Batman #17 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

This has been my personal favorite story to have come out of the New 52, and I'm slightly sad to see it end, but everything has to end, and it's better to end whilst ahead, as some stories drag on, and lose quality cause of that.

Plot

The grand finale to the Death of the Family crossover. Joker has all the Bat-Family sat around a table with Batman at the head of the table. The fates of everyone involved is in the balance, and Batman has to figure a way to stop Joker, without anyone dying.

Review

A brilliant way to end a terrific storyline. Scott Snyder has done a brilliant job on this story, and like he's done throughout he's ended it in a way that is very entertaining. The thing I liked about this issue was that nothing was has it seemed. Okay some of my own speculations were hinted in this issue (as to what was under the trays), but at the same time Snyder gave something that nobody could have fully predicted, and if they did I'd be surprised, and amazed. I also liked that Snyder continued to toy with me as a reader by pushing me a little closer to the goal whilst moving it by miles. I always like when you're questioning the contents of an issue, and this issue does this brilliantly, as I was questioning it before during and after reading the issue.

As usual the art was amazing and Greg Capullo did a fabulous job. His work on the series has been nothing short of phenomenal, and although he's not my favorite Batman artist he has done something very different with this series, and I will always remember it. His style of artwork more than suites this story, and I have really enjoyed the gruesomeness of his artwork throughout. Capullo also puts ton's of detail into his work, and it's easy to notice, as you have a character like Joker, who has his removed face as a mask. The detail in Capullo's art shows all the decay, and rot on Joker's face, and it's truly wonderful. He also adds suspense and drama with his artwork, and I love that he tries to show Batman in the shadows every now, and then without using it as an excuse to lower the work load.

As I said earlier Snyder and Capullo did a brilliant job with the suspense in this issue, and that was one of the things I loved most about the issue. At the start of the issue it is highly speculated to what's underneath the trays that Joker showed each member of the Bat-Family at the end of their tie-in stories. I also loved that despite the speculation that there was still a lot of variables that Snyder kept hidden till later on in the issue, and that he didn't spoil them at the start of the issue. The only minor annoyance I had with the issue however was during this sequence. Although I liked the suspense it kind of took away from the dread that the tie-ins ended on, but it was minor, and I personally would prefer having that than losing the suspense.

I loved that the symbolism was still on show in this issue, mainly with the first page of the issue having a skeleton bat coming out of the dark. It shows the role reversal between Batman, and Joker, whilst also showing how Joker's perspective on Batman, which is Joker feels that Batman should be in the darkness, and that the Bat-Family have exposed his, bringing him into the light (or at least that's how I see it). I liked this as at the end of the day this is what is driving Joker in doing what he's doing, as he wants a focused Batman that has no baggage to hold him down.

The coup de grâce was that there was a fight between Joker and Batman. How could this issue not end without the two arch rivals fighting one another. The fight was nothing short of outstanding, and it really added to the story. The dialogue during the fight couldn't have been any better, as it added to the speculation as to what either person knows about the other. I also liked that Joker started to act more serious, and that Batman changed into an entirely new gear. It showed how far he'd been pushed, and that he was still able to think of an ingenious plan that allows him to play things his way, and not Jokers.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

I usually hate giving away spoilers, but for anyone that can't contain themselves, and want's to know the outcome of this issue read the paragraph bellow.

What happened to the Bat-Family? Nothing. Joker was only playing a game with them, and although he planned to kill them he never succeeded. What did Joker know? Nothing again. It is revealed that Batman visited Joker as Bruce Wayne, and that although it was obvious by Bruce's conversation that he was Batman, Joker couldn't care less for his identity by blanking him out, not wanting to ruin his personal fun. What has this done to the Bat-Family? A lot. The events in this storyline will affect ever member of the Bat-Family in some way or another, and it will also be questionable as to whether the Bat-Family still trusts Batman. What happens to Joker? He falls down a waterfall loosing his face mask. It is unknown whether he's dead or not, but I'd be surprised if he was.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant end to a extraordinary story. It will be hard work to top this story but I wouldn't be at all surprised if Snyder manages to do it. I would highly recommend both this issue and the entire storyline which hasn't disappointed (at least not in this series).

Rating: 5/5

Teen Titans #16 Review

Writers: Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Brett Booth

I have enjoyed this series since it started over a year ago, and although it's had a few bumps along the way, it's still been a very fun series. I was looking forward to this part in the Death of the Family crossover, as it also has this series crossing over with Red Hood and the Outlaws, something I wanted to see, especially considering Scott Lobdell writes both.

Plot

This issue sees Red Robin (Tim Drake) facing of against Red Hood (Jason Todd) in a fight to the death, with their fathers on the line.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and probably the best in the series so far. Scott Lobdell, and Fabian Nicieza have done a terrific job on this issue, and after Red Hood and the Outlaws #16 being terrible, I was dreading that this issue would follow suit. Gladly it didn't and it was truly a marvelous issue. Lobdell produced a brilliant plot for this issue, with Nicieza doing a phenomenal script. All the characters were handled brilliantly in this issue, something that's not always happened in the past, and it also didn't entirely focus on the Red's, which I liked.

