Batman #16 Review
Numerous people have legitimately complained about Joker burnout (myself included), due to all of the Death of the Family crossovers. One important thing that has been forgotten amongst all the fan complaint is one key fact: the main Death of the Family storyline has been awesome, and this issue may be the best issue yet.
The buildup to this issue has admittedly left me with high expectations, as Batman must confront the Joker in Arkham Asylum. Luckily, not only does this issue deliver, but it exceeds expectations. Snyder, Capullo and Glapion combine together to make the best issue of Death of the Family yet!
One of the more legitimate complaints about this arc is that everyone mentions how scarier and gruesome the Joker is in this storyline, without actually showing us anything that would suggest this change. Some of the better crossover issues (ex. Batgirl, Batman & Robin) have been doing a decent job showing how terrifying and insane the Joker is, but this issue really hits how psychotic the Joker has become, with Batman having to face numerous gruesome, well thought out threats elaborately built by the Joker. Snyder crafts a wonderful story this issue.
My favorite part has to be the constant symbolism that Snyder/Joker use throughout this issue. It's excellent!
There's not much that I need to say about Capullo and Glapion. If you've read any other issue of Batman, you know that their pencils and inking are top notch, and this issue is no exception. We get a great amount of gruesome detail in every panel (for example, we get detailed flies that are buzzing around Joker's decaying face. EWWWW!!). Colorist FCO Plascencia should also be greatly commended, as his colors go from muted and dark, to bright and vibrant, depending on the mood of the scene. Plascencia's colors really contribute to the mood of this comic.
My only complaint is the brevity with which Batman deals with some of the threats that Joker placed between them. I'd like to have seen some of them more drawn out, but considering the amount of story we get in this comic, as well as the in-story explanation for why Batman is bulldozing his way through the Asylum, it's really only a minor quibble at best.
The backup co-written by Snyder and his buddy James Tynion is probably one of the best backups yet. Instead of showing something that has already happened before the main story, this back-up is a continuation of the main feature. The interaction between all of the characters is excellent, and theirs an amazing monologue delivered by Joker that knocks both the reader and Two-Face off their feet. Jock's art here is both cleaner than other backups, but also scratchier and horrifying where need be, especially when Jock draws the Joker. His pencils do a great job establishing the mood. I'd be happy to see a DC Dark line book drawn by Jock in the future, as he's a talented artist. Quite frankly, the backup is excellent.
