The Joker #7
Written by: Sam Johns, James Tynion IV
Art by: Sweeney Boo, Guillem March
Très bien-the Joker visits Paris! Gordon must get to Joker ahead of the Sampsons, but has the Clown Prince set an ambush for his pursuers? Plus, Barbara fights for her life after her introduction to the new Talon! Punchline backup: The search for Kelly Ness-Punchline’s former friend who is also in Blackgate Penitentiary-begins.
It was new comic book day yesterday. What’d you all get? What’d you like? What’d you dislike? Sound off in the comments below! While you think about that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.
The Mary Sue – Tim Drake, the Best Robin AS Robin, Is the Newest LGBTQ Mainstream Comic Book Character – If you missed the news.
Reviews
The Beat – Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms
That Hashtag Show – Detective Comics #1041
Screenrant – The Heart Hunter
That Hashtag Show – The Joker #6
But Why Tho Podcast – Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven
The Joker #6
Written by: Sam Johns, James Tynion IV
Art by: Sweeney Boo, Guillem March
After barely surviving in the jungles of Belize, The Joker flees to Europe! Jim Gordon pursues the madman, but the seeds of doubt begin to sprout…if The Joker didn’t gas Arkham Asylum, who did? And what’s the next move for Vengeance, daughter of Bane? Backup: Punchline’s takeover of Blackgate Penitentiary continues as her most insidious goal becomes clear: find a woman she used to call her friend in her college days and make her pay for her betrayal. On the outside, Harper Row tries to pull her brother, Cullen, back from the brink of Jokerized radicalization!
The Joker: Gotham by Gaslight joins the One:12 Collective!
The One:12 Collective The Joker: Gotham by Gaslight is outfitted in a Victorian era-inspired outfit. He wears a dress shirt, necktie, suspenders, and slacks, and an optional leather-like butcher’s apron. A double-breasted overcoat, a scarf, top hat, and tinted glasses are also included to assist The Joker in concealing his identity.
The Joker features two head portraits inspired by his vintage comic book appearances – a maniacal smile and an unnerving stare. The tools of his trade are no laughing matter and all can be stored neatly in the included valise.
THE ONE:12 COLLECTIVE JOKER FIGURE FEATURES:
COSTUME:
ACCESSORIES:
Each One:12 Collective The Joker: Gotham by Gaslight – Deluxe Edition figure is packaged in a collector-friendly box, designed with collectors in mind.
The One:12 Collective The Joker: Gotham by Gaslight – Deluxe Edition is available now.
As part of MezcoCon 2021, Mezco Toyz is revealing some of the releases we’ll see from them in the coming months. Today’s first One:12 Collective reveal is a new Joker based on the classic Gotham by Gaslight storyline.
Gotham by Gaslight was a one-shot comic released in 1989 and written by Brian Augustyn with art by Mike Mignola and inks by P. Craig Russell. The story features a 19th century Bruce Wayne who debuts as Batman as Jack the Ripper comes to Gotham.
The weekend is almost here! What geeky things are you all doing? Sound off in the comments below! While you wait for the weekday to end and the weekend to begin, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web.
Book Riot – 9 LGBTQ+ Comic Book Characters That Give Us Hope For More Representation – Who gives you hope?
The Beat – A Year of Free Comics: Explore a post-super planet in FOLKLORE – Free comics!
Reviews
Atomic Junk Shop – Count
That Hashtag Show – Jenny Zero #3
That Hashtag Show – Ninjak #1
That Hashtag Show – The Joker #5
Monkeys Fighting Robots – Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #2
The Joker #5
Written by: Sam Johns, Matthew Rosenberg, James Tynion IV
Art by: Sweeney Boo, Francesco Francavilla
The never-before-seen tale of the Joker’s first night in Arkham Asylum is finally revealed! When a lunatic in a clown suit tries to poison Gotham City’s reservoir and is placed in Arkham Asylum before his trial, Detective Jim Gordon realizes something’s different about this new inmate that could forever change the future of Gotham. Backup: Rising-star artist Sweeney Boo joins the series as things get worse and worse for Punchline and Bluebird. Punchline’s prison war against the Queen of Spades escalates and no prisoner at Blackgate Penitentiary will be exempt from choosing sides. And after barely escaping death at the hands of Punchline’s former accomplice, will Bluebird have the will to continue her investigation and find the mysterious woman from Punchline’s past who has the answers she’s looking for?
The Joker so far has been a very enjoyable and quite surprising comic series. When first announced, I was a bit turned off about a series that would put in the spotlight an “edgelord”, making the Joker “fun” instead of the unrepentant vile force of nature he is. Instead, we got a story about a man full of regrets and unaccomplished goals. The series isn’t about the Joker, it’s about James Gordon and his unfulfilled mission to stop the Joker once and for all. The Joker #5 takes us into the past exploring the dance between these two and their earliest of years.