Brett Booth once again did a truly phenomenal job on the artwork, and I will be sad to see him leave this series. I will however gladly greet him on Nightwing, as well as former Nightwing artist Eddy Barrows joining this series, and I think the swap in artists will make the series' more fresh, and dynamic, as sometimes having the same artist for a long time can make a series stale (although it's not happened with Booth or Barrows so far). Booth did however finish with a bang, as he did nothing short of perfection on this issue. I've always loved his art, and if you see his art in this issue you can see why. His style is very unique, whilst fitting in with the series' he works on, and I think he could do a brilliant job on any series. He draws all the characters perfectly, but I mostly enjoy how he draws Joker, and the Red's. I also have to give a lot of credit to Andrew Dalhouse, as his colours in this issue are phenomenal, and really give the tone, and feeling this series needs.

Brotherly love. To older readers it may be strange seeing Tim and Jason having a brotherly bond, but I for one have enjoyed it. There will be a lot of people who will dislike this as Tim and Jason actually kind of hated each other prior to the New 52, and it was Nightwing (Dick Grayson) that Tim had a brotherly bond with. It made a lot of sense then because Jason was out of the picture for so long, but now I actually think it's better having Tim and Jason have the bond, as Jason really needs someone from the Bat-Family that he can connect with, and Tim is the best candidate, as he still doesn't forgive Batman (Bruce Wayne), he's never really liked Dick, and Robin's (Damian Wayne) characteristics would clash with Jason. Plus also Bruce has Damian as a partner, and although Dick mainly works solo he still has a close connection with Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), so having Tim and Jason having a brotherly bond pairs them of nicely. Plus Tim wanted to be Red Robin, and not Robin to respect Jason's memory, which has to count for something. Anyway I was always looking forward to this as they'd already acknowledged that they were friends, and with Lobdell writing both series' there wasn't any reason not to have them crossover. I also hope that they have some involvement with each other in the future, whether in a crossover or not, as despite this being good it wasn't necessarily the best circumstances.

The fight itself was amazing, and I loved how shocked Tim was when Jason pulled his gun on him. What I really liked about this fight was that both characteristics were shown perfectly, as you could see the reluctance in both of them, whilst seeing their individual characteristics. You see Jason jumping in feet first, not wanting to take anything for granted, whilst Tim was only fighting to survive, giving himself time to figure everything out, both of which I liked. Booth also did an amazing job of the art in this sequence as it was very dynamic, and showed the emotions between both characters perfectly. I also loved Joker's involvement in this sequence, and liked that he was goading them on, taking nothing but amusement from the Red's predicament.

The only thing I disliked in this issue was that there was a point in the middle that was focused on setting up future events. Don't get me wrong I'm interested in these events, and if done properly they could produce some fabulous stories, but there is a time and a place for things like this, and this wasn't the time. A similar thing happened in RHATO #16, and to me they just feel forced, and could easily wait till the next issues.

Final Verdict

This issue was phenomenal, and the best in the series so far. The fight between the Red's doesn't disappoint, and it's a fitting conclusion to what's been a sketchy crossover (the Teen Titans and RHATO crossover, not Death of the Family). I would highly recommend this issue, and hope that the series continues to be as good.

Rating: 4.5/5

Red Hood and the Outlaws #16 Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Timothy Green II

This has been a very good series, and I have really enjoyed it, but this issue is disappointing. Scott Lobdell has done a brilliant job making this series very fun, but there have been a few imperfections along the way, and a few disappointments.

Plot

This issue sees Arsenal (Roy Harper) lead the Teen Titans, along with his fellow Outlaw, Starfire in rescuing all the people infected with Joker Venom. The only problem is that certain members of the Teen Titans aren't overly fond of having Arsenal bossing them around.

Review

This was a very disappointing issue. I was expecting a lot, especially following a very decent start in the last issue, but unfortunately it didn't continue that way. I have always tried to give Lobdell the benefit of the doubt in the past, as although not all his writing has been brilliant, most of the time it's fun. He's really disappointed me, as I was hoping for an epic crossover between this series, and Teen Titians, but unfortunately it's been a bit of a mess. Although I liked seeing the Outlaws and the Teen Titans meet, it could have been much better, and could have had a lot more thought put into it. I do however hope that Lobdell puts this series back on track following this issue, as it's been a very good series so far, and I would hate to see it continue being this poor.

I wasn't too sure if I liked the art in this issue or not. Timothy Green II did do a great job, and I loved his art in the last issue, but I didn't as much this time. The way he draws both the Outlaws, and the Teen Titans is brilliant, and although it could have been better, it was still good. It was his art on the people infected with Joker Venom that I didn't like, as it looks too cartoonish, which doesn't suit the story, and very unrealistic. Although some people may like this style of art, I personally don't think it suits this issue, and would have preferred the Joker Venom infected left out, or a different artist. Green II did however do a decent job of putting detail in his artwork, and although it had it's few imperfections it was still very well done.

