The Batman Who Laughs #1 [preview]

[sirmarkus]

I think we were all spoiled by the peak at 'Issue #2' , Murder Machine.
I liked BWL but there was always a feeling it could've been better.

Murder Machine was definitely the strongest.

[Naked Bat]

Rossmo's next-level art aside, this was pretty damn disappointing. After a handful of surprisingly interesting takes on what would break Batman - or at least, what Batman is scared could break him - the most fundamentally unsettling premise of all turns out to have an explanation of "blood drugs made him real bad real fast so he spoilers:

shot everybody and then made Superman and his kid kill Lois Lane before they died too and then he killed everyone else because he's Bad now

end of spoilers". Reading this I recalled Mark Waid talking about how on Irredeemable he always struggled to make sure it was scary because it was morally askew and tragic rather than because it was a splatterfest constantly trying to top the last gross-out, and I feel like this could have learned from that: this could have just as easily ended with Batman turning to the reader and screaming "AND THEN I DROPPED AN ATOM BOMB ON TITANS TOWER! AND THEN I COMMITTED SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUD ON THE JUSTICE SOCIETY! AND THOSE NEW ZOMBIE ROBINS WERE ORPHANS WHO HAD JUST BEEN ASSIGNED LOVING FOSTER HOMES, AND THEN I MADE THEM EAT THEIR PUPPIES WHO LOVED AND TRUSTED THEM AND WERE ALSO ORPHANS!!!!!" Hell, this is a final Batman/Joker story that I don't think even had a damn joke in it, nevermind any of the interesting psychological stuff you'd expect to see with that kind of warping of Bruce's worldview. One or two interesting moments and the art notwithstanding, a serious letdown.

Such a great post. I can't understand why they insist on giving Tynion work when he's fan fiction level at best.

[JBatmanFan05]

I thought this might be Batman Lost good, but it was not. Too much like the rest, by the numbers with these “Dark Knights” one-shots. The Batman Who Laughs should have gotten a more memorable tale. There was some hype for this and it didn't deliver enough. It's this kinda disappointment that makes me not really big on James Tynion IV like some are.

Snyder and Williamson should have pitched in on this one too. Perhaps more pages were needed too.

[Sharkey]

Well that was disappointing, an origin story which was better summarised in an interview.

Did they ever reveal who the Batman Who Laugh's Robins were? (aside from the one that was clearly Damian.)

This issue didn't actually reveal anything new, spent most of the issue being all dark and edgy.

[dietrich]

Well that was disappointing, an origin story which was better summarised in an interview.

Did they ever reveal who the Batman Who Laugh's Robins were? (aside from the one that was clearly Damian.)

This issue didn't actually reveal anything new, spent most of the issue being all dark and edgy.

They are the kids Jokerised at the start of the book by the Joker. There's a whole army of them seen in other titles.

[Barbatos666]

Well this was dumb.

[Sharkey]

They are the kids Jokerised at the start of the book by the Joker. There's a whole army of them seen in other titles.

Oh right, guess I didn't pick up on that! Does it mention that in BWL? I remember the scene with the children but I glossed over the details.

[Talon1load]

I enjoyed it. It wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t bad. I think the Drowned was the worst tie in so far. I think I enjoyed Batman the Merciless the most. I like Tynion. He’s the only Batman writer, other than Snyder in Metal, that I’m enjoying right now.

[dietrich]

Oh right, guess I didn't pick up on that! Does it mention that in BWL? I remember the scene with the children but I glossed over the details.

No it doesn't tell us anything I just guessed by the sheer number of them and the fact there were already a part of the story when he turns.

[Sharkey]

Before this issue, I was expecting some form of reveal along the lines of all the Robins being versions of young Jason Todd - what with the whole "crow" and "bar" back and forth calls.

A bunch of generic jokerized kids though? Boringggg!

[Black_Adam]

I don't mind dark/evil takes on a hero but this book was just too cruel and violent for me especially the stuff that happened on the Watchtower.

Honestly I hope the Batman who Laughs gets curb stomped by the REAL Joker at the end of Metal, now that would be a laugh.

[dietrich]

Before this issue, I was expecting some form of reveal along the lines of all the Robins being versions of young Jason Todd - what with the whole "crow" and "bar" back and forth calls.

A bunch of generic jokerized kids though? Boringggg!

I also expected something along those lines since they seemed to teasing and referencing DITF Robins and Crowbars [I know Damian did beat the crap out of Joker with a crow bar but not as well known]

It was a wasted opportunity. A huge let down this particular Dark Batman had so much potential [sign]

[vitruvian]

Does anyone else get the sense that the reason that the Batman Who Laughs dealing with the Spectre just being mentioned in a caption rather than it actually being explained or shown, is that the writer couldn't think of a way that Batman could actually accomplish that?

[Barbatos666]

Tell, dont show storytelling has become incredibly common in the Batbooks since Rebirth which is why I really dont care about them.

[Sharkey]

He claims he fought "armies of villains, alien tyrants, the wrath of god" - and the issues shows none of this.

That would of been 20-odd pages worth reading.