Three big chapters of Death of the Family hit this week! In Batman #14the Joker told Batman his deadly endgame! Bruce’s friends and allies are all marked for death. Only one of Batman’s friends knows what’s happened to Alfred (for now.)
DC Comics revealed this image from inside this Batman #15 by Greg Capullo. Barbara, Dick, Jason, Damian and Bruce are gathered in the Batcave to learn the horrible truth of Alfred. As Death of the Family continues it appears friendships and alliances are staring to break and crumble.
In Batman and Robin #15 it’s Joker vs. Damian! The Clown Prince of Crime may have met his match in this ruthless new Robin.
Batgirl #15 courtesy DC Comics
The biggest Death In The Family tie-in may feature…a wedding? Barbara Gordon faces the Joker for the first time since he shot her in Batgirl #15. What kind of sick wedding does the Joker have planned for Barbara? I hope she gets her shot at revenge.
Which ally will die? Will a member of the Family break Batman’s rule and kill the Joker?
This week’s Detective Comics #15 has the Joker cut cover and is billed as a tie-in to Death of the Family. I wouldn’t call this issue an essential part of the crossover. The Joker’s recent encounter with Penguin certainly has an impact on this book but Clayface is the star of this issue.
Clayface is raging across Gotham City in search of Poison Ivy who is buried alive. Batman uncovers the truth and tries to beat it into Clayface. I love how John Layman has twisted all the plots of several villains working with and against each other.
You have to read Batman #14 to learn of the Penguin’s connection to the Joker but this issue sets the stage for big shakeup in the Penguin’s criminal empire and a new villain’s rise to power in this book. You may get this book for the Joker tie-in but I think you’ll enjoy it for the fun story and great visuals by Jason Fabok.
The Dark Knight Rises one sheet courtesy Warner Brothers
As we count down to the release of The Dark Knight RisesChristopher Nolan made a big revelation about how his Batman Trilogy could have been very different. According to The Playlist Nolan said Heath Ledger was one of many actors he interviewed for the role of Bruce Wayne for Batman Begins.
“He was quite gracious about it, but he said, ‘I would never take a part in a superhero film.’ ” Nolan said. The filmmaker said he thinks Ledger changed his mind eventually because, “I explained to him what I wanted to do with ‘Batman Begins’ and I think maybe he felt I achieved it.”
The story goes on to report that because of Batman Begins Ledger signed on the play the Joker in The Dark Knight without a completed script. Nolan gave his star A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess and books on the paintings of Francis Bacon to prepare for the role of the Joker.
I have always believed what makes Christian Bale so good as Bruce Wayne is that he would also be perfect as the Joker. If you saw Bale in his pre Batman Begins roles in American Psycho, The Machinist and Reign of Fire (even the Shaft remake) you could see the man knows how to tap into rage and madness.
The Joker is one twisted, sick freak but Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are taking the arch villain into new depths of depravity, madness and cruelty in Death of the Family. In the first two chapters the Joker revealed his plan to Batman and now Snyder is teasing what’s ahead in the crossover but first…
SPOILER ALERT!
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BATMAN #13 AND #14 YOU MAY NOT WANT TO READ ANY MORE
SERIOUSLY
OK HERE IT COMES
Batman #15 courtesy DC Comics
The Joker has kidnapped Alfred and claims to know the identities of Batman and his allies. What’s more terrifying? The Joker will kill Batman’s friends and allies. I wanted to share some key highlights of what Scott Snyder told Comics Newsarama was coming up next in the Joker’s insane plan and his declaration that he knows all the secret identities of his allies.
“For us, that’s part of the driving horror and mystery of the story. They were afraid that this is the claim that the Joker is going to make, and now he made it. He’s saying, “I know everything about you. I’ve been in your house. I’ve been under your bed. I’ve been in your closet. There’s nothing that I can’t kill in your life or hurt to break you.” And it’s sort of your worst nightmare.
If that’s true, and what he says is true that Bruce essentially is at fault for that somehow, that’s going to drive the conflict. The question of whether or not what he’s saying is true all around is part of the driving conflict, or is the driving conflict of the story, when it comes to the family and Bruce.
So Joker is playing a game with them, where he’s saying, “I know it, and wait until you see how much I know.” He’s saying, “Wait until you see. I’m going to prove it to you. But I’m not just going to come out and say your names, because that would be too easy. I’m going to show you little by little that I have irrefutable evidence that I know exactly who you are.