Although the story could have been better, I actually enjoyed seeing Arsenal take charge, and in a big way. I always expected to see him lead the Outlaws at one point or another, but I never expected him to lead the Teen Titans, let alone at the same time. I especially liked the way Arsenal reacted with the Teen Titans, and more so how they reacted back. It was interesting the clash in personalities between him, and Wonder Girl, as he was the person taking charge, whereas she was the person most of the Teen Titans looked at for leadership. The interaction I liked the most however was Arsenal, and Bunker, which was slightly amusing.

Starfire also had a decent presence in this issue, and I especially liked her interaction with Solstice. I would however have liked to have seen a bit more of her in this issue, as besides this most of the story focuses on Arsenal, and the Teen Titans.

There was also a couple of unexpected appearances in this issue from Deathstroke, and Hugo Strange. Although it was nice seeing them, it was a bit random, and could have waited till Death of the Family was over. I am however looking forward to seeing a further appearance of them in this series, and a little more explanation as to why they're making an appearance. I will also be disappointed if I have to wait a long time to see them in this series again, as it would make their appearance in this issue even more redundant.

I saved my biggest complaint till last, which is the fact that Red Hood (Jason Todd) doesn't make an appearance. Although I liked seeing a issue that had more spotlight on Roy, it didn't half come at a bad time. With a storyline like Death of the Family, which features Joker, it's the perfect opportunity to have Red Hood face Joker. With all the past they had, mainly Joker killing him, I was expecting a brilliant story, and the fact he's barely made an appearance, and no effort in the story so far upsets me. All I can hope for is that both Red Hood, and Red Robin (Tim Drake) have a huge part in Teen Titans #16 which is out next week, and that this disappointing crossover ends with an epic bang.

Final Verdict

This was a very disappointing issue, and will defiantly disappoint Red Hood fans. I would only recommend this issue to anyone who's been following this series, or Death of the Family, but it would be pointless to get it otherwise, and isn't a good jumping on point. I would however also recommend it to anyone who's read Teen Titans #15, as although I personally disliked it they may like it, although I still caution them against it.

Rating: 2.5/5

Nightwing #16 Review

Writer: Kyle Higgins
Artist: Eddy Barrows

This has overall been a very good series, and one of my favourite out of the Bat titles. Kyle Higgins has really done a terrific job, and although the series hasn't always been brilliant, it has been fun.

Plot

This issue sees Nightwing rush to Haly's Circus where he finds Joker, and dug up former members of Haly's Circus.

Review

This was a very good issue, and Higgins did a great job. Although this issue was very fast paced, it was still very good, and written brilliantly. For a two part story, Higgins has really done a fabulous job of utilizing the most he can get out of it, and has kept the tone of the series the same,whilst adding the psychotic element that comes with Joker. What I've liked most about this story is that it's centered around Haly's Circus, which has been a big feature in this series. It makes he story twice as personal for Nightwing, as Joker isn't only attacking the Bat-Family, but also Haly's Circus, that Dick has started to see as a second family.

The art in this issue is fantastic, and Eddy Barrows continues to produce some fabulous work. He's done a brilliant job throughout this series, and I will be sad to see him leave, but I do look forward to seeing him work on Teen Titans, and also look forward to seeing Teen Titan artist Brett Booth join this series. Barrows art in this issue is just as phenomenal as any of his other artwork, and it really makes the issue look fabulous. There are ton's of detail in his artwork, and it's hard to fault any of it. The way Barrows draws Joker is also fantastic, as he really makes him look gruesome, whilst still looking realistic.

I really enjoyed the suspense in this issue, and how Nightwing was confused at certain points. Higgins did a really good job of this, as it felt like something Joker would do, and although it wasn't as surprising as some of his other antics, it was handled brilliantly, which made the sequence better than most of Joker's other plans. The shock on Nightwing's face at certain points also added brilliantly to the atmosphere of the issue, and showed just how impaired he was.

I don't really want to talk much about the rest of the comic, as to avoid spoilers, but it was very dramatic, and had some amazing action sequences, which Barrows made amazing. Rod Reis also did a fabulous job with the colours in this issue, and really made some of the action sequences look even more amazing than they already were.

It was also nice to see Sonia Zucco make an appearance in this issue, as it showed that Dick, and her story is far from over.

Like Batgirl #16, and Batman and Robin #16 the ending was both good and bad. I won't spoil the ending, but will explain why I think it was both good and bad. The ending itself sets up Batman #17, which is the finale of the Death of the Family crossover. This was nice as the ending of Batman #16 was brilliant, and looked like it would involve the rest of the Bat-Family in the finale, but at the same time it leaves this part of the crossover ending unfinished, which may not suit the few people who have been reading Nightwing, but not Batman.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing issue, and one of the best final issues of Death of the Family so far. I would highly recommend this issue, as well as most of this series, and especially the Death of the Family tie-ins (this issue, and the last).

