BATMAN No. 17, April 2013 |
This conclusion to the twenty-three issue cross-title
story-arc, “Death Of The Family”, and the third best-selling comic of February
2013 having sold a staggering 150,684 copies, owes more than a fleeting nod of acknowledgement
to ‘slasher horror flick’ director Tobe Hooper. Whether it be a dazed, chair-bound
Batman groggily waking to see a hand-puppet made from the bones of a dead animal,
or a ‘Leatherfaced’ Joker proudly revealing to the Dark Knight that he’s sat at
a macabre meal beset with flies and ghoulish gourmets, the similarities between
Scott Snyder’s script and the 1974 “Bryanston Pictures” distributed film “The
Texas Chain Saw Massacre” are claustrophobically close. Indeed one could argue
that the only thing missing from this thirty-one page parody of the Texan movie-maker’s
best known production is a chainsaw and perhaps a wizened semi-mummified
relative sat at the end of the dinner table in a rocking chair.
As such “The Punchline” will doubtless appeal to many a
horror fan. But such a sinisterly sickening storyline is perhaps just a little too
dark, grotesque and unfunny for a caper involving the Clown Prince of Crime.
Especially when it is revealed part way through the narrative that the
crimefighter’s arch-nemesis has supposedly hacked off the faces of the rest of
the Bat family, Bruce Wayne’s young son included, and promptly has the bloody skin
served to them on ice as an appetiser. As the Joker himself says “That’s not…
funny.”
Such a villainous plan is admittedly diabolical and shocking
but it is also disgustingly disconcerting, and thus arguably unworthy of being printed
within the pages of “DC Comics” premier comic book title; at least one
supposedly being aimed at attracting an adolescent audience. Fortunately, the
green-haired ‘faceless’ clown has actually done no such thing, and when Batman
finally comes to his friends’ aid their mutilation is revealed to be all part
of “a twisted joke.”
What then follows is far more typical of Jerry Robinson’s
co-creation, as the Joker spends a couple of pages duking it out with his “old
friend”, toe to toe, in the catacombs of a cave. There’s even the obligatory
madcap scene of the psychopathic murderer somehow managing to lay his hands
upon both a huge axe and then later his infamous signature crowbar. Sadly the
climax to this ‘dance’ is bitterly disappointing as the homicidal maniac throws
himself into an abyss rather than hear his cowled foe whisper to him “who you
really are under there.”
Greg Capullo would also seem to be somewhat ‘out of sorts’
with his artwork during this troubling tale of facial disfigurement, grinning butlers and double-headed kittens. The New Yorker’s pencils are outstanding,
albeit grisly, when depicting the plot’s two main adversaries. But just as soon
as the bandages are removed from the Bat family members' heads, his
illustrations take a discernible turn for the worse. Most notably when drawing the flawlessly fresh-faced Nightwing, Red Robin and Damian Wayne.
The variant cover art of "BATMAN" No. 17 by Tony S. Daniel |
Hmm, the Joker as Leatherface. That certainly attracted my attention. The gorehound in me smiled when I read he'd hacked off the faces of the Wayne family. Might I actually buy a Batman comic? Sadly, no. Once you revealed he was only joking, I lost interest. I guess that's why he's called the Joker. Hey, what can I say, Simon? You know what I'm like and what I like!
ReplyDeleteI'm not the greatest of fans of gore as you know Bryan. But I enjoy the likes of "'68" and "Uber" from time to time. This though was a rather unsettling story-arc as the Joker wasn't being played for laughs at all and seemed to be imitating a number of horror flicks I've seen and don't necessarily what to be reminded of :-) I think you'd enjoy much of "Death Of The Family". But this ending was rather disappointing.
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