Batman #17 Review
Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciler: Greg Capullo
Inker: Jonathan Glapion
Colorist: FCO Plascencia
Lettering: Richard Starkings and ComicCraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
*WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*
I have to begin this review by stating I have not been reading “Death of the Family”. I read issues 13 and 14 of Batman which were the opening salvos to the story. But after that I have not been keeping up with it. I was actually going back and starting Batman from number one, since I also missed the “Court of Owls” story.
With the hype building to the conclusion of “Death of the Family” in Batman #17 I knew it would be impossible for me to get caught up while also avoiding spoilers. So this morning I went ahead and read the conclusion. After all the speculation on how it would end, who would live and who would die, I found #17 to be somewhat disappointing.
What I Liked
Batman #17 felt like I was reading a crime thriller. It had me on the edge of my seat page after page. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo did a masterful job of crafting the story and building the suspense by having us switch pages to find out what would happen next.
A perfect example came early on, when Joker took the cover off the first dish. Joker teased that he was revealing Alfred, when in actuality Alfred came out from the shadows and was shown to be under the influence of Joker’s toxin. This happened again when Joker took the bags off the family’s heads and revealed that their faces were all bloody and bandaged. Then that was followed up with the dishes being uncovered and their faces being on ice! The tension kept building and building. The heartwarming moment when Bruce and Damian embraced after they found out their faces weren’t really cut off was touching as well.
The mental games Joker played with Batman and the family were awesome. Joker laid it all out on the table…..why doesn’t Batman just kill Joker and be done with him? Batman then would never have to worry about Joker coming back to terrorize him and Gotham City. Joker believes that Batman keeps him alive because Batman feeds off him. Joker really believes Batman cares more about him than his sidekicks and partners.
What I Didn’t Like
As I mentioned earlier, I found the overall conclusion to be underwhelming. I was certain that someone would be mauled or killed by the end. We’re back to square one. Joker is thought to be dead (we all know he’ll be back) and the extended Bat-family is safe and sound. Unless I’m missing something with the reveal of the isotope in the Joker toxin at the end. But that seemed more of an ironic thing than anything else.
I really should have paid closer attention to the actual name of the crossover. “Death of the Family” turns out to be perhaps the end of the trust between the Bat-family. So maybe Joker was victorious after-all? Joker has laid the seeds of doubts amongst the team….has Bruce shared everything with them? Is he hiding something?
Also, was Batman bluffing when he told Joker he knows his real identity? We never got to find out, but I wonder if Batman was being truthful or not.
Summary
Batman #17 was a thrill to read. I am sure I would have enjoyed it more had I been keeping up with the entire crossover. Ultimately, we come out of “Death of the Family” with more questions than answers. Will the repercussions be felt for future stories? And what happens when Joker makes his return? These are the questions I’m left asking.
This review is written in partnership with Pop Culture Network. They can be found at their website http://www.popculturenetwork.com/
Timdogg
#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE
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