Rating: 4.5/5

Batman and Robin #16 Review

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Pat Gleason

I have been a big fan of this series, and although it's been in a bit of a rut as of late, it is still a very fun series. I'm happy that this part of the Death of the Family crossover hasn't used Batman as much as the other titles usually featuring Batman, as there are already quite a few, and it would question where he got all the time from. A similar question I've been asking about the Joker.

Plot

This issue sees Robin faced against his own father Batman. Batman is apparently affected by Joker's Joker Venom, and isn't going to stop until he kills Robin.

Review

This was a very good issue, but the whole two part story has felt forced into the Death of the Family crossover, and more so in this issue. Each time I pick up this series I hope it returns to being as good as it was when I started reading it, and although Peter J. Tomasi has improved in this storyline it still isn't quite there. Although I didn't love this issue I still think that Tomasi did a decent job, but wasn't too sure if I liked the way he put Batman against Robin. It's an interesting idea, especially at a time like this, but I'm personally not sure if it worked, but I'll talk more about that later. I didn't mind the way Tomasi wrote Joker, as although he wasn't terrible at writing him, he isn't the best. I did however think that although forced that it was a good way of involving Robin in the Death of the Family crossover.

Once more I was torn over whether I liked Patrick Gleason's art or not, as I like his overall style, and think it really suits this series, but at the same time think that it was inconsistent, and didn't look right in certain places. The main thing about Gleason's art that I question myself over is the way he draws the Joker, as he has done a great job of showing the decay on his face mask, but at the same time it doesn't look right in certain panels, as it looks very unrealistic, and too weird, in a bad way. The facial expressions of the Joker are also very weird, especially his eyes, as he almost looks high on drugs in certain panels, which doesn't look right. I do however like the way Gleason has drawn Robin, and have always liked it throughout this series. I also liked how he drew the Joker Venom infected Batman, as he looked like a cross between Batman, and Joker, and Gleason drew it just as I imagined, which was nice.

The main theme in this issue was Batman vs. Robin. I think the idea of Batman vs. Robin is brilliant, and would love to see it done in a different way further down the line, but I didn't think it was right for this issue. Although I say this I do see good reasons for having this happen, as it's the right moment to have a Joker Venom infected Batman, especially after current events, and it's also a brilliant way to bring Damain into Joker's game. The fight itself was however a bit long, and it felt a bit rough, and weird in certain panels, which wasn't very nice.

Although the fight itself left a slightly bitter taste, Damian's actions during it were brilliant. I loved that we get to see some development of Damian in this issue, as although he'd never kill Batman it shows just how far he's willing to go to save him. Although there are a lot of fans that dislike Damian (you could say this about most characters) I've really enjoyed him over the last few years, and his development has been the one that has kept me most interested. I've liked seeing how he shows more and more affection towards his father throughout time, as despite action the bad boy he appears to be a child looking for his fathers approval. This issue however showed exactly how Damian feels toward his father, and I liked that he's only fight him to defend himself, and would rather die than kill him.

The ending was both good and bad. I won't spoil the ending, but will explain why I think it was both good and bad. The ending itself (like the ending of Batgirl #16, and what I expect the ending of the other Death of the Family series will be) sets up Batman #17, which is the finally of the Death of the Family crossover. This was nice as the ending of Batman #16 was brilliant, and looked like it would involve the rest of the Bat-Family in the finally, but at the same time it leaves this part of the crossover ending unfinished, which may not suit the few people who have been reading Batman and Robin, but not Batman.

Final Verdict

This was a very good issue, and although it wasn't one of the best additions to Death of the Family it's by far not the worst, and worth getting. I would highly recommend this issue to anyone who has last issue, or considering getting it, but wouldn't recommend it as a jumping on point.

Rating: 4/5

Batgirl #16 Review

Writer: Gail Simone
Artists: Ed Benes & Daniel Sampere

I have really started to love this series, and am happy I picked it up during the Death of the Family crossover. I hope that this series will stay as good as it's been during this crossover, as I've really enjoyed it, so much that I've decided to continue getting the series.

Plot

This issue sees Batgirl, and Joker's wedding take place but it doesn't quite to Joker's plans, especially once James Gordon Jr. gets involved.

Review

This was a great issue, but a bit of a disappointing ending to the Batgirl part of the Death of the Family crossover. Don't get me wrong it's still a terrific issue, and Gail Simone has once again done an excellent job, but I felt that it was a little rushed. Although this issue wasn't as good as the previous two the series itself is still the second best entry in the Death of the Family crossover, coming behind the main part in Batman, which was always going to be the case, and the crossover wouldn't be right otherwise. Although most of this issue happens in one massive sequence I did like how Simone handled it, and although it felt a bit rushed, I liked how she introduced certain characters, or a change in their personalities at the right time, especially the introduction of James Gordon Jr. into the issue.

