Joker’s Asylum: Two-Face – Review

By David Hine (writer), Andy Clarke (art & cover), Rob Leigh (letters)

After seeing the near perfect depiction of Two-Face in The Dark Knight I was worried this would fall flat. I should know by now not to doubt this series.

I’m always curious when reading a Two-Face story if it’s going to be more Dent or Two-face. Here, David Hine actually gives us a pretty good mix of the two. The scenes between Hunt and Dent in Arkham have a good undertone of Harvey the DA, while later scenes do a good job of depicting the “crazier” half. After escaping Arkham, Two-Face puts his plan in motion. It’s something you’d expect – he gives Hunt two choices – the proverbial heads or tails scenario. Both choices are pretty nasty, but that’s the point.  As The Joker wraps up the story he demands that the reader flip a coin to determine the final panel. It’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure book with love and suicide. This little surprise is so Two-Face and brilliant, I’m surprised nobody had thought of it earlier.

Andy Clarke’s art is a real treat. We get a lot of detail without being too gruesome in reference to Two-Face or Hunt’s burns. My favorite page shows the infamous Two-Face’s coin flip. It’s nine quick panels with close-ups of the major characters and the coin and serves as an excellent tension builder. My complaints are more on preference than anything else. First, I’m not a fan of The Joker looking like a regular guy. When he starts to look more like a mime than a psychotic clown, he loses some edge for me. I’ve also never understood the goofy, bleached hair on Two-Faces burnt side. Sure the acid might do something like that, but I think it’s more likely to just burn it all off. Again that’s preference – Clarke does an amazing job.

The worst part of this series is that it’s ending. Lord knows Arkham has more crazies who could benefit from a Joker’s Asylum run. A weekly comic with such high quality is certainly rare, and that alone should warrant a purchase. I would have preferred to read this issue much earlier in the series, but I’m glad DC saved the best for last. It’s definitely overtaken The Penguin story as my favorite issue. (Grade: A-)

– Ben Berger

The Joker’s Asylum: Scarecrow

By Joe Harris (writer), Juan Doe (art and cover), Rob Leigh (letters)

Scarecrow is one of those Batman villains who doesn’t seem to get a fair shake. I like him a lot, but he seems to be missing his “epic” story – one that either redefines, or reaffirms his place in the upper echelon of Bat-villains. This certainly isn’t his version of The Killing Joke, but it’s a fun read.

One thing I’ll get off my chest right away is I don’t buy the setup. Not the part about girls being mean in high school – that’s just life – but the fact that this girl Lindsey doesn’t know what Jonathan Crane looks like. She meets him as a patient and unless he’s been wearing a Mission Impossible caliber mask, I just don’t believe she’s never seen a newscast with this guy’s mug-shot. I’m also bummed that there isn’t anything done to hide the true identity of her doctor. We don’t see his face, but it’s clear it’s Scarecrow. Nitpicking aside, I really liked this book. Joe Harris writes some great dialogue and it acts as a mechanism to unfold more than just the story itself. Stereotypes exist for a reason and Harris plays up each high school archetype to its fullest effectiveness.

Artistically, I wasn’t a fan at first glance, but it grew on me – I think it just takes some getting used to. I usually prefer more detail but there’s something about this I really enjoyed. Maybe it’s a throwback to the older cartoons I used to love. Juan Doe does an excellent job of illustrating the points Harris makes about these high school stereotypes.  As Scarecrow’s gas evokes their deepest fears, we get to see them as they truly see themselves. There’s a great panel showing Batman as a monster through The Scarecrow’s eyes and it works very effectively.

Joker’s Asylum continues to prove me wrong each week. Every time I expect the quality to drop with a new creative team. I’m glad the surprises keep coming. Scarecrow’s story is similar to The Joker’s in the sense that it takes some reflection for me to really enjoy it. In that instance, it may not be for everyone, but if you give this series a fighting chance, it may surprise you too. (Grade B-)

– Ben Berger

The Joker’s Asylum: Poison Ivy

JT Krul (writer), Guillem March (art and cover), Rob Leigh (letters)

I’m a person who likes consistency in my life. Without consistency in comics there’s no way to tell in advance how you’ll feel from one issue to the next. This series is a collection of one shots, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating for readers. In spite of that, this is one of few mini-series that somehow improves each week.

JT Krul paints quite a picture of Poison Ivy. The retelling of her origin isn’t forced and isn’t intrusive for vets, yet is very clear for the newcomers. As an Ivy story, it’s more of the same (people who hurt Mother Earth must die) but its tone and style feels very fresh. The way sadistic ways she goes about killing these guys (especially the last one) actually makes me feel sorry for them. Another impressive thing about Krul’s work is how much he makes you root for Ivy. Maybe I’m sick in the head, but I really wanted her to get rid of these guys. It may be a lesser of two evils, but then again, I may have a thing for green-skinned redheads. Either way, Ivy makes for a pretty compelling protagonist and that’s a tribute to Krul as a writer.

Guillem March’s art is every bit as good as Krul’s writing. Ivy is drawn perfectly, she’s sexy, and has enough danger to be inviting, but not offsetting. Another testament to March is his panels of Gordon and Batman. Each show someone who’s seasoned, but not old (a common mistake) in glorious detail. An interesting style choice was how different The Joker was drawn from everyone else. It’s so different I thought a different artist was drawing him; March’s pencils do a good job of illustrating his insanity. The downside is it doesn’t really fit with the rest of the book.

Consistency may be hard to find in weekly comics, but there are a few elements to this series that carry through. Batman has a small roll in each, keeping the focus on the villains. Even though we get a new look and writing style each week, the overall tone has remained constant and hopefully that can carry through with the series soon wrapping up. (Grade: B)

– Ben Berger