Michael Wais Comic Reviews

The Joker's sinister trademark grin is made from scar tissue in the series, with pins jabbed in his cheeks to stretch his gums back to an obscene degree. The character design would be a lot more intriguing and terrifying if it wasn't so obviously influenced by the original use of scar tissue for the character design when Heath Ledger played The Joker in "The Dark Knight". However, Jock draws the grin with the same over-the-top style of exaggeration that Frank Miller drew some of his best original characters, since Jock draws the eyes and jaws in an expression so wide and manic that the character could only come to life on the page instead of the screen.

Hopefully, later Joker storylines will involve more direct action on the parts of the characters and can move the plot of the Batman franchise into dark, entertaining and more fascinating territory. Unfortunately, this issue features The Joker at his most amateurish.It would be nice if Alan Moorewould come back to write The Joker at his most deranged, like inThe Killing Jokestoryline.

Detective Comics #17 seemed very rushed and the plotline didnt seem to affect any other developments for any main characters or recurring storylines. The Death of The Family plot wasnt really impacted by any events in this issue. Hopefully, the Detective Comics writers can give The Merrymaker a second chance in a story that is much more pivotal.

Ignatius's play for power as The Penguin's former page is very well-written in this issue. The scenes with Ogilvy are interspersed in just the right amount to give the impression that he knows as long as there's enough chaos, Batman (and even The Penguin) can't quite catch up with him. Scenes with Ogilvy even introduce some potential new villains. Most important of all is his retrieval of the "Bat Serum". Hopefully the serum will be used on Zsasz in the next issue of "Detective Comics" and give him the same kind of strengths in martial-arts and wits that make Batman a lethal force to be reckoned with.