Batman. Three Jokers is a comic book that was supposed to bring a real revolution into the world of the Dark Knight and the Prince of Crime. Has the breakthrough come? We check in my review.
Batman. Three Jokers is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated comics on the Polish market in recent years. The story of its creation is itself a perfectly conducted marketing campaign: as early as May 2016, the DC publishing house suggested that there could be as many as three Princes of Crime in the universe. It was only after 2 years that screenwriter Geoff Johns and cartoonist Jason Fabok started to implement the idea, and the result of their work in the form of three issues of the Three Jokers series was published in the USA from August to October last year. For over 4 years, fans of the world of superheroes and villains have been wondering what is the truth about the identity and genesis of the Dark Knight's most famous enemy. As if that were not enough, Johns suggested in numerous interviews that the story he was writing would forever change our perception of the antagonist. The point is that the extremely intriguing concept underlying this story does not bring about a loudly announced revolution. Yes, The Three Jokers is a well-written and even better drawn comic, but those who counted on a plot breakthrough and a turn of the Killer Joke will be disappointed. Johns, characteristically of him, has many intriguing ideas; with their implementation, unfortunately, it can be different.
Imagine a world where a simultaneous attack occurs in three different, spaced apart places, and the perpetrator looks almost identical. The Joker has followers? Partners? Or maybe it's three incarnations of the same person? The antagonist's actions attract the attention of Batman, who tries to solve one of the greatest mysteries he has faced. In the course of reading, the reader gradually discovers the truth about the title three Jokers: Criminal, Comedian and Clown, getting to know their motivations, modus operandi and realizing that deciphering this secret requires looking inside yourself and traveling through painful memories. This is why the Dark Knight is assisted by Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl and Jason Todd aka Red Hood, former victims of the Joker's terrifying crusade, who are still dealing with trauma today. Together with the main characters, we will have to confront the antagonist from Gotham City - this time in all his incarnations.
Johns draws handfuls from classic stories with a well-established position among DC fans: the aforementioned Killing Joke, Death in the Family, Arkham Asylum or even In the Shadow of the Red Hood. This can be seen not only in the adopted key or plot motifs, but also in the way the three Jokers are displayed, each of which seems to be a tribute to a different period in Batman's mythology and his archenemy. In the first phase of the story, in which the driving force is an extremely original idea related to the mystery of the Prince of Crime, the screenwriter is doing very well. We can gulf in the detective convention, well-defined plot twists and the atmosphere of an investigation in which every lead appears like a dead end. Problems begin with Johns about to solve the puzzle; the narrative structure begins to systematically disintegrate. The aura of anxiety disappears, the behavior of the Jokers is robbed of credibility, and the fuel of the plot in the form of delving into the psyche of the antagonists gives way to patterns known from superhero comics. There are far fewer Princes of Crime here, and so much more of Batman. Johns loses the proper balance of the story between the most important characters of the entire story, although on the other hand, he really efficiently exposes the human Dark Knight, lost as never before and painfully. However, I am almost convinced that for many readers this is definitely not enough - at least in the context of a comic book that was supposed to turn the relationship between Batman and Joker upside down.
The illustrations prepared by Fabok look much better. In an excellent style, he combines a contemporary line with paying tribute to his predecessors who drew tales about the Masked Crusader (division of frames!); I am almost convinced that his works will be especially delighted by those who are fed up with the visual "quirks" being served time and time again in the comics industry. What's more, the fantastically presented characters and individual plans have such a great driving power thanks to the colors applied to the next boards. When necessary, they are filled with darkness in order to focus our attention elsewhere with a slightly brighter and more expressive color.
Batman. The Three Jokers is a comic book based on one of the most interesting ideas in the world of superheroes and villains, which bridges the tradition of the Dark Knight and Joker mythology with the present day - from this perspective, we are dealing here with a successful story. Worse, the story had grown into a myth even before it was written, and it will completely transform our perception of Gotham City's eternal rivals. The aspirations and expectations in this field were so high that at least some of the readers will feel a slight disappointment after the end of the reading. This in no way changes the fact that The Three Jokers is, after all, an important comic for any self-respecting DC fan. Personally, I doubt that even years later anyone would see a cult work in it - it's a pity, over a year ago, looking for the premiere of this particular series, I was prepared for the fact that in the world of Batman and Joker it would be time to write new icons.