Like issue 14 this issue had both Ed Benes, and Daniel Sampere doing the artwork, with Benes doing the first 10 pages, and Samprere doing the last 10 pages. I still much prefer Sampere's art, as although both are great, his is a lot smoother, and looks a nicer. They both do an excellent job of drawing the characters, and although I prefer Sampere's art, I still like Benes' rough style. I think that this rough style suits Joker better than Sampere's smooth style, but they both draw him excellently, and much better than some of the other artist on the other series in the Death of the Family crossover. Although as I've said in the past I don't like two artists working on the same issue, or even story, I did however not mind it as much in this issue, as each artist's tone's suited the section of the issue they respectfully drew, as Benes draws the emotion and drama perfectly, whilst Sampere makes the action sequences look phenomenal.

I really liked how this issue started, and how it showed Barbara in a wheelchair having a therapy section, which deals with a recurring dream of her killing the Joker. I think this was a brilliant way to start the issue, as it makes it a bit more easier for newer readers to join on, without totally confusing them. I also loved the sequence itself, as the history between Batgirl, and Joker, and especially her getting shot by him in Batman: The Killing Joke is the main reason I was looking forward to this part of the Death of the Family crossover. I also loved that the sequence itself wasn't too graphic, as it may have been too much for people who have been reading the series so far, but at the same time loved that it was obvious that Barbara really wanted to kill Joker, and to be honest you can't blame her.

The thing that made this issue a bit slow was that Batgirl was going along with Joker's plan for longer than necessary, and although I liked most of the way the transition between her playing along, and attacking Joker was set-up, I still felt that it took up too much of the issue, leaving little room for the rest of the story. I did however like how we saw the sinister side of Joker during this, and that although his plan seemed silly that he's actually thought everything through, and for a change was serious.

The thing I liked most about this issue was James Gordon Jr. Having not read all the issues in the series I don't know exactly how big a role he's played in the issues prior to the Death of the Family crossover, but I have really enjoyed his involvement during the crossover, and especially in this issue. I always thought that James might have had a bigger plan than was shown during this story, but it turns out that he was only manipulating certain situations when it benefited him, and that there was no bigger plan (or at least none that was apparent). I did however like him in this issue, as he was someone that could talk the talk with Joker, and wasn't intimidated of him. I also liked that he actually manipulated Joker, and although Joker could have stopped him easily, it was nice to see. It also set up the fight between Batgirl, and Joker, and his goons perfectly.

The fight between Batgirl and Joker was brilliant, and although most of the fight focused on Batgirl taking down Joker's goons it was still very exciting, and allowed Batgirl to take out her frustrations. I also liked that Joker acted like his usual self during this fight, and that he didn't care about the consequences, just wanting to put his plan back on course. It was also nice that James didn't get involved in this fight, as he's always been a manipulator, and not a fighter.

The ending was both good and bad. I won't spoil the ending, but will explain why I think it was both good and bad. The ending itself (like the ending of Batman and Robin #16, and what I expect the ending of the other Death of the Family series will be) sets up Batman #17, which is the finally of the Death of the Family crossover. This was nice as the ending of Batman #16 was brilliant, and looked like it would involve the rest of the Bat-Family in the finally, but at the same time it leaves this part of the crossover ending unfinished, which may not suit the few people who have been reading Batgirl, but not Batman.

Final Verdict

This was a terrific issue,and although not as good as the other issues in the Batgirl part of Death of the Family, it was still very good. Although it was really good I'd only recommend it to people who already have the rest of the Batgirl part of Death of the Family, as it's not a brilliant jumping on point. I would however recommend it to anyone considering getting the other issues, as it has been a brilliant story.

Rating: 4/5

Batman #16 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo

I have loved this series of Batman, and especially since the start of Death of the Family, which has been phenomenal. Scott Snyder has done a tremendous job on both this series, and this story, and Greg Capullo has produced outstanding artwork throughout.

Plot

This issue sees Batman going through Arkham Asylum where he goes through some of his Rogues Gallery to get to Joker, including Mr. Freeze, Clayface, and Scarecrow. He eventually gets to Joker, who is with Penguin, Riddler, and Two-Face, who are all waiting to great their "King".

The back-up story features the aftermath of this issue and involves Joker, Penguin, Riddler, and Two-Face.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and Snyder continues to amaze me with this story. Although this issue was a little slow to start of with, and had a few flaws, it was still a very good issue, and the way Joker was written was enough to make this my favourite issue in the storyline so far. To be honest I was slightly disappointed with the start of this issue, as it just felt a little slow, and I didn't like a couple of thing, but I'll talk more on that later. Snyder did however pull this back by once more writing the Joker perfectly, making him the unpredictable. psychotic individual that I love to read. I also loved how he kept the suspense up in this issue, and although some of the scenes looked unrealistic they were still awesome.

