Brothers and sisters! Pay heed to the actions of the Joker for he will cause madness in Gotham! They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the poison that he has sent among them! So sayeth the book of Batman, chapter 98, verses 1-32!
This is the scripture according to the prolific James Tynion IV.
As envisioned by the not-as-prolific Jorge Jimenez
The official plot:
““The Joker War” part four of six! Batman is at his most vulnerable following a massive dose of an experimental new Joker toxin. With the Dark Knight haunted by demons and visions, it’s up to Harley Quinn to protect him while he recovers-because Punchline is on her way!”
DC Comics
This one should have had “Harley Quinn” graffitied over Batman in the title. The Harley/Punchline rematch is where all the action is. Batman spends the majority of the issue stuck in his own head, talking to Alfred.
My Impressions:
- Harley/Punchline: I dug it…more than just punches and insults, there’s some real girl talk during the fight.
- Alfred dealing out some tough love! (Even if he is a figment of Bruce’s drugged mind.)
- I’m Batman: Nice presentation, but not quite as powerful as intended. Sorry, you’re not going to shake the meme with this one.
Notable Appearances/Events:
- Batman (Bruce Wayne)
- Harley Quinn (Harleen Frances Quinzel)
- Punchline (Alexis Kayne)
- Alfred Pennyworth
- Catwoman (Selina Kyle)
- Penguin (Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot)
- Riddler (Edward Nigma)
- Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)
- Joker
- Killer Croc (Waylon Jones)
- Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch)
- Professor Pyg (Lazlo Valentin)
Bottom Line: 3 Stars!
Harley and Punchline steal the show in this one. It wasn’t quite as campy as I thought it would be. As for Batman…can we PLEASE move on from pining after Alfred now? I think that’s the set-up here…but I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of our favorite butler.