Matthew Rosenberg and James Tynion IV team up for an interesting “year one” type story. It gives us some of the earliest years of the two’s dance. Arkham Asylum wasn’t yet the facility it is now and Gotham’s crime bosses’ still ruled. What we’re presented is the beginning of a man’s obsession and the Joker’s torment. There’s a Moby Dick aspect to it all and it delivers even more depth to not just Gordon but the Joker.
What’s interesting is that Rosenberg and Tynion show how forward-thinking Gordon is. While others are focused on the likes of Falcone, Gordon sees the new threat that Joker represents. We also see how his obsession splits his focus and ability to be effective. While the Joker has killed, Gordon’s obsession with the Joker has as well.
Francesco Francavilla steps in on art and color and his style is as fantastic as expected. With lettering by Tom Napolitano, the issue has both a horror and noir style about it. It’s fantastic to look at and even simple scenes like sitting in a chair deliver tension and fear. The art nails the mood and feel of the issue perfectly.
The issue also continues Punchline’s story both in prison and outside. We see how the character is still sowing chaos. Writers Sam Johns and James Tynion IV deliver a chapter that feels a bit like a bridge to the next arc for the character after the initial setup. Sweeney Boo‘s art pops as expected with a great style and beautiful neon colors. Ariana Maher‘s lettering emphasizes the interesting back and forth between characters.
Story: Matthew Rosenberg, James Tynion IV, Sam Johns Art: Francesco Francavilla, Sweeney Boo
Color: Francesco Francavilla Letterer: Tom Napolitano, Ariana Maher
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.65 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Aliens: Aftermath #1 (Marvel) – 35 years after Aliens, return to Hadley’s Hope!
Beyond the Breach #1 (AfterShock) – A trip to California goes wrong as a dimensional breach plunges the area into chaos.
Bunny Mask #2 (AfterShock) – The first issue had a nice Silence of the Lambs feel about it and it’ll be interesting to see what this one delivers in tone and direction.
The Joker #5 (DC Comics) – A story from the past exploring the relationship between James Gordon and the Joker. A very interesting and disturbing tale.
Mouse Guard: The Owlhen Caregiver & Other Stories (BOOM! Studios/Archaia) – Three new tales from David Petersen as he returns to this beloved series.
Never Never #1 (Heavy Metal Magazine) – A twisted take on Peter Pan. Read our review.
Ninjak #1 (Valiant) – A new direction and volume for Valiant’s action spy! Read our review of the first issue.
Savage Hearts #1 (Dark Horse) – It’s an action-comedy romance as a barbarian bruiser with a broken heart teams up with a lonely beastman who talks to dinosaurs.
Sinister War #1 (Marvel) – Doctor Octopus is back and he has a new Sinister Six! It’s an all-out war between them and the Vulture’s Savage Six!
Skybound X #2 (Image Comics/Skybound) – The first issue sold out due to the debut of a certain character and we’re expecting each issue to deliver pretty big “firsts”. Don’t miss out on this if you’re a collector.
Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Alice in Leatherland #3 (Black Mask Studios) – The sex-positive fantasy series has been intriguing so far and we want to read more and see more, of this type of storytelling.
Bunny Mask #1 (AfterShock) – A new horror series about an unnatural killer unleashed on the world after thousands of years of being locked away.
Cherry Blackbird #1 (Scout Comics/Black Caravan) – A rocker must nab demons for the devil or she’s doomed when she turns 27.
Eve #2 (BOOM! Studios) – The first issue was fantastic and we’re excited to see where this apocalytpic story goes.
Far Sector #12 (DC Comics/DC’s Young Animal) – The series wraps up and we seriously have no idea where it’s going to go.
Freak Snow #1 (Behemoth) – A frozen apocalyptic tale and lets face it, we’re suckers for those.
Girl From the Sea (Scholastic Graphix) – The concept sounds like Splash with an LGBT spin for younger readers.
The Good Asian #2 (Image Comics) – The Chinatown noir had an amazing first issue not just delivering a solid detective story but also confronting racism, social issues, and American history head on.
The Joker #4 (DC Comics) – The series has exceeded our expectations with a story not about the Joker but the man he tortured and wants to close that chapter of his life, James Gordon. There’s a Moby Dick vibe to the series that’s intriguing.
Maniac of New York #5 (AfterShock) – We’ve loved this series that brings the slasher concept to comics.
Miles Morales: Shock Waves (Scholastic Graphix) – A middle-grade story about Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man!
Minamata Story (Stone Bridge Press) – The story of “Minamata disease,” a debilitating and sometimes fatal condition caused by the Chisso chemical factory’s careless release of methylmercury into the waters of the coastal community of Minamata in southern Japan. Sounds like fantastic graphic journalism/history.
Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1 (Image Comics) – The world’s most unlikable action star has been found dead, and his previous TV sidekicks are looking to solve the mystery. The concepts sounds like a lot of fun to us.
Web of Spider-Man #1 (Marvel) – The description makes the series sound like it’s geared toward younger readers and we’re totally fine, and excited, about that.
