Broken Knight: ‘Batman’ #139 Reviewed

The Dark Knight is at one of his lowest points to date. It’s the worst possible time for the Joker to return to Gotham. But what’s worse for Batman than the Joker? THREE Jokers and the resurgence of the Batman of Zur En Arrh.

Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles put Batman in one of the worst spots he’s ever been in, with a back-up by Zdarsky, Jorge Corona, Ivan Plascencia, and Cowles.

The Joker has returned to Gotham as Bruce Wayne is still rebuilding in the aftermath of Vandal Savage’s attack. Batman is at an all time low, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. But he’s about to learn it’s even more terrifying, as the Joker knows all his secrets, including the existence of Zur En Arrh… 

I’m torn about this issue. The Batman of it is probably the best of Zdarsky’s run to date. I really like the detective work, the psychological horror running underneath it. It’s intensely readable, and enjoyable. Even though I would love to see the Joker get a break for a while longer, the revelation that he knows and has known Bruce Wayne’s secret is a genuinely frightening moment as is the final page twist with Zur En Arrh.

But on the inverse, we’re revisiting three Jokers- which the story says multiple times- but there’s no actual foreshadowing of that. Only one Joker shows up on page, there’s nothing to imply anything about the plotline except the textual statement that Batman knows there are actually Three Jokers. This is Zdarsky though, a writer who has taken more than one bonkers idea- like Peter Parker’s supposed sister and the Hand’s opposite number being the Fist- and actually executed on it.

And perhaps most frustrating is Bruce’s new status. He’s under an assumed name with no money or resources. It doesn’t really make sense from where Gotham War ended, but it’s even more confusing as the rest of Bat-titles refer to one another but completely contradict themselves. 

The art in the issue is absolutely fantastic though. Jimenez delivers multiple panels that just drip atmosphere, that feel worth staring at to get every bit of detail. His Batman is always the center of focus on the page, but he makes the Joker even more frightening. His presence on the page is chaotic, never at the same angle or similar point of view. It’s always something different and it makes his presence here disconcerting.

I did enjoy the brief Vandal Savage back-up. It sets up an interesting new status quo for the villain. Corona’s art is always great too.

Batman #139 is available now from DC Comics.