The Joker's Asylum Part IV: Scarecrow

[CBR News]

In this, our fourth interview with the five writers of "The Joker's Asylum," CBR News spoke with horror film and comic writer Joe Harris ("BPRD: There's Something Under My Bed") about his leading rogue - Scarecrow.

http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16983

[Mr. Palmer]

This is one issue I can't wait for! The Scarecrow has always been my favorite Bats villain.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

The Scarecrow as a Freedy Krueger-type villain sounds way cool!!!

[Seraku]

can someone tell me if Jonathan still has his scarebeast powers?

[Chad]

can someone tell me if Jonathan still has his scarebeast powers?

In his last appearance in Tec, he not only didn't have super powers; he refrained from using his regular gas. No idea what Scarebeast was other than Scarecrow turned into a monster or something, but I'm guessing that since this story didn't feel a need to address his powers a green light has been given to anyone who wants to ignore it.

[Schornforce]

I loved this issue. I thought it was very interesting and gave Scarecrow a 'win' of sorts.

I just adore the artwork and was wondering if anyone knows if Juan Doe (heh) has done any other books.

As for Scarebeast, IIRC, that facet of Crane only existed in Judd Winick's run.

[Big Red Spider]

I loved this issue. I thought it was very interesting and gave Scarecrow a 'win' of sorts.

I just adore the artwork and was wondering if anyone knows if Juan Doe (heh) has done any other books.

As for Scarebeast, IIRC, that facet of Crane only existed in Judd Winick's run.

He did some back up stories in Avengers Classic. That's what's originally drew me to this series, but I liked the Joker one, the Penquin, and I'm having trouble finding the Poisen Ivy one.

[Aaron King]

Juan Doe is a great artist. He also drew a really fun Fantastic Four one-shot called Isla de la Muerte.

[Schornforce]

Thanks, Big Red Spider and Aaron King. I'll have to keep an eye out for those in the back issues section next time I hit my LCS.

I'm eagerly awaiting the Two-Face one next week.

This has been an interesting mini-series so far.

[juggling man]

Wrote a review

Written by Joe Harris
Art and cover by Juan Doe

Size: 32 Pages

Price: $2.99

This review contains spoilers, click here to read

This story opens up as previous installments did. With the Joker introducing the story with snappy dialogue. Joe Harris however chooses not have this story be a flashback but places the Joker at the site of the opening scene itself. The house where some teenage girls are preparing for a slumber party.

Heather and her three lackeys are discussing the un-coolness of a girl who is about to show up and their plan to humiliate her. Harris delicately introduces the theme of fear as a tool here with Heather saying "Jack thinks what I tell him to think". Lindsay, the persecutors' victim arrives and is obviously apprehensive at the prospect of attending a party hosted by bullies. In fact she discusses this in the next scene. A flashback of a session with her therapist in which we learn the reason of her reluctant presence at the party - the analyst urges her to attend the soiree in order to "show these... bullies you're not afraid. Let yourself see that they're just as scared as you are".

We then smoothly transition back to the present. The jocks have arrived and the children begin to play a game. Every boy is to randomly pick a girl's name from a bowl. The pair must then go upstairs for seven minutes. What happens next is up to them. As the first couple break off to the second floor Lindsay finds that the game is rigged. All the names in the bowl are hers. Upstairs the awkward duo meet a grisly fate at the hands of the Scarecrow. Unaware, the other participants of the malignant soiree continue the charade. Jack picks Lindsay's name and she hesitantly follows him upstairs while another girl escapes to the washroom to purge the ice cream she just ate. Scarecrow preys on her anorexic insecurities. Upstairs Lindsay naively trusts Jack's claim to pure intentions. Not too soon though, the gullible young woman discovers the objective of the rigged game. There is a concealed camera installed in the room. The malicious voyeurs below suffer a twisted karma at the hands of the Scarecrow. At least I think they do. Things are bit jagged here. Just two panels after having scared the wits out of the sadistic oppressors downstairs the Scarecrow appears under the bed in the same room as the pair of teens upstairs. It's a confusing and jarring transition and not the only one. I believe the writer assumes our suspension of disbelief which is fair but a little more clarity would have been judicious. At this point it's Jack's turn to suffer from his own phobia as Lindsay watches and listens to the Patron of Panic espouse the benefits of revenge. This triggers a new flashback wherein Lindsay realizes that this manic straw man and her therapist are one and the same. It would seem that the Scarecrow developed not so much a fondness for Lindsay but rather an obsession with her oppressors.

The next scene finds Commissioner Gordon and Batman discussing a 911 call from a young man (Jack) in the pangs of distress. This leads the Dark Knight to the slumber party but not before Lindsay sees Heather crumble with dread under the influence of the Scarecrow's fear toxin. The Dean of Dread offers an enlightening psycho-analysis about fear as a the root of behavior and how it reveals who we truly are. But the morbid therapy session is cut short by the Batman crashing in. The Father of Fright manages to paralyze the crime-fighter and expounds on the virtue of vengeance while menacingly wielding a knife. "Sometimes you get just one chance, child, to strike back" says the Scarecrow. Which Lindsay does. She strikes the Scarecrow with the camera she held since finding it. At this juncture the Joker enters to explain the moral of the story only to be interrupted by an interesting twist that concludes the tale. I won't spoil it for you but suffice to say that it's one of the more thought-provoking twists I've read in some time.

The visuals throughout this book punctuate the clever script splendidly. If I'm not mistaken it is vector art and is surprisingly flexible and expressive. Some of the facial construction and anatomy is sometimes reminiscent of Bruce Timm but it could just be that I associate this minimalist aesthetic with animation. The textures and deliberate compositions are pleasing and work well with the subdued panel layouts. What delights me most about Juan Doe's work is his prominent design sense. Every panel and page demonstrates his ample skill by properly directing the eye and maximizing the impact of the proper visual elements without sacrificing any kinetic feel.

This is some sharp entertainment. With a few purposeful exceptions, every character's actions are dictated by an individually tailored fear and it's an interesting interpretation of the root of our neuroses. Including the Scarecrow's. In this very concisely constructed story we are shown a villain who is not necessarily evil but rather fascinated with fear in almost the same way a researcher admires the brute strength of a savage beast. What makes The Scarecrow dangerous is that he has given way to his macabre fixation to the point of it becoming a sadistic mania. It's not an entirely original Scarecrow story but an unexpected setting and clever storytelling make this a fresh, distinctive and fully satisfying tale.

[Lupek]

I've read the Joker, Penguin and Scarecrow books and so far the Penguin story is my fave. But this was pretty good too. I thought the artwork was great. I'd like to see more of Juan Does work. And story wise it's got me wishing for more Scarecrow in the bat books. So mission accomplished I guess.

[ANewHope]

Thank you for that summary.

For whatever reason, I found this story difficult to understand. I just didnt get it, but it makes a lot more sense after reading your review.

Before coming to this board, I thought this was the weakest of the Joker Asylum stories we've been given.

But now that I understand the ScareCrow's obsession with understanding fear, it made this comic much more enjoyable.

[juggling man]

Glad you enjoyed it! Did you pick up the Two-Face issue?