Batman #7 – Matt Fraction, Writer; Jorge Jimenez, Artist; Tomeu Morey, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: So far, this series has been unique for mostly putting Batman in smaller-scale adventures, usually done-in-one stories pitting him against lower-tier villains, corrupt police officers, and other more personal threats. He even had time to go on a date! The series has been largely anchored by Dr. Anika Zeller, a potential new ally for Batman and love interest for Bruce, as well as the scientist behind an experimental procedure that seemingly cures the madness facing Gotham’s villains. She was able to dull Riddler’s compulsions, but last issue hinted that she might have a much darker purpose – and the curtain is pulled back on her secrets this issue. Because it’s time to meet Patient 10, better known as the Joker – seemingly critically wounded, living in a tank, and attached to the “Crown” that affects his mind. And it seems to have worked – but that doesn’t make him any less unsettling.
Because Joker has regained his sanity, and he now understands the full enormity of all he’s done. There’s a brilliant fold-out page segment that covers all this silently, far better than any words could, and it’s one of the best pages of Jorge Jimenez’s career. Batman is contacted by a scarred former victim of Joker who has been working as an orderly – and was willing to pass on a message from Joker, and the issue is largely a tense stand-off between them as Batman at first refuses to believe that this “miracle” could actually work on Joker. But the end of the issue has a game-changing moment that raises the stakes for Batman in more ways than one, and potentially changes the nature of Batman and Joker’s rivalry forever. The way this issue works with just two characters in a room together and fairly few words in places is a reason why this is becoming one of the best main-line Batman runs in a while.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
