Advanced Review- Absolute Batman 15 by Jeremy “Metalhead” Mundy
On December 10, Absolute Joker will finally be unleashed upon the world in Absolute Batman 15, in all his gory glory. Will he live up to the hype?
SPOILER WARNING!!
I will give away details. If you have not read Absolute Batman 15, proceed with caution!
In case it wasn’t clear- Here be spoilers!!!!!
Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta have been teasing the Joker since the very first issue of Absolute Batman. We see him in the last panel of the last page of number 1, just a normal looking guy, nary a green hair, or a smudge of white makeup in sight. He’s mentioned in hushed tones here and there. We’re later shown that Joker (no real name yet) is definitely not quite human, at least not a normal one. We see him apparently absorbing the life force of a child as he receives news of the chaos Batman is causing. He calls for Bane, which suggests Joker is pulling the strings of Ark M. Then, in the Absolute Evil one-shot by Al Ewing, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Stefano Nesi, we get a pretty decent introduction to Joker and his mindset as he addresses the group of rich and powerful players, informing them of the existence of the “Omega Particle,” and what that means for the world. Joker suggests they form a “Justice League” to maintain order amongst the chaos these new costumed individuals are causing.
Recap
In Absolute Batman 15, under a terrifying cover by Dragotta, Snyder and Jock give us the story of what is known, or rather, rumored, suspected, and pieced together of Joker’s origin. The issue is laid out as Pennyworth telling Bruce the history of the Joseph “Jack” Grimm lineage. In 1888, Joseph Grimm I, a young orphan and street performer, is seen in an early film, entertaining people in clown makeup, while never laughing himself, a recurring theme for this version of Joker. Jack continues to build his reputation and fortune through several subsidiaries named for famous historical clowns, keeping company with the rich elite, and devoting his philanthropic endeavors to “children’s causes, which made sense, given his own rough childhood,” before dying in 1938.
Jack Jr., and all subsequent generations of the Grimm men, continued to invest in various entertainment companies through the years, often at the very beginning of industries, including television, cable networks, and gaming systems. All the while, the Grimms perpetuated and expanded their philanthropy, especially for children and orphans. In the present day, Jack Grimm V has increased all of this, the fortune, the charity work, exponentially.
Bruce finally asks “What’s so scary about this guy?” To which Pennyworth replies “On paper? Nothing.” He appears to be nothing more than an eccentric almost-trillionaire who does a lot of good in the world. Bruce pushes for the real story. He wants to know why this conversation is even happening if there’s nothing wrong. So Alfred breaks it all down.
Young Jack Sr. manipulated his street audiences with nitrous oxide, making them more pliable and easier to bilk out of their cash, the beginning of his devious tactics. As time ticked on, the Grimms always seemed to play both sides against each other in all of their dealings. They funded rivals in theater and film, the Allies and the Axis, conservative news outlets and liberal ones, and on, and on, always “profiting off the chaos they sow.” The ultimate goal: power and wealth. That’s the official report.
And still, Bruce pushes further. Now, we get to the truly terrifying details. The mysterious deaths. Evidence of Grimms investing in deadly inventions. Rumors of islands where enemies are hidden away. Pennyworth’s belief that Jack uses the children in horrible experiments. His finally admitting to Bruce that, somehow, there is no Grimm family. It’s always been the same person, all through history. But how?
Reaction
This comic, this origin, is excellent storytelling. From the device of a story relayed over visuals from the past, to the cutting back and forth to Jack hunting a man on one of his uninhabited islands, to the twisting of a previous sequence to the exact same layout, only dark and sinister, the reveal of the Joker’s true form, it’s a truly great read. Honestly, though, my biggest question comes after the last two pages: Why in the hell does Jack Grimm seem to have a “Black Mirror” version of the regular DCU’s Bruce Wayne?!
I truly enjoyed this issue. Snyder is killing it. Jock’s art is great. Frank Martin’s colors are perfect. Absolute Batman is a must-read comic, at this point. I look forward to every issue, and every fresh version of hell Bruce is faced with. All of the villain reinventions we’ve seen have been awesome, especially Bane, my personal favorite. Joker has continued that streak. He’s impressive and truly scary, even more so with this backstory. However…
I don’t feel like what we get here could ever have lived up to the insane amount of hype we’ve seen surrounding this reveal. It’s so good! It is. But, the sheer amount of hype left me feeling a little unfulfilled, somehow. I’m in on this series for the long haul. I just feel like this would have hit harder had I been able to go in cold, knowing as little as possible. I understand that’s nearly impossible in this social media landscape, but that’s where my head landed. That is not the fault of the storytellers, merely a reflection of the times.
Rating
4.75/5 This is peak world building. They have taken the familiar and beloved, thrown it in a blender, and served it back to us like it’s a brand new dish we didn’t know we needed. I’m here for it, because it is delicious.
One Big Blank fills you in monthly with Batman by Fraction and Jimenez. Be sure to check back for issue #5.
You can find Metalhead Mundy on Instagram – “MHM Comics.” Follow him for more comics content.
