For three years writer Scott Snyder and artists Greg Capullo and Danny Miki have been presenting the "New 52" version of Batman.
They've created a new foe in the Court of Owls, and tried to re-establish the Joker as a true figure of menace.
One was a great success - the other, not so much.
This version of the Joker just hasn't worked at all for me. He's too much the mad sociopath with impossible resources (manages to survive with his face torn off? No problem! Want to stage a parade in downtown Gotham while the city is burning? Easy! Does he need to be everywhere at once? Sure!).
The story revolves around the Joker's attempts to burn Gotham City to the ground - and the implications are far-reaching, as (if I'm reading this correctly) the Joker has developed a super-power of sorts - with odd implications that put him in Wolverine's class.
A little tweaking is one thing, but making the Joker into a super-powered monster is a step way too far in the wrong direction.
And don't get me started on what happens to Alfred here.
It all reads like fan fiction, not the kind of story that advances the mythology. Instead, it's a story that will have to be "fixed" later.
On the up side, the art is terrific as always.
Grade: B-
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