Batman: Three Jokers Review
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BATMAN: THREE JOKERS...
How Did We Get Here?
It was still the "dark days" of DC Comics' New 52 era (2011-2016) where the DC Universe story had reach a culmination with Justice League: Darkseid War written by Geoff Johns. The story itself was a continuity latent story line and obviously had repercussions outside of the Caped Crusader's world. However, the most interesting aspect to Darkseid War was Batman's access to Metron's Mobius Chair in Justice League: Darkseid War #42. After taking a seat on the cosmic throne, Batman asks two questions for the all knowing chair to answer. The first question, an easy one (for us fans) and a test to prove the chair works, was "Who Killed My Parents?" The answer, of course, is Joe Chill. So, with confirmation of the chair's power, Batman asks "What's The Joker's real name?" We don't get to see what the answer is until later in the arc, but Batman replies "That's impossible." And we're left unaware to the answer for eight full issues.
Next, in Justice League #50, also written by Johns, we get the answer to Bruce Wayne's inquisition. While in the Batcave, Hal Jordan speaks with Bruce saying "I heard you ask the chair who The Joker was. Who is he?" It didn't give Bruce a name, it only said "There are three." Hal Jordan, Bruce Wayne and all of us readers are left with the question: "What the hell does that even mean?"
Finally, in DC Comics: Rebirth #1, again by Geoff Johns, we meet Batman in the Batcave apparently starting his investigation into the three Jokers. We see on the computer there are the eras of the Joker represented. The silver age , the 80's/Killing Joke and the Scott Snyder modern take on the character. More on those in a bit, but that was where we left on the possible three Jokers thread...
That was until March 2020, when DC announced that Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok's long awaited Batman: Three Jokers would release in August 2020. In the four year gap since Rebirth, Johns had worked on the delay labored Doomsday Clock and was in and out as a producer for DC Films. The producer job was the main culprit for the delays in Doomsday Clock and fans wondered if the same would happen for Three Jokers. Alas, the date was set and this book was released without a hitch. Now, time for the nitty gritty.
Time Heals All Wounds.
Batman: Three Jokers Issue #1 was released in August of 2020. The story begins in dark, mysterious fashion like any good Batman book should and from there it takes a wonderful journey swiping through webs to find what this story is really about. it's about trauma. That's a fantastic labyrinth for any fan of Batman, let alone the extended Bat-Family. In Three Jokers, each Joker is designated to a member of the Bat-Family that they've inflicted the most trauma to. Barbara Gordon/Batgirl has the Killing Joke iteration, Jason Todd/Red Hood has the Death In The Family Joker and Batman has the Detective Comics #27 Joker. Named The Comedian, The Clown and The Criminal, respectively. This is a amazing groundwork laid out before the reader.
In Issue #1, the trauma of the main characters is on full display. Jason Todd, especially deals with his head on when him and Batgirl have apprehended his Joker. While tied to a chair, "The Clown" mentally berates Jason recapping his "final moments" alive as the second Robin. Jason is pushed to the brink and kills "The Clown". This is a huge development that I was cold on the first read, but it feels like great closure for Jason. Batman and Batgirl are in a corner. They can't turn Jason in or they'd all have to unmask. That's interesting.
Before The Clown is killed, seeing all three Jokers interact is short and sweet. There's not much we can gather on a history of them working together, but what we see is nothing short of diabolical. All in all the first installment of this mini series had me wanting more and had lived up to the hype of the last four years. Johns left us on a great cliffhanger.
Before I get too far ahead, I'm just going to get the art out of the way. Jason Fabok more than delivers exceptional art that carries Brian Bolland's torch yet growing that flame larger. There's something overtly cinematic in his camera placement that makes this story come to life. The subtle changes in each Joker's appearance, the flashbacks to famous Batman stories and the nine panel grid are some of the best art in the last few years. hell of a way to begin the decade. Long story short, Fabok passed this with flying colors and I cannot wait to see what he has in store for comic books in the future. Now back to the story.
Issue #2 starts with The Comedian hallucinating a family scenario. It's as if his pregnant wife got to live and have the child. This scene is just fantastic, but happens to foreshadow my main complaint of the book. No complaints about the scene itself. I have no big complaints about any of this issue to be frank. For me, the moment where Batman tries to confront Joe Chill is one of the best Batman moments of all time. The Jokers' plan to create a new Joker is solid as well. Creating another version to terrify the Gotham is a neat idea. And probably the most controversial topic, Jason and Barbara kiss. They have shared trauma and in the moments after Jason is saved from another crow bar beating, they embrace just for a moment. This early, I wasn't a fan of that pairing, but seeing how it ended up, I'm a huge fan of this dynamic. The cliffhanger with Joe Chill held captive by the Jokers is attention grabbing. The Comedian asks Chill "Why did you really kill Thomas and Martha Wayne?" With that ending I was hopeful this would wrap up nicely.
