Team Rocket Boss.
Man, this Joker comic is basically the Jim Gordon and lady members of the Bat family show.
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
First Look At Batman Beyond: Neo Year
, a BB title with just Terry and no Bruce, spinning out of Urban Legends
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Hey, at least we saw Cass literally kick some ass. Surely that's gotta count for something, right?
A new Batman Beyond miniseries? Schway! 
I sure wish. I'd love for Kate Kane to have a regular speaking role in something again.
Team Rocket Boss.
Honestly yeah, it was pretty cool to see Cass, Stephanie and Barbara in that shot.
But like this is a comic called the Joker and so far he's barely in it as a character outside of Gordon narrating how scary he is, even that pool scene was too little.
I get the feeling that the Joker branding is for show and this is actually a comic about Oracle's team and Gordon. With Punchline backup stories. I like the former, but when I buy a Joker comic, I expect it to feature the Joker.
It's like if the Joker Manga was actually a Wonder Woman story of her fighting Circe and Ares.
Edited by RedHunter543 on Sep 14th 2021 at 4:19:33 AM
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
The Head of the Hydra
Yeah its pretty clear the Joker series is pretty much just a James Gordon comic and its only Joker cause Gordon wouldn't sell as good. Which is fine, its just ya know Joker doesn't appear much though which is annoying.
@Deadpoolrocks And remember Jace is supposed to be a CIA Agent and trained under Katana. I have no idea why he's so underinformed about Batman. Like I guess its cause Jace wants to be more of a man of the people/street level Batman but its phrased so weirdly as if these basic tenants of super-herodom and Batman are being treated as revolutionary ideas by Jace.
Now that I think about it, going by how Bat was portrayed in The Other History of the DC Universe, maybe John Ridley doesn't like Bruce.
Also weirdly enough I've seen some people note that the comic is kinda pro-cop.
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
How so on that last point?
There are a couple of detective characters Ridley has been using in his DC works who voice complaints about how the public views police, and these expressions don't really get countered by other characters. At least not directly.
Edited by caivu on Sep 14th 2021 at 6:39:08 AM
My stories on AO3.
The Head of the Hydra
Uhhhhh its kind of a complex thing so I'll post some comments I found delving on it. There is an entire scene dedicated to Whitaker and Chubbs complaining about how cops aren't respected and worshiped by the public with Chubbs looking to have this barely contained loathing towards the protesting civilians.
However, all while this book complains about how people don't trust the cops, the Magistrate is also the bad guys. The Magistrate ARE COPS. The distinction between the Magistrate and the cop characters we've seen throughout these minis, seemingly, is rank and authority to use force (which those cops would actually have in real life). It's like, absurd apologia for police, where it takes all the Bad Police Stuff and just goes, no, the police don't do that, the fake super cops we made up do that.
Sorry if this comes across as a rant, but this book confuses me. If there's one thing I didn't want out of a black Batman, it was Bat-Cop.
Team Rocket Boss.
Bah, as someone who likes the Joker as a villain (Big shock I know.) I wouldn't have minded him starring as the main character in his own comic. Like he's not as overexposed as people think, aside from Joker War, he hasn't really had much.
I also get the feeling James Tynion wanted to do a sort of Batgirl trio comic but DC didn't allow it so he snuck them into the Joker comic. So far, Julia has had more action in this comic than the Joker.
Like look, it's fine if people don't like the Joker, but damn it, don't get readers hyped for a Joker Comic that doesn't star the Joker.
The only villain protagonist action we're getting is Punchline so far. Punchline is more in this comic than Joker.
Then again her comic was also partly on how Harper's brother became a stan for Punchline.
Edited by RedHunter543 on Sep 14th 2021 at 2:23:36 PM
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
The Head of the Hydra
Admitably the issue with a Joker leading comic is that Joker as of how he’s written now is kinda unfit to be a lead. Tynion basically writes him as a nonstop murder machine, he is surrounded by corpses in every scene he’s in as if he is unable to go a day without murdering someone.
Funny Joker can lead a comic, that’s basically the upcoming Joker manga which has him raising a baby Batman. Serial killer Joker…….. not so much.
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Team Rocket Boss.
The entire premise of the Joker 2021 comic is pretty good, The Joker has been framed for a crime he hasn't committed, most of his resources from Gotham is gone, he's far from home, and there are loads of assassins after him. This could have been James Tynion's chance to do something else with the character.
Like this could show a more cornered Joker who has to rely on his wits and cunning to survive while having an uneasy truce with Gordan who has to decide if the Joker is innocent or not. This actually brings a new layer to the whole Kill Joker debate where he's actually innocent of a crime and killing him would allow the real Arkham killer to go free.
But instead, it's just sort of going nowhere so far, and most of Gordon's scenes are people talking about how Gotham sucks and what little scenes Joker gets is him being OP nonsensically. I don't mind OP Joker if it's well written and following a cool villain protagonist who is steps ahead of people can be fun like Death Note.
