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Dec 30, 2013 Issue #48 - November/December 2013 - HAIM By Ryan E.C. Hamm

Scott Snyder’s Batman run has been rightly praised—his introduction of the mysterious Court of Owls provided a much-needed force in the streets of Gotham City. Plus, it was equal parts thrilling and creepy, as the best Batman stories are. So what was missing from Snyder’s run so far?

The Joker.

With this collection (collecting Batman #13-17), Snyder rectifies that. His Joker is terrifying—his face has been sliced off (that happened last year in Detective Comics), so instead of the normal clown paint, he’s pinned his face on like a limp mask. Plus, Snyder makes the Batman-Joker relationship into a bizarre and twisted psychosexual dance. Joker is in love with (or maybe just in the thrall of) The Batman, and sets out to give his love the greatest gift—deliverance from the people Batman/Bruce Wayne love. The book’s initial draw is the horrific, full-page images of Joker (drawn beautifully by Greg Capullo) but you’ll soon realize this story arc enters into the pantheon of Batman classics because of Snyder’s ability to craft a moving tale of a family torn apart. (www.dccomics.com/batman)

Author rating: 7.5/10