Capullo has done an amazing job of the artwork in this issue, and I think this is the main thing that has made the story as brilliant as it's been, as he's taken Snyder's amazing scripts and made them look breathtakingly fantastic. I love how he draws all the characters throughout this issue, but especially Joker. He shows Joker's emotions perfectly, as it's easy to tell if he's clowning about, or having a psychotic thought. Although Joker has been shown as an evil character many times in the past, I don't think he has looked as evil as the way Capullo drew him during certain scenes in this issue, as he looked really deranged and sinister.

The thing I mainly didn't like in this issue was the dancing at the start, as although it's something wacky for Joker to do, whilst also being enough to grab Batman's attention I personally felt that it wasn't right for this issue, and that it slowed the issue down a bit. I can however easily overlook this as it was a decent way to start the issue, making it slightly easier for newer readers to jump on in the middle of the story, and the rest of the issue outweighed this by miles.

I liked the sequence where Batman faces ton's of inmates armed with flaming swords, bats, and other weapons, and thought it looked awesome, but at the same time it looked slightly unrealistic, and all happened a bit to quick for my liking. Although I would have liked this sequence to have lasted a bit longer than it did, at the same time I was happy that it wasn't dragged out, as I'd prefer it to not quite last as long as I'd like, than last too long, taking away time from the Joker/Batman confrontation.

Besides the way Snyder writes Joker, the thing I liked most about this issue was how involved the more well known members of Batman's Rogues Gallery, and not just the main three that Joker recruited in the previous back-up stories. It was nice seeing Freeze, Scarecrow, and Clayface, and it was nice to see a focused Batman take them out easily. I also liked that despite each appearance being brief, it was still thought out, and didn't feel like it was thrown in to make up the pages. Although I liked that Batman took them down with relative ease, hence not wasting too much time, I would have probably preferred maybe one of them (preferable Clayface due to him featuring in Detective Comics recently) dropped to give more time to show Batman facing the other two, but besides that it was still very nice to see them.

I also really enjoyed that Joker had Penguin, Riddler, and Two-Face dressed up in a manner that fitted the game he was playing with Batman. Although I have never seen Joker do anything like this before I am not surprised, as he's very unpredictable, and you'd never be totally shocked by something he'd do. The thing I liked most about the collection of what could easily be considered as Batman's top 4 villains (whether you like them or not) is that it made the back-up stories more worth while, showing a grander purpose. I also liked that the other three didn't have a huge vocal involvement, as at the end of the day the story is mainly between Batman, and Joker, and should stay that way.

I won't talk about the ending much, but will say that it was shocking, and sets up the finally in next issue perfectly.

I also won't delve into the back-up story too much as it's an aftermath to the main story, and I don't want to spoil it. I will however say that in my opinion it was the worst back-up story in the Death of the Family story so far, and although it was still interesting it mainly seemed an easy way to possibly take Penquin, Riddler, and Two-Face out of the next issue. I did however love Jock's art, and have loved seeing it in these back-up stories, as it was the main thing I liked about Snyder's run of pre-New 52 Detective Comics.

Final Verdict

Another fantastically brilliant issue, in what has easily been my favourite story in the New 52 so far. I would highly recommend it to anyone, as well as both the rest of the story, and series, and hope that it finishes epically.

Rating: 5/5

Detective Comics #16 Review

Writer: John Layman

Artist: Jason Fabok

Since John Layman, and Jason Fabok have taken over as creative team on this series it has been much better, and although it's not been quite perfect it hasn't been far off, with one of the issues comic very close.

Plot

This issue shows Batman going round different parts of Gotham City, stopping groups that have been influenced by the return of the Joker. Whilst Batman is busy the most organized group the League of Smiles initiate their plans.

The back-up story shows Ogilvy making his position as the head of Penguin's organization clear to the others, and also making it clear that from now on he's the Emperor Penguin.

Review

This was a brilliant issue and finally Detective Comics is part of the Death of the Family crossover. Although the last issue was technically a part of the Death of the Family crossover it didn't really feel like it, but this issue does. This is also a brilliant jumping on point for new readers, as although it's connected to the previous story it is the start of a new chapter, and doesn't really feature much of the previous story in it. Layman continues to do a fabulous job on this series, and I have high hopes that he will continue doing a brilliant job further on in the series. I think Layman has handled this crossover brilliantly using it to kick start a new chapter in his run, and involve a new group. I also liked how he added some fun to the issue, something you don't see too often in a Batman story, as he's added groups that are a joke (no pun intended), and that run away scared at the sight of Batman, realising that they've made a mistake. I liked this because it was something I loved in the Batman Animated series from the 90's, as every now and again Batman would run into a group that are way out of his league.

