“A Clockwork Monster”

Batman Europa #2 picks up where we last left our new bosom buddies, the Bat and the man who laughs, as they desperately race against time to find the root of the mysterious Colossus disease they’ve been infected with. Time is running out fast though…

Okay so this issue was a blast! It had Batman being his normal stubborn self and the Joker being as carefree and maniacal as ever. (Swear I heard Mark Hamill’s voice reading this, but maybe I’m just in full Star Wars mode) The issue starts with Batman battling Giant Wooden Robots. You heard me. Giant Wooden Robots. At first glance I thought it could be Winslow Schott, aka the Toyman, but that’s too obvious. Of course Batman desperately tries to fight off all attacks by himself but comes to the horrible realization that he can’t do it alone. While trying to save their new cohort, Nina, Batman is just too slow and who saves her none other than The Joker. Batman can’t breathe a sigh of relief too long because the Joker does kill a street vendor but Batman is too sick to stop him. Taking assessment that time is dwindling down they quickly set course to find the Trojan Horse and the mastermind behind all this before it’s too late.

Overall: The issue moved very fast and pushed the story along nicely. It was a lot of fighting,  mixed with a barrage of snappy banter and dialogue. Heck, we even got to see The Joker’s ninja knife skills! On the surface, it almost felt like a buddy cop drama, but with way more underlying hate. Some of the Joker’s lines actually made me laugh out loud. The painted art by Giuseppe Camuncoli was beautiful and much more fluid than last issue. Perhaps that’s why the issue moved faster since the art wasn’t so distracting as last time. We still don’t know the mystery man behind this and that intrigues me. I hope it’s either a Bat-Foe we haven’t seen in a long time who is being elevated (please don’t be Hush), or a brand new villain altogether. I’m hoping for the latter myself. The next to last line from Joker to Batman was great and you’ll appreciate it if you like classic movies, as they set off to their next destination. So till next time Bat-Fans, if this story isn’t your cup of tea, well like the Joker says, you’ll always have…

Story: Mattao Casali and Brian Azzarello Art: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Story: 8  Art: 9.5 Overall: 9 Recommendation: Buy