Comic Review: The Batman Who Laughs (2018-) #4

The Batman Who Laughs #4

DC Comics

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Jock

Scott Snyder usually has a problem with issue #4s.  You see, issue #4 is put in that weird spot after all opening action and right before the penultimate stuff.  So it’s kinda hard to fit a whole bunch of exciting stuff in there.  For Snyder, a typical issue #4 consists of characters running around until they get where they need to be for the final battle.  But luckily, this issue breaks Snyder’s curse.

There’s a lot of great moments in this issue, but let’s start by talking about the Joker toxin that’s slowly making Batman go insane.  When this series started, I really thought this plotline was going to be silly.  But now that Snyder is sticking to it, it’s really starting to pay off.  Not only does Batman have to face one of his greatest adversaries yet, but he also has to fight through his newly developed psychopathic urges.  I like how Batman slowly descends into madness.  It just goes to show how much he can fight through.  And even though this plotline felt a little contrived at the start of the series, it’s really starting to pay off.

Another highlight of the issue is the flashback with Batman and Joker.  I really like this moment because it complicates Batman and Joker’s strange relationship.  The Joker doesn’t want Batman to die, he wants them to keep fighting forever.  And similar to their team up in Dark Knights Metal, Joker is more than willing to kill the Batman if he goes too far.  It’s a nice moment of twisted friendship between the two.

We also get a few really great dramatic moments in this issue.  Notably, we finally get to see Batman Who Laugh’s face.  It’s a great reveal when Officer Harper drops the wall on Batman and murders an innocent man right in front of him.  There’s another dramatic scene where the Grim Knight releases a bunch of Dark Multiverse Robins on a crippled Jim Gordon.  Snyder isn’t afraid to stick to his horror roots with this series.

I do find a lot of Snyder’s plot devices silly.  I think ever since Justice League, Snyder really started to play with high-level concepts even when they aren’t needed.  In this issue alone, we have a Dark-Metal helmet that lets Batman see people’s emotions and a teleportation device to the Dark Multiverse.  They feel a little out of place in this otherwise grounded story.

I say it again and again, but Jock is phenomenal on art.  The way he draws Bruce’s hallucinations and inner feelings are terrifying in this issue.  Every aspect of Jock’s art compliments this book so well.  I’m glad to see his art is maintaining the quality throughout this series.

Overall, this issue is a great continuation of a great series.  Unless Snyder really nails it in the close, I don’t think this series is going to be as special as Black Mirror.  But either way, it’s a great detective story.  And while it might not reach as high as Black Mirror, The Batman Who Laughs #4 captures that same spirit.