Comics Review: "Batman #13"

The Joker returns in full force to Gotham City, after a year's leave after having his face sliced off by the Dollmaker. The story starts with Jim Gordon talking about some recent superstitions people are having about a murderer, and some kind of competition he's hosting to snuff out spots or something. They go back to GCPD headquarters, to find the joker waiting for them, and he cracks their necks one by one. By the time Batman arrives, the Joker stole his face back, and left most of the cops dead. Jim is bent out of shape, and now has true fear about what's to come. Meanwhile, Joker has a lookalike, a. Italy member of his first victim in Gotham, speak as him on camera, talking about the death of the mayor. GCPD reacts accordingly, bringing a full force there. The mayor remained safe, but the whole force fell victim to a new batch of frown-inducing joker toxin. Batman and his bat family are all aware of the Joker's return, but he turns down their offer for help. Upon analysis of the new toxin, he sees a clue, ACE chemicals. Batman goes there, to find Harley Quinn forcibly impersonating Joker. The real Joker, however, is at Wayne Manor, creeping up on an unsuspecting Alfred.

Good story thus far. Joker is creepy and so violent and gruesome here, it's rather hard to watch. Just the savageness he portrayed in the GCPD HQ, it's something you'd expect TDKR's Bane to do. What Jokers intentions are is anyone's guess. Their artwork was up to the expected quality for this series. Those panels with the TV scenes were reminiscent of Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. I liked the focus in Gordon, and how we see Joker's return change the typically confident character. I'm excited to see where we go from here.

 

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