Every legendary hero has an opposite. The other side of the coin. The darkness to their light. These reflections of evil, death and menace bring out the best in their champions – if they can survive the experience. The Batman has a rogues gallery that’s deep, and infamous, but none reflect Batman like the Joker, the deadliest, most frightening villain he’s had to face over the many years.
In Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family, the Joker makes his horrifying return. The volume collects Batman #13-17 and is from the acclaimed team of writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo, who not only bring back Batman’s deadliest foe, but gives us a new look that adds to the fright. The return of the Joker to Gotham City is a complex, dangerous and disturbing masterpiece that is absolutely one of the best modern Joker stories and maybe one of the best of all time.
In this event, Snyder has brought together every Batman ally he could muster to fend off the Joker’s scheme so murderous and dangerous that it threatens all aspects of Batman’s life, and at the end shakes the Bat-family to its very core.
Matching Snyders carefully crafted story, which brings back the Joker as a bloodthirsty, grinning, psychopath, is Capullo’s vision of him, adding a disturbing visage that matches the Joker’s disturbing mind. This isn’t your classic Joker kiddies!
While many speculated we’d see a member of the Bat-family killed, Snyder has done so much more, driving a spike through the trust that bonds them together. He’s set up wounds that’ll be many years before they’re healed, cleaving the family apart, sowing distrust. It’s a different, more psychological attack this time, much of which is sown from Batman’s own paranoia. There’s something very Hitchcock-esque about it all.
This collection also features an acetate dust jacket which showcases the Joker as he appeared on the die-cut covers of the Death of the Family comics. But, under that dust jacket lies the horror that is the Joker’s skinless face! Much like the story there’s more to it all and you’ll find that this story is more than skin deep.
A must-buy for all Batman fans.
Story: Scott Snyder and James T. Tynion IV Art: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion and Jock
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