The finale in Issue #3 landed in my lap and I opened it up to hopefully get the resolution to this long journey. Jason is slowly overcoming his trauma and wants to pursue a relationship with Barbara. Of course, shes hesitant to do so and I love the ending to that story. It's the best thing Barbara gets to have in this book. In a story about trauma, she doesn't really have an arc other than being the voice of reason. She's just there. I'm thankful the development of her and Jason's relationship lives and dies here. Johns handles that beautifully.
Then, we have Joe Chill held captive in Monarch Theater where Batman was born. The Criminal wants to make him the next Joker so he can be the Joker that truly matters to Batman AND Bruce Wayne. We find out in Chill's time in prison, he writes letter to Bruce Wayne apologizing for the mistake. He wanted to kill the Wayne's for being rich, opportunistic people, but he realized they were trying to make Gotham a better place. Batman saves him from getting Jokerized and the pair reunite outside in Crime Alley, like years before. This time, Joe Chill is old, dying of cancer and repentant for what he's done to Bruce. Personally, I love this moment a lot and what Johns does to an extent. I just wish there was more of this story somewhere else. Yes I know it's trauma, but this book is about Joker causing that trauma. It feels like a sidestep. Again, I would love to see a whole story about Bruce coming to grips with Joe Chill, but we got what we got and it isn't bad in the slightest.
Then, in the last act of the book it comes down to this. The Criminal is about to kill Batman when The Comedian puts a bullet through his head. Thus, leaving The Comedian, the last Joker standing. After that Batman and Joker are in the back of a prison van where this whole story is wrapped up by the surviving Joker. The Joker posits that Batman was broken and by saving Joe Chill he's healed. Now, Joker can be a pain to Batman all to himself. For me, this just doesn't cut it. And to top it off, disregarding what started this whole mystery of Three Jokers, Bruce knew this living Joker's identity all along, he somehow managed to save Joker's pregnant wife and moved her safely to Alaska. Where her and their child live anonymously. Why does this rub me the wrong way?
The Joker's Name Isn't Important
The Joker's name has never been important. While delivering a thesis on The Joker that I actually agree with, Geoff Johns undercuts it by doing pretty much that. Johns doesn't give Joker a name, but gives the Joker a concrete origin with The Killing Joke. In doing this, he retcons The Killing Joke flashbacks to be truth and not "multiple choice" like it is left up to the reader. The idea of the Joker is supposed to be left up to interpretation and I feel this somewhat betrays that. The mystery is a big chunk of what makes that character special. Scripting falls off for me in book three pretty hard and not to mention there's empty space. There is a long gap of no narration, no dialogue, just nine panel grids taking real estate for showing our main protagonists entering the Monarch Theater. In fact, there is a lot of empty space left for action beats and I couldn't help but disappointed. Even though I could stare at Fabok's art for days. Another question we asked was "Why are there three?" We can assume to create terror and continue to be a thorn in Batman's side, but that would be great information to have. And finally, the most egregious for me is this final point.
Three Jokers was touted by Geoff Johns to be "Not another Batman/Joker story." At the end of the three book series, it's revealed to be just that. As I mentioned earlier in the article in Rebirth #1, Batman's looking at three distinct Jokers and only one resembles what we've got in Three Jokers. Now, it could be just throw away panels to satiate the nerves of the readers, but I think in the four years since,plans changed drastically. Geoff Johns' schedule was full of movie engagements, television producing and he was writing Doomsday Clock. Doomsday Clock was delayed and fizzled in it's hype and I can't help but think that played a heavy part in changing the Three Jokers plot.
Now, I've been asked "What was promised?" Nothing is ever a guarantee or promised with stories other than you're promised a good story. You, as a reader, have to take what's given to you and hope for the best. Speaking personally, I read Darkseid War and Rebirth and sought a great mystery and maybe some huge revelation about the Joker's role in Batman's mythology. What I got out of Three Jokers is that there's no reason for three Jokers existing and that, when it's all said and done, this was just another Batman/Joker tale. Do not get me wrong, do I wish I read the same book as the majority of people did? Yes. But, what I got in the end wasn't a good story. There was a lot of good ideas in there, but nothing shook out into one cohesive narrative.So long and thanks for the laughing fish.
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