Review
Writer: Scott Snyder, Interior Artist: Jock, Inker: David Baron, Cover A: Jock, Cover B: Greg Capullo, Cover C: blank
Nothing in this book needs prior knowledge for new readers to comprehend. Both covers are great, but the shops in my area sold out of the “B” cover. It is a great, simple but highly detailed, mostly black cover of Batman Who Laugh’s face. The story has just enough to make you ask questions and want to keep reading more. It has a little mystery and lots of action. If speculation is your thing, this is the 1st appearance of the Grim Knight. For those of you who collect #1’s, this is the Batman Who Laugh’s 1st series. This is a buy for anyone who likes Batman, Joker, Batman Who Laughs, number ones, and/or 1st appearances. Spoilers follow the images below.
Spoilers follow below… The Batman Who Tangos
This book opens up with a quick look back at Bruce’s childhood and parents. Then you get a Batman car chase with plenty of action. With the chase at an end, Batman finds a deceased Bruce Wayne. This Bruce has all the physical scars up until Bane broke his back. Alfred finds that this Bruce worked in Eco construction by the fibers in his fingernails. He was married and had a “May” with a heart tattoed to his arm. Bruce tells Alfred that “May” would have been the name he suggested to Selina for their child.
In the next scene, Batman is armed with several firearms as he is infiltraiting a correctional facility. Batman kills several correctional officers before finding Mr. Freeze. Freeze gets incinerated by a grenade from Batman. Batman finds Joker’s cell and they exchange pleasantries before Batman steps aside. Batman Who laughs makes his appearance and kills the Joker! BWL stabs him through the skull. Jim Gordon shows Batman the surveillance footage from the correctional facility. They converse about BWL’s agenda which is eliminating all threats. The Batman with many guns is named Grim Knight.
Batman returns to the Batcave and demands that Alfred open the security tunnels. The Joker appears with a gun and points the gun at Batman. The Joker fires the gun, but the bullet comes out of the back of the gun and strikes the Joker. Batman runs to the Joker’s side and asks why he would do such a thing. The Joker replies “The only way you’ll beat him… is to become him. Heh.” The last page shows Batman with red eyes, drooling and leaning over Joker laughing.