And as that evidence mounts, the tension really ratchets up between the family and Bruce. What Joker said in #14 is that it’s Batman’s fault, because he wants this to be the way it is. He wants me to come after you deep down.”
Batman #13 courtesy DC Comics
The Joker declared that it’s Bruce Wayne that will kill his friends and allies. Snyder teases the final chapters of the crossover:
“So the stuff coming up in #15 is the aftermath emotionally and what happens between the Bat-family.
And issue #15 has a really big secret, also, that’s going to come out.
Issue #16 and #17 are just completely bat-sh!t crazy, in terms of what he has planned for them, in terms of the psychological, emotional and physical horror of the story.
And I would just say that The Joker has already said that he’s planning something of a celebration at some point. So I can promise you that it’s going to be the craziest, most twisted thing we could possibly do in this book.
So I’m really excited. I just finished it, actually. I just finished #17. It has my favorite ending that I’ve ever done. So I’m really, really excited about it.
And I promise you that the best stuff is still coming in this story.”
Batman #14 became nearly uncomfortable as you imagined how the Joker was torturing Alfred. Bruce could only listen. Snyder and Capullo are creating a horrific masterpiece!
Not even the rogues of Gotham City are safe from the Joker! The insane villain is going after Batman’s friends and allies in Death of the Family. The Joker plucked the Penguin in a back story in last week’s Batman #14. This week the joke is on Selina Kyle in Catwoman #14 by Ann Nocenti and Rafa Sandoval.
I can’t wait to see what the Joker orchestrates for Selina but she knows how to play cat and mouse perhaps better than anybody in Gotham!
In this week’s Batman #14the Joker told Batman his deadly endgame! Bruce’s friends and allies are all marked for death. Only one of Batman’s friends knows what’s happened to Alfred (for now.)
DC Comics revealed this image from inside Batman #15 by Greg Capullo. Barbara, Dick, Jason, Damian and Bruce are gathered in the Batcave to learn the horrible truth of Alfred. As Death of the Family continues it appears friendships and alliances are staring to break and crumble.
Which ally will die? Will a member of the Family break Batman’s rule and kill the Joker?
The Joker’s is attacking and shocking Batman’s allies in Death of the Family but in this week’s Batgirl #14 Gail Simone crafts a killer revelation I didn’t see coming. Barbara’s mother has been kidnapped in a way design remind the heroine of last life changing encounter with the Joker. The villain’s creeps come after her but this is a very different Batgirl. After a year of fighting damaged enemies Barbara sees a chance to really let loose on the kind of criminals that choose to follow a madman – and it’s sweet to see her in action.
I love this issue’s waves of action and emotion. Barbara is crushed by a mysterious caller and flashes back to her worst nightmare but rallies to face the Joker. Barbara’s goodbye to Alysia is symbolic of the end of her life as we know it.
Barbara is no longer a victim but will she take a dark turn in her showdown with the Joker? Could she kill him? Could this be the real meaning of Death of the Family ?
As Batgirl confronts the Joker she learns the real enemy that set her up. This is a huge reveal for fans of the series. Simone takes this long running plot thread, wraps and tugs hard. The biggest twist comes in the form of a sick move by the Joker in the final panel.
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are making the Joker more terrifying and twisted than you’ve ever seen him in Death of the Family. In the first chapter the Joker turned Gotham Central into a slaughterhouse and made a surprise attack on Bruce’s oldest friend. This week’s Batman #13 picks up with Batman in a deathtrap at the scene of the Joker’s birth. Bruce soon learns the terrible truth. Alfred is in the Joker’s clutches.
There is a truly chilling moment when the Joker is torturing Alfred. We never see it. Bruce hears it. I felt it.
After a confession to Nightwing, Batman races to save the next victims but in every circumstance the Joker has beaten him. The Joker is revisiting scenes of his old crimes and putting a theatrically sick twist on each one.
The Joker reveals to Batman the bizarre reason behind his comeback and new campaign against Batman’s allies and friends. But there are two huge declarations from the villain that set the stage for Death of the Family striking into the other Bat-family books.
Snyder and Capullo have orchestrated a chapter of psychological and visceral terror with the Joker’s painfully personal attacks. This creative team delivers a disturbing thrill ride that only gets more twisted from here.
