Review: The Batman Who Laughs

Quick Summary

Pros: This is a wonderfully terrifying book through and through. There are three moments which stand out as some of the darkest stuff to come from Batman.

Cons: Those who can’t handle horror should stay far away from this book.

Overall: Readers who thought that Dark Nights: Metal had been dark before have not seen anything yet. This is the most chilling and horrifying comic in a series of chilling and horrifying comics. It is a terrifying look at the darkest of the dark Batmen and one that will constantly have readers at the edge of their seats. Fans of horror or those curious about Bruce Wayne’s darkest nightmare are highly recommended to try this comic on for size.

Story

The Batman Who Laughs, by James Tynion IV, might be one of the most twisted and dark comic books to come out of DC Comics in a very long time. It takes everything good and wholesome about Batman and strips it away, leaving only darkness and terror. The horror elements of this comic are well done and will leave reader feeling uneasy long after they finish reading. The Batman Who Laughs was clearly designed to be the most upsetting and dark version of Bruce Wayne, and this comic finally delivers on that image.

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The first half of this issue details the Batman Who Laughs’ origin. Batman finally killed the Joker but, in doing so, has released the toxic chemicals that were locked in his body. He inhales them, causing his body chemistry to change and turn him into the same type of deranged lunatic that the Joker once was. This was Joker’s last wish, to create a man with Batman’s intellect but his own lack of restraint. It is a great concept and one that feeds directly into the corruption theme prevalent throughout the dark-Batmen one-shots.

If the start of the story wasn’t upsetting enough, the Batman Who Laughs insures that the rest of the story will be. It all starts when he lets out a quick “ha” after hearing about a woman’s throat being ripped out. This completely out of character moment is so jarring and strange that it immediately puts readers on edge and prepares them for the worst. The later portions of this issue double down on the horror but this moment is a strong contender for the creepiest moment of them all. It might be because this is still recognizably Batman uttering a recognizably Joker saying, making it worse than a Batman who looks like Joker uttering a Joker saying.

The doubling down happens shortly after this moment. Batman calls his family together and explains what is happening to them. They offer help but he claims he didn’t call for their help. This is the issue’s tipping point, where readers instantly realize that this Batman is gone and there is no going back. He kills Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin in a fury of bullets. It is dark, shocking, and unbelievable all at the same time. This is the moment where readers realize that this Batman is not playing games, and neither is this comic.

The rest of the book details the Batman Who Laughs dismantling the rest of his world and then being approached by Barbatos. Within these pages, one of the book’s other more disturbing scenes occurs. Superman and his family are on the Watchtower, seemingly the last members of the Justice League. Superman, the world’s greatest symbol of hope, pleads with Bruce to stop this insanity. The Batman Who Laughs replies by throwing a piece of Black Kryptonite at him, an act that would effectively cause the Super-family to kill each other. It is a sick moment that, once again, reminds readers that this is a true horror.

The comic ends by connecting the work back to the Metal event as a whole. The Batman Who Laughs has been talking to someone this entire time, but their face is obscured. This, on its own, is interesting as it could be the setup to what is going to happen in the near future. The more direct setup though, is the threat of even more nightmares invading from the dark-multiverse, something that the Batman Who Laughs claims is possible. These are both quick, yet effective, teases for the future.

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Art

Riley Rossmo’s art and Ivan Plascencia’s colors are what guide readers throughout this journey of nightmares. The pair really succeed in capturing the horror feel that this comic was going for, and make it look good while doing so. Specifically, the paneling here is vey well done, and is what most effectively sets the mood. Panels are chaotic and pages even crack with them, establishing a sense of unease that will be essential for readers getting the most out of this book. No one will be disappointed in how well this piece of horror translates visually.

Continuity

The Batman Who Laughs is the last of a series of one-shots designed as tie-ins to Dark Nights: Metal. Thought the events in this issue do not greatly relate to the main event storyline, one can assume it takes place sometime after Metal #2 (Review).

For more information on the timeline of the Metal event see our “Metal Timeline” right here and our other “Metal Reviews” right here.

This issue also references the stories from other comic books, all of which are detailed below:

• The majority of this story is set on Earth -22, the inverse version of Earth 22. Earth 22 is the setting of Kingdom Come, a story about superheroes fighting each other. This may be why Earth -22 was chosen for this new Earth.
• The Damian Wayne who appears in this story also makes an appearance throughout the “Gotham Resistance” story arc.