Absolute Batman #15 – Scott Snyder, Writer; Jock, Artist; Frank Martin, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: This has been by far the most disturbing version of Gotham City, with versions of Black Mask and Bane that reach new levels of sadism. So it only stands to reason that the introduction of Bruce Wayne’s ultimate nemesis will be a serious event – and one destined to create nightmares. Scott Snyder has brought back one of his original partners in horror, Jock, to illustrate this done-in-one issue, where we turn the clock back to discover a tale dark and grim. Alfred is finally ready to tell Bruce what he knows about the man code-named the Joker – a highly efficient and mysterious businessman who never, ever laughs. He seems like a totally normal man, but we’ve seen him at the table with the other villains, so they clearly know something we don’t. And from Alfred’s initial story, it tells the tale of a boy over a century ago who loved performing, and parlayed that into a career as a clown. His descendents built a media empire, with each one doing a lot of good for charity in the process.
And of course, that’s all a lie. This issue has a very clever framing device, where the whole story of the Grim family is told not twice but three times, as it reveals new details each time – the second time, what Alfred believes their money is actually being used for and how it plays into Bruce’s past adventures; and the third his actual theory of who – or what – Jack Grim V actually is. At the same time as this story is unfolding, we follow Mr. Grim as he undertakes a hunting expedition that turns incredibly disturbing and reveals the truth lying beneath the calm mask, and then returns home to his mansion. And the last page introduces one of the biggest mythos changes yet – and reveals just how outmatched Bruce is here. This feels like an expansion on what Snyder did during his past Joker stories, making the Clown Prince of Crime a more supernatural being with a centuries-old backstory. And no surprise, from this book – it’s brilliant.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