Fabok continues to produce some amazing art on this series, and I think this has been his best to date. Although Fabok's art isn't necessarily the most beautiful to look at, it is very realistic, and I'd prefer he worked on Batman over some of the artists who produce the beautiful artwork. The detail in Fabok's art is just phenomenal, also putting brilliant detail in the backgrounds, which is something that I enjoy in comics. The facial expressions are also great, as you can really see the grit, and determination in some of the Joker inspired goons faces, and the shock in others. You can also easily see the psychotic look in the faces of most of the League of Smiles, which is also brilliant.

I loved the League of Smiles, and I was actually quite surprised, as I usually dislike groups similar to them (Joker rip-off's). What I think I liked about the League of Smiles more than the other Joker wannabe groups was that they didn't so much want to copy Joker, but serve Joker. I also think that they came about at the right time, as due to Joker running riot it was the perfect time for all the psychopaths to have an excuse to put their deep desires into actions. Another thing I liked about the League of Smiles was that they were very eccentric, and although Joker himself is eccentric this group is eccentric in a different way. The thing I probably loved the most about this group was Rodney Spurman, A.K.A. Rodney the Torch, as he seemed the most remorseful about their actions, and didn't actually want to kill anyone, showing that although Joker has affected people that some still have a concious. It was also nice to see a Death of the Family crossover issue without Joker involved. Don't get me wrong I have enjoyed seeing Joker spread chaos around Gotham, but I have felt that he's been a little over used, and have questioned how he finds the time for it all. Due to his absence in this issue it gives room for a different ans more unique addition to the crossover.

The League of Smiles

Also this issue Batman is all over the place taking down different groups that have been inspired by the Joker giving the League of Smiles more time to work. I really liked this sequence, as although it did slightly slow the story down, it did show all the different ways people were influenced by the Joker, and how some were more resourceful than others. It also provided as a good build-up to Batman actually finding the League of Smiles, as it wouldn't look as good if Batman had dealt with the League first, and went after the smaller groups after. It was also nice to see that Batman actually made comparisons between the League of Smiles, and Joker, and that he also pointed out their differences.

The back-up story in this issue was also very good, and I liked how it expanded on Ogilvy's assention to Emperor Penguin, and how he plans to take over the Penguin'n enterprise. I was happy that this was the back-up story as I felt that the issue needed an bigger appearance from Ogilvy, as after the way Layman has built up Ogilvy's transition into the Emperor Penguin it's obvious that this wasn't the last we'd see of him. I liked how this issue focused on Ogilvy cementing his spot as the head of the Penguin's enterprise, and that he showed that he wasn't to be messed with. Although not much happened in this issue it does show that Ogilvy means business, and also shows ton's of promise for the future role Ogilvy will play in this series.

The Emperor Penguin

Final Verdict

A fantastic issue, and a brilliant addition to the Death of the Family crossover. I would highly recommend this issue, as it start's the new chapter of Layman's run on the series perfectly, making it a brilliant starting point for new readers, and for anyone who feels that the Death of the Family crossover's used Joker too much will like this, as it's quite different from any other series'.

Rating: 4/5

Teen Titans #15 Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Brett Booth

This has been a very fun series, but overall inconsistent, with some good issues and some poor. I was hoping that it's part in the Death of the Family crossover, and that due to it crossing over with Red Hood and the Outlaws, that it would put the series back on course, and although it has, it still wasn't quite as good as I hoped.

Plot

This issue sees the Teen Titans enlist Batgirl's help following Red Robin's kidnapping at the hands of the Joker (which happened at the end of the last issue). As Kid Flash speeds around Gotham City, trying to find any clues to Joker's whereabouts, he doesn't realise he's making things worse.

Review

This was a very good issue, and better than the last couple of issues. Scott Lobdell has done a brilliant job of introducing this series into the Death of the Family crossover, and setting up the meeting between the Teen Titans and the Outlaws. Although I was hoping for this to follow-on from Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 it was probably a good idea to have both this issue, and Red Hood and the Outlaws finish in a similar way. I think that this was a good idea, because there will be people who read this series, and not read RHATO, so if this was a direct follow-up then they may have been confused, and if this issue does in fact continue in RHATO #16, at least they've been warned. I also loved that Lobdell kept the other members of the Teen Titans in this issue, as over the last few issues we've only seen Red Robin. Superboy, and Wonder Girl. At the same time I am also happy that Superboy isn't in this issue, as that would clash with the events of H'el on Earth.

I was extremely happy that Brett Booth was back to do the artwork on this issue, and am happy that he will be doing the art on the other Teen Titans issue featured in Death of the Family. It is however a shame that he won't be staying on after this story, and I hope that he comes back to do artwork on this series sometime in the future. The minute I opened this issue I remembered why I initially loved this series, as although this series has had decent artists in Booth's absence, none have even came close to being as good as him. There was only one thing I had a small complain with about Booth's art, and that was Joker's face. Don't get me wrong, he did a fabulous job of drawing Joker, it was just that it was hard at times to tell that he was wearing a mask, as he looked like normal Joker. If it wasn't for prior knowledge, as well as the straps, and hooks at the side I wouldn't have realised it was a mask. Besides this Booth's art was amazing, and I loved the way he drew all the characters, and especially how he drew Batgirl, as she was perfectly drawn, and looked exactly like she does in own series, as sometimes characters in guest roles don't reflect their own series, but she did brilliantly. I also have to say that DC have done a brilliant job of keeping continuity since launching the New 52, and that most guest characters look like they do in their own series, and follow the same timeline (give or take an event).

