealthy. Good for those who’re seeking to hook new readers, unhealthy if it was meant to really feel like a part of Chip’s larger story.

ZACK: Let’s go to verdicts on this one…

JOE: I hate to put in writing it off fully since it’s simply the primary a part of a three-part story, however oof. WEAK BROWSE for me.

CORI: I’m simply gonna go a tad meaner. It’s a uncommon SKIP from me.

CY: I’m gonna go the alternative method and provides it a BROWSE. It’s disjointed, however I believe I need to learn it in full context earlier than I determine how skippable it’s.

Birds of Prey #6

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Leonardo Romero
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

ZACK: Okay! Up subsequent we have Birds of Prey #6, the finale for the primary story arc of a e-book we’ve collectively praised fairly a bit previously…now that the primary story arc is wrapped up, what do we all suppose?

CORI: First and foremost, thank god Leonardo Romero was again. I don’t know what occurred with subject 5, however boy did that artwork fashion not match the e-book in any respect.

CY: I second that 100%. This e-book has been phenomenal, however with out Romero, it misplaced a step for positive. I additionally thought this was a strong conclusion, that wrapped all the things up neatly, however with sufficient wiggle room to return again to no matter’s occurring with Sin and Megaera in a future arc. Plus, there’s some nice setup for no matter’s subsequent.

JOE: The Sin story is certainly simply starting, and I’m curious to see that explored extra totally sooner or later, even when it’s not straight away. I agree whole-heartedly that Romero’s paintings was sorely missed final subject. His and Bellaire’s work is so trendy and attention-grabbing, and meshes really properly with the tone of Thompson’s script.

ZACK: It appeared just like the staff is perhaps getting a shake-up. If that’s really the case, are there any particular characters you’d prefer to see concerned within the subsequent story arc?

CORI: ZINDA. GIMME BACK LADY BLACKHAWK, KAY THANKS BYE.

JOE: I by no means thought I might take pleasure in Zealot as a lot as I did right here, so I just about belief Thompson to usher in any random character and make them compelling. How about a time-travelling Ma Hunkel Red Tornado?

CY: I do not need as humorous a solution as everybody else however I might be excited to see Power Girl present up right here. I’m really having fun with all the things Leah Williams is doing along with her and Omen, and I believe it’d be enjoyable to see her work together with this staff.

CORI: Oh wait, no I take again Zinda. Kara Zor-El doesn’t at the moment have her personal e-book (WHY DC, WHY), put her on the Birds within the meantime.

ZACK: Well, we’re all seemingly nonetheless having fun with this one and excited for extra…plus we nonetheless have yet another e-book tonight…so let’s go proper to verdicts now, what do you all suppose?

CORI: Absolutely a BUY from me. The entire sequence was plenty of enjoyable up to now, even with the artwork misstep in subject 5.

JOE: Yeah, that is nonetheless a straightforward BUY for me as effectively. It’s tons of enjoyable and it seems nice. What extra may you need?

CY: For positive a BUY. It’s simply a blast and I can’t recover from how cool the coloring is. I hope it by no means ends.

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #6

Writer: Joanee Starer
Artist: Natacha Bustos
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Ariana Maher

ZACK: Last up tonight, we have Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #6, a principally totally different type of e-book than the opposite two. What did you all consider this one?

CORI: Gonna get my grumbling out of the way in which. It completely felt like queerbaiting to me. You arrange this relationship all through six points, you even have a new girl supporting character fall laborious for Ice, solely to have all of it simply fall again to the established order “We’re just gals who are pals” on the finish of the story? Felt prefer it led me on.

CY: I’d undoubtedly agree with that, particularly as a result of the problem felt prefer it simply form of ended? There was a lot construct up all through the sequence that made it look like there was gonna be a reconciliation and perhaps a little extra between Bea and Tora after which it hits a wall on the second to final web page. What provides?

JOE: The build-up is what will get me, too. It undoubtedly felt like there was going to be some type of large revelation or change to the connection between the 2 leads, and in the long run it simply appeared like extra of the identical. These two have been pals for a way lengthy, and so they’re simply now realizing that hey, we truly steadiness one another out a little bit? It felt disingenuous.

Other than that, plenty of enjoyable!

CORI: Disingenuous was the phrase I used to be going to make use of after which determined to not grumble that onerous, so thanks, Joe. But this e-book was set as much as be a RomCom, all through the six points, it at all times felt like a RomCom, however on the finish of the day, we acquired “Haha no the only queers in this book are the newly created supporting cast, back to the subtext mines for the leads!” And regardless of how enjoyable all six points had been, that really does dampen my enjoyment of the e-book.

CY: And that’s the largest disappointment, as a result of I used to be loving each subject of this till we acquired right here. It’s gotta be a symptom of those six subject minis, however the truth that this fleshed out relationship (platonic and romantic) is getting relegated to probably-forgotten is gonna wreck any reread of this e-book, no less than for me. If there was elsewhere we had been gonna see them after this, I’d perceive it a little extra, however I’m not too optimistic :/. At least it’s a fairly e-book although.

JOE: Yes, Natacha Bustos’s paintings is incredible all through. It feels mild and cartoony, virtually Archie-like, which befits a RomCom story. It’s excellent on this e-book.

ZACK: Okay, effectively, we’re mainly at time right here…so let’s go to last verdicts. What do you all have?

CORI: If this had delivered what subject one hinted at, it could be an prompt BUY from me, however due to the way it ended, I’m a BROWSE for this one too. The story’s enjoyable, however in the long run I felt insulted.

CY: I’m gonna go together with a STRONG BROWSE. The rushed and irritating conclusion is by no means what I might’ve hoped for, however was principally enjoyable and nice to have a look at till the very finish.

JOE: I’m really torn on this one. It was a lot of enjoyable, even effectively into this subject, and the artwork was nice all through, however there are issues arrange within the storytelling earlier within the sequence that don’t pan out by the tip of the e-book. In that method it felt like a large disappointment. I assume I’m a BROWSE, however oof the ending really made me take into consideration suggesting skipping this sequence altogether.

ZACK: That’ll do it for this month’s roundtable chat…thanks everybody for studying!

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