Back To One Bad Day
It's the finale to the story that we waited for years to see. Was it worth the wait in the end?...... Well, I guess we'll find out from this issue, but before we get to that, let's talk about the journey so far. The Joker plans on making new Jokers, but beyond the three we're dealing with, none have been able to survive or gain any kind of semblance of sanity from their dips in the chemical baths that create our Clown Prince of Crime. There is one more option though, the perfect man to make the perfect Joker. The man who created Batman so many cold nights ago....... Joe Chill. Let's jump into this issue and see if the remaining two Jokers succeed in their plan or if Batman, Batgirl, and Red Hood can shut the Jokers down and hopefully find a way to move past the trauma that these madmen have shot into their lives. Let's check it out.
So obviously we're still dealing with a lot of animosity in this issue from our heroes over Jason not only killing the first of the three Jokers in the first issue but because he continues to plan to shoot the next two as well and this intensity is only doubled when we continue with the idea that Jason is pretty much untouchable because if he goes down for murder, he can take the rest of the Bat-Family down with him. It's a precarious situation which I'm not too fond of because I hate seeing our heroes put in a situation like this where they have to compromise their moral code to maintain their anonymity, but it does make sense as to why Jason Todd continues to be let off the hook for all the trouble he's caused since he's come back from the dead.
Beyond the family drama, this is the showdown for this series and while it's fine, it does feel a bit underwhelming since it's just old man Joe Chill being tied up, while Batman and Joker jaw at each other until a climax. It's fine in the idea that Batman being confronted with Joker forcing Joe Chill to talk about why he killed the Waynes is a messed up thing for Batman to face, but ultimately it doesn't become this moment that will stand out in time in my mind, but that's okay because where this moment didn't "wow" me to the point that I was hoping, it's the epilogues to this story that really add a personal and crucial touch to this story that makes everything feel tragic and in the end worthwhile.
All in all, the art continues to be amazing in this issue and even if this was silent or if the story didn't make any sense at all, this series would have been worth the grab for the art alone, but thankfully our story is worthwhile as well, but the ending didn't strike me as much as I hoped it would, even if there are some really strong elements at the end of the issue that do something special not only for this series but previous Batman stories. The Bat-Family in this are the ones who shine even with this being called Three Jokers, because the story of our heroes is the most compelling parts of this, even with them dipping a toe in the morally compromised pool which is a bit sad to see, but ultimately the Joker didn't do anything all that outrageous in this overall and ultimately just came off as a prototypical Joker that beyond making new Jokers, which never really works out, who just gives you the same spiels that you've seen a bunch of times before.
Bits and Pieces:
While I loved the art and really enjoyed the story, I don't think that the Jokers or their plan really works out in the end, beyond a kind of typical Joker messes with Batman way. That being said, the reason I like this so much is the way that Geoff Johns writes the Bat-Family and the struggles they go through not only in their fight against crime but with their moral compasses as well. Not to mention that the ending with Batman left me happy and gives reasons behind why Batman has left a mystery on the table for so long but does leave the setup with the Mobius Chair in the Darkseid War a little strange.
Thank you for the review. I'll be honest, most superheroes from Marvel and DC have been morally compromised for the past decade, Batman especially. If anything, this was the least compromised he's ever felt. Concerning the Jokers, I have to agree it felt like there should have been a bigger punch to it all. As if Geoff Johns didn't go big or dark enough with it. I still love the concept of The Joker making more Jokers, but the execution didn't hit the real mysteries people wanted addressed.
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