My Dinner With Joker.
The sheer unpredictability of Tom King's Batman saga continues to be one of this book's greatest strengths. You never quite know what to expect with each new issue, even within the same story arc. Batman #29 pushes "The War of Jokes and Riddles" in its strangest direction yet, as nearly every A-List villain in Gotham shows up for a lavish dinner party at Wayne Manor. Rarely has high society been this twisted, or this fun.
Essentially, this issue could be viewed as the bottle episode for "The War of Jokes and Riddles," as it unfolds almost entirely within one room and features a set cast of characters. And while various lieutenants from both sides of the war are on display, this is really a story about the interplay between Riddler, Joker and their mediator, Bruce Wayne. There's a clear,m palpable tension driving this story, with both ringleaders primed and ready to turn their comfortable surroundings into a violent bloodbath at a moment's notice. Various other little touches enhance the overall impact of the story. In particular, the use of different French food courses as a framing device gives the book a comical, Hannibal-esque quality.
This premise allows King to examine both main villains through each other's perspective. We see Riddler deconstruct the stereotypical, Killing Joke-style origin of his nemesis, dismissing Joker as a fraud who only pretends to understand true madness. Joker, meanwhile, can't even bring himself to regard Edward Nygma as a peer. Bruce, caught perilously in between these two mass-murderers, exudes a quiet desperation as he tries to accomplish what Batman couldn't and bring an end to the slaughter. King's characterization for all three main players is very strong. As with issue #28, the script is only really marred by a weirdly abrupt and inconclusive final page.
Mikel Janin continues to impress with each new chapter. Given the closed, intimate nature of this story, it's easy to picture a bland comic marked by talking heads. But Janin knows how to inject a surreal, unsettling quality into any scene or situation. The very idea of Bruce Wayne inviting Batman's entire rogues gallery into his home is slightly insane, and Janin's art gives this issue the "heightened reality" quality it needs. One of the reasons Janin and King work so well together is that King's emphasis on pattern and repetition in his writing allows Janin to get up close and personal with his characters. There's a Joker scene in this issue reminiscent of the character's debut in the first chapter of "The War of Jokes and Riddles," one that showcases a variety of shifting expressions and highlights his currently tumultuous, conflicted nature.
The Verdict
Not many creative teams could pull off a comic about Bruce Wayne sharing a fancy meal with Joker and Riddler, but Tom King and Mikel Janin aren't just any team. This issue serves as a tense, tightly rendered and slightly surreal addition to "The War of Jokes and Riddles." Despite another abrupt, underwhelming ending, this issue is another winner for the creators.
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