One of the Jokers has been killed, but the mystery hasn’t been solved. Now, Batgirl and Batman race against the clock to discover what the remaining Jokers plans are before they come to fruition. Spoilers for Batman: Three Jokers #2 follow.
It’s been several years in the works and with issue #1 out last month, Batman: Three Jokers started out with a bang. Literally. With Red Hood killing one of the eponymous three Jokers, it was clear that this series wasn’t going to be afraid of going to some controversial places. Now, with issue #2 out, there’s always the possibility of a series losing its momentum and Three Jokers does slightly here. However, this is another issue that is overall very solid, albeit with a moment that is bound to make a lot of people very angry.
So, what does this issue do well? Quite a lot in fact. This is a series that is so very obviously about the trauma Batman, and more specifically, Batgirl and Red Hood, has suffered at the hands of The Joker. So now, after establishing the trauma of all three characters, this issue really gets to explore what that means for each of them, which is thankfully done in ways that aren’t just spelled out for you, forcing you to think about the subtext. For Red Hood, it means going off on his own and getting tortured once again. For Batgirl, it means projecting her anger toward herself about letting Red Hood kill a Joker to question why Batman wasn’t being as hard on Jason as she thought he should be.
For Batman though, this issue is about reconciling his failures toward both Batgirl and Red Hood, but mainly to Red Hood. He recognizes the mistakes that he made toward Red Hood after he was brought back to life. To see Bruce recognizing his failures is such a nice scene because it’s something that he does so rarely, but it always feels right when he does so. He’s compassionate who doesn’t allow his compassion to shine through and his characterization in this issue is pitch-perfect.
As for the two remaining Jokers though, there’s a nice dichotomy between them, the Criminal and the Comedian. They’re both evil, but different forms of the same evil and because of that, when they’re together, they’re genuinely unsettling to read. Plus, seeing the fruits of their plan in gruesome detail is somehow oddly satisfying and terrifying at the same time.
Now, to get to the part of this issue that is bound to make a lot of people angry, and to be honest, I don’t really like it either. So, what is it though? Well, it’s when Batgirl and Red Hood share a kiss. It makes sense given context and the fact that there are two characters with shared trauma so, intellectually, it makes sense and is consistent. It also plays exactly how I thought it would, with Batgirl immediately regretting it.
However, just on a personal note, this is a trope I want to die. The scene of which this action is a part of is genuinely great as it is two people with complicated feelings for each beginning to understand each other more. It’s genuinely great. However, the trope of the kiss and immediate regret is one of the most frustrating things in storytelling. Not every heartfelt conversation between a man and a woman needs to climax in something like that. A hug would’ve sufficed and probably felt more natural. Again, it was a genuinely great scene with poor execution toward the end of it.
As for Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson’s art though, it’s genuinely gorgeous throughout the entire issue. The amount of detail that is put into every single panel is breathtaking and perfectly captures every emotion that the audience should feel. From his framing of each panel to see tears welling up in the eyes of Batgirl and Red Hood, each panel is a work of art that could be framed just by itself. Fabok and Anderson are a masterful art team.
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