Batman: Cacophony #2 (of 3) – Review

By Kevin Smith (Writer), Walter Flanagan (Pencils), Sandra Hope (Inks), and Guy Major (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I am definitely what you would call a Kevin Smith fan. In fact, just last night I spent a healthy chunk of the evening re-watching the hilarious Evening with Kevin Smith DVD (if you haven’t seen it, you must). I’m fully aware of how entertaining the man can be. That said, the first chapter of his Batman story left me a bit disappointed. It was entertaining enough and Onomatopoeia’s appearance was downright awesome, but for whatever reason, I expected something more… satisfying, I guess. Maybe things will pick up in the second chapter.

The Story: The war between Joker and Maxie Zeus heats up (literally) when Joker sets Zeus’ club ablaze in retaliation for the manufacturing and distribution of the drug known as “chuckles.” Batman shows up among all the chaos to rescue whoever he can and bring down the Joker, but an appearance by Onomatopoeia throws a wrench into the hero’s plans. The aftermath of all the action leaves Batman contemplating the connection between Joker and the mysterious Onomatopoeia, as well as how he can deal with the delusional Maxie Zeus and his popular drug.

What’s Good: While some of the problems I had with the first issue remain, the second chapter of Cacophony is a definite improvement. Most importantly, the story develops at a much more solid pace. And while it isn’t the deepest tale ever told, it scores points for successfully toeing the line between aspects that are dark and weighty and those that are more lighthearted and fun. Also, there is more Onomatopoeia, which is always a good thing.

As for the art, I have to mention how Walter Flanagan and his team put together a few  impressive looking scenes. In particular, there is one shot of Onomatopoeia that I consider to be poster worthy. It’s that cool looking.

What’s Not So Good: Like I said, some of the problems I had with the first issue remain in Cacophony #2. While Joker is a bit more enjoyable this time around, there are still aspects of his portrayal that don’t quite sit right with me. Sometimes it’s the visual style and sometimes it’s the dialogue, though oddly enough, rarely both at once.

Conclusion: While it has a few kinks, Batman: Cacophony is definitely proving to be a fun series to follow, especially for a casual fan like me.  If the final issue shows as much improvement as the second one did, Cacophony might even wind up being somewhat memorable.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Batman: Cacophony #1 (of 3) – Review

By Kevin Smith (Writer), Walter Flanagan (Pencils), Sandra Hope (Inker), and Guy Major (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I am not much of a DC reader, but as long as it’s not heavily steeped in continuity, I will pick up the occasional Batman story from time to time. I decided to get the first issue of this particular story after reading a recent interview Kevin Smith did in Wizard. The story he has planned sounds quite interesting and Smith swears that Cacophony will get completed on a decent schedule (unlike some of his past work).

The Story: Deadshot breaks into Arkham Asylum in order to assassinate the Joker. But he soon finds that another, Onomatopoeia, is after the same target for a different reason. A fight ensues and soon Joker is free from Arkham, looking for revenge on the person responsible for using his Joker venom for profit. Meanwhile, Batman has his hands full dealing with the lunatic, Zsasz.

What’s Good: The story is off to a nice, intriguing start and I’m definitely glad I decided to give Cacophony a shot. The artwork by Walter Flanagan is lively and the writing by Kevin Smith is (mostly) humorous and entertaining. Also, I have to mention how awesome I think Onomatopoeia is. He’s a character that really puts the medium to great use.

What’s Not So Good: My biggest complaint is that I am really not a fan of the way Joker is portrayed in this story. He comes across as (and looks) a bit too wacky for my tastes. While the dark edge necessary to make Joker work is there, something just feels a bit off. And considering he takes up a decent portion of the book’s pages, it lessened my overall enjoyment of the story a bit.

Conclusion: More Onomatopoeia and less Joker would have earned this book a higher score. That said, I liked what I read (and saw) and am interested in seeing where the story goes from here. Also, I’m pretty sure that this story will be best suited for casual readers as opposed to hardcore fans… but I could be wrong.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny