Batman & Robin #15 Preview/Discussion

[JasonTodd428]

Why can't the entire series be as good as this issue?

While I agree that this issue was miles ahead of the other twelve that I read, I still see some of the same problems with his writing that I was seeing before, which caused my to drop this one originally. Still the crossover did make me curious enough to read this issue and Tomasi has managed to get me cautiously interested in the next issue but I'm afraid he'll just go back to his previous predictable storytelling ways once this crossover is over and he's left to his own devices again, which is unfortunate.

[catburgler_2100]

Holy crap! Glad I wasn't eating when I read it lol!

This was better than batman, and I gave up on this book around issue 4 - is it normally this good now?

[ispacehead]

This was better than batman, and I gave up on this book around issue 4 - is it normally this good now?

I totally agree. This wasn't AMAZING, but it was good, which is more than I can say for Batman.

This book is always kinda like this. Not stellar, but solid. A good read.

[ispacehead]

................ im not Disturbed Easily but this shit is going to Haunt me

Yeah, that was pretty nasty. I don't care for faceless Joker, but this was easily my favorite appearance so far.

[Karl O'Neill]

Urgg the Joker's face is nasty nasty nasty!

[mosdef]

Man Gleason went off on that Joker face!

[adkal]

Holy crap! Glad I wasn't eating when I read it lol!

I was eating (sushi) when I read it last night (been avoiding this thread so as to avoid spoilers).

Great stuff with a creepy 'colourful-gothic' feel, if you know what I mean.

[Warmaker1]

Easily the best issue of Death of the Family thus far. As everyone else pointed out for the first time since this arc began the Joker is scary. Even worse than that Damian is scary, isn't it funny that out of all the characters in the story the most scary one is a ten-year old boy. Sure the Joker is crazy but if he were smart he would be scared of Damian. I have no idea how all this will end but I honestly hope Damian makes it through.

Is there a thread for the Nightwing #15 preview? I really want to talk about that...poor Dick.

[Darknet]

I thought Capullo would be the one to do the best job at drawing the Joker this way. So far he was, as no one has done as good as a job with it. But I think Patrick Gleason has won that battle, for now.

Good Lord it was sickening. And I loved it.

[Bookem Danno]

Good issue:
Wish there was a reading order to help with the logistics of Joker's movements. He was effectively creepy/scary with all his Death In the Family appearances but the upside down mask thing put this appearance over the top. Damian's bravery was a credit to his unique personality.

Fun panel:
LOL.

[maxpower00044]

This issue was awesome. Gleason's Joker was creepy as hell, but I dont think he "won" anything. The panel from Batman that has Joker wearing Alfred's face was just as much, if not more terrifying. Loved Damian in this issue, even hanging upside down he's such a little bad-ass.

[Super Buddies Forever]

I finally picked up my books from the last two weeks and read this first, hearing how good it was... yet still being completely surprised by how wonderful it was. Batman & Robin has been my third favorite of the core five Batbooks (with Batman Incorporated and Batman usually far ahead), but this issue was just delightful. It was small in scale, as these ancillary crossover books usually are (none of the core action will ever happen outside of the main Batman title), but it was TERRIFIC. Just a flat-out good read. Part of what makes it work for me here where it doesn't in other books is that Tomasi isn't afraid of Pre-New 52 continuity. Referencing Damian and Joker's meeting in Morrison's run on this very book, talking about the ending of Killing Joke in literal detail... it gave a real sense of history to this Joker, which was especially important in his interactions with Damian.

Yes, the art. What more can be said? Envisioning the mask as a rotting slab of meat made me nauseous, but dammit if that isn't how it would really be at this point. Gleason's interpretation of this Joker was the best he's ever been and finally sold me on the new look. He's finally more than Leatherface, but a Leatherface who is actually funny and uses it as part of his schtick. I've never even thought much about Gleason's art before this (not in the way I have with Capullo's and Burnham's... his work has been good but nothing that made my jaw drop), but this was the moment where he finally made me sit up and take notice, rocketing him to that upper-tier of current Bat artists. Fantastic.

[cosmicjoke]

This was really excellent! I've got to say, I think I enjoyed this more than I've actually been enjoying Snyder's run. I think Tomasi's actually had a better grasp of the Joker's voice here, and I liked Gleason's portrayal of the Joker better than Capullo's as well. Talk about scary. I was legitimately freaked out by the Joker this issue. He seemed truly as the force he's supposed to be, and his mocking tone towards Damian was just perfect.