The Batgirl trio might as well be the stars. I guess someone chickened out at a prospect of an outright villain protagonist Joker.
Instead shill Punchline more.
Edited by RedHunter543 on Sep 15th 2021 at 4:24:39 AM
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
To be a Master
I want to see Joker as a criminal mastermind scheming to pull off the biggest crime of the century. And one that only causes accidental deaths rather than intentional deaths because, come on, what's the point of the biggest crime if everyone is too dead to witness it?
The Head of the Hydra
That is honestly the main issue with the Joker comic. Its insanely repetative.
Every issue is just Gordon offering page after page of the exact same narration of how Joker ruined his life. Its "Joker evil this, Joker ruined my life that", its just whining. Joker is literally Satan and Gordon has become absolutely defined by his obsession with him.
Its to the point that issue 5 was a straight-up filler issue that offered nothing new except more Gordon ruining his own life because he can't stop thinking about Joker.
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Team Rocket Boss.
Don't forget other people talking to Gordon about how Gotham sucks and Joker's evil.
Yeah this is crazy repetitive and it doesn't have to be, there are other ways to explore how Joker has affected Gordon besides this, such as Gordon wondering if the Joker is innocent or not and what he should do with that info. Hell there was a chance to have this be a Gordon Joker team up story where they both have to survive against assassins and learn who the real Arkham killer was. Gordon's a detective and I feel the Batman series needs more actual detective stuff that has real clues and mysteries, and having the Joker play Watson would be interesting while Gordon's struggling to keep his urge to kill him down.
I seriously wonder what they were thinking when approving that filler issue, was it just to establish that dude who has a brother in an asylum? Like all you needed was one or two scenes and move on, even the whole white collar conspiracy to sponsor supervillains doesn't feel like it's going anywhere too.
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
The Head of the Hydra
Yeah Tynion’s overall tenure on this is rather questionable.
Like there are good ideas but it’s been really hampered by his execution, most notably the incredibly sluggish pacing that plagues his Bat books.
For instance last weeks issue of Batman which was part 1 of Fear State was a set-up issue comprised of mostly Batman talking about what he thinks Scarecrow’s plan might be despite only a week prior Fear State Alpha was intended to be the set-up issue that’s started everything.
Plus the fact that despite all this time Batman still has no idea what Scarecrow’s plan is. The master detective can only make a guess despite the fact that this whole thing is entirely based on a thesis paper Crane wrote in college.
It’s weird.
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Team Rocket Boss.
It's been a problem lately that Batman stories that have elements of mystery and detective work have Batman seriously incompetent and not able to solve it until the final act.
And even when Batman does solve a mystery it's an ass pull, like the ending of Three Jokers.
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
Batgirls finally announced. Coming in December.
Detective Comics launches a 12-week crossover event in December also, with the Bat-Family trying to bring a halt to a siege of the new Arkham tower
Batman is on the trail of a mystery that connects to Batman INC, and meets a new foe called Abyss.
Edited by Zarius on Sep 15th 2021 at 7:14:00 AM
> Batgirls finally announced. Coming in December.
Took them long enough! 
Team Rocket Boss.
Then watch as they pull a fast one and that it stars the Joker.
Wait, was the Joker comic actually a testing ground for the Batgirls comic?
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
The Head of the Hydra
Maybe, these books are very interconnected.
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
I remember a comic where the Joker got put on death row for a crime he didn't commit, only for Batman to uncover the truth and save the Joker because of due process and all that. Legally I think what he did was in the right, but Bat's gotta be kicking himself after that.
The Head of the Hydra
Huh ya know honestly the weirdest thing about Jace, is he doesn't even like Batman.
Like his feelings have been made very clear. He thinks Batman is some corporate dog who does the bidding of the rich and privileged, essentially some rich fuck who spends all his time in his ivory tower and has no idea what the people are like on the street.
Yet despite disagreeing with everything he believes Batman to be, constantly shit-talking him, he still puts on his symbol and uses his name saying he'll be a better him. He could just invent his own identity, it wouldn't be hard to modify the batsuit into a distinct identity and forge his own path but he instead appropriates the name and imagery of a man he doesn't respect or approve of.
Its an odd legacy character for sure. Contrast to Miles who respects Spider-Man and wants to further his cause, Jace is more "Man I fucking hate this guy, still gonna use his shit though and make it my own."
Edited by slimcoder on Sep 15th 2021 at 11:44:40 AM
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
Team Rocket Boss.
If only Jace had some development and grew to respect Bruce in some regards while still being critical.
Besides that’s rich coming from a kid spoiled by his parents.
It’s never good writing for legacy characters to shit talk their predecessors.
Edited by RedHunter543 on Sep 16th 2021 at 4:09:12 AM
I'll teach you a lesson about just how cruel the world can be. That's my job, as an adult.
Joker #7 sees the return of Julia Pennyworth.
My stories on AO3.