I had completely forgot that Kevin Smith wrote a couple of Batman mini series a decade or so ago. I mean, I have been reading a few Batman titles lately with the new movie coming out. And what better way to get in the mindset than to read a mini series by a filmmaker. One who is a big comic fan himself nonetheless!
In case your unfamiliar, this is a 3 issue mini series from 2009 that includes 3 villains. Maxie Zeus isn’t really an obstacle, really used more like bait. But he does earn the anger of one of the other villains in the story, Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime is…definitely interesting in this story. While Kevin’s dialogue/writing style is visible in certain parts, you can still tell that he knows how to write these characters. But I’ll admit, there are a couple of things about the Joker I wasn’t expecting he’d include. Like how he threw s*** filled with razor blades while in Arkham. Or how he is completely willing to consent to homosexual sex in exchange for cash. But he does do the typical Joker stuff. Like getting mad that Maxie Zeus is using his Joker Venom by cutting it and selling it as a recreational drug. There is this conversation at the end of the story between Joker and Batman that gives a direct introspective look at their relationship. It’s nothing new or groundbreaking, but it’s honest and makes sense.
Almost forgot, the 3rd villain is a brand new character! Onomatopoeia is his name. And yes, his whole thing is that he says the sounds that are made in the scenes. Like as he’s watching the Joker drive away, he says “Vroom”. Or he actually says “Blam! Blam! Blam!” as he is shooting his guns. On the one hand, it is pretty silly. Even Batman admits how the villains now seem to be running out of gimmicks. But on the other hand, I am intrigued by this guy. It appears he is a hero killer and that he broke Joker out of Arkham to lure Batman out so that he could kill the Dark Knight himself. Too bad this character doesn’t appear in any other stories because I would love to explore him some more.
Of course, I can’t end this review without talking about how Batman himself is written. Honestly, it’s solid writing and characterization. Some spots that lean more into the kind of dialogue or writing you would expect from a guy like Kevin Smith, but nothing out of character. Overall, this was actually a pretty good story/