Batgirl's Help

Batgirl's guest appearance in this issue was brilliant. Although it was advertised in the solicit I was more excited in seeing Batgirls appearance after it was mentioned in RHATO #15. Although Joker's been getting about a lot over this crossover, I've also noticed that Batgirl herself has been getting about a bit, making an appearance in Batman #15 (along with the rest of the Bat-Family), a small appearance in Nightwing #15, and now in this. There were two thing I really liked about Batgirl's appearance, and that was that she was acting like the person in charge, whilst treating the Teen Titans like children, and trying to fit in jokes wherever she could. The other thing I like was that during Red Robin's monologue, he knew she'd act like this.

Kid Flash, and Solstice Try to Find Joker

As I said earlier, I was really happy that the rest of the Teen Titans made an appearance in this issue, and that it wasn't all Red Robin, and Joker. I also liked that Kid Flash, and Solstice were the tow characters mainly shown, as I've enjoyed seeing the possibility of a relationship grow in them. It was also nice to see Kid Flash use this as a chance to show off, as he sweeps Solstice off her feet. Kid Flash, and Solstice split up whilst looking for the Joker, and it is revealed that Kid Flash's speed is doing more harm than good. I won't spoil exactly what happened, and sorry if anyone's worked it out purely on that sentence. Although they wasn't involved much, I was also happy that Bunker, and Wonder Girl got a few lines in the issue, and despite all the chaos going on around, Bunker was still able to be happy, and cheerful.

Joker's Joke

I wasn't too sure if I actually liked Joker in this issue or not, as I liked some things about his appearance, but disliked others. The overall conversation between Joker and Red Robin was good, although not brilliant, and I liked that Red Robin wasn't intimidated by him. The main thing however that I wasn't keen on was that Joker said what Red Robin was thinking. The reason I didn't like that too much was that it looked like Joker could read minds, and although it was obviously a coincident, it didn't work for me, and I'd rather it was left out. I did however like that Red Robin was able to work out Joker's plans, even if he didn't like what he was seeing. There was also one other thing that I was hoping to see that didn't happen, and that was Red Robin, and Red Hood interacting with one another, but hopefully that will happen in both RHATO #16, and Teen Titans #16.

Final Verdict

A very good issue, and I'm happy that Teen Titans is back on track. I would recommend this comic to anyone whether you're getting Teen Titans already, collecting the entire Death of the Family crossover, or just starting to collect comics. I would however warn fans of Red Hood and the Outlaws that this doesn't continue the story from the last RHATO issue, and that of you were getting this issue for that, you may be disappointed.

Rating: 4/5

Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell

Artist: Timothy Green II

I have really been enjoying this series, and have loved seeing Red Hood (Jason Todd) having to work as part of a team, something he's not been very good at following his death, in A Death in the Family. This is a very fun series, and I love seeing not just Red Hood, but Arsenal (Roy Harper), and Starfire also, and think that Scott Lobdell has done an amazing job of writing them.

Plot

This issue sees a continuation from the last with Jason going after Joker for potentially killing Isabel Ardila. Unfortunately Joker is one step ahead and catches Jason whilst stealing a cop car. Also in this issue Roy, and Starfire intercept a call, realising Jason is in trouble, and another call later realising Joker is involved, so go and deal with that meeting the Teen Titans.

Review

I thought this was a fabulous issue, and loved that it continued straight from the end of the previous. This has been one of the better series Lobdell has written since working on New 52 titles, with Superman being the only series that is better. I was however really looking forward to this story for a couple of reasons, but the main reason was for the Joker/Jason showdown. I was really looking forward to this as since Under the Hood, Jason hasn't had a chance to get his hands on Joker. Although this issue didn't quite fulfil my expectations, it was an excellent start, and I have high hopes that it will fulfil my expectations, or at least some of them. I was also looking forward to this crossover due to it tying in with Teen Titans, which Lobdell also writes. There wasn't much of the tie-in in this issue, but it was set up very well, and I hope Teen Titans #15 delivers.

The art in this issue was brilliant, and Timothy Green II did a fantastic job. Although I still think that Kenneth Rocafort did the best job on this series, Green II has proven to be a terrific replacement, and at the end of the day I never expected anyone to do a better job that Rocafort. Green II has done a brilliant job of bringing all these different styles of characters together, and although it's not perfect it's still good. I wasn't however keen on the way he drew Joker, and although he made him look sadistic, at the same time he looked very unrealistic, and his mask looked like he had a dodgy plastic back over his head, opposed to a face. There was however brilliant detail in other parts of this issue, and he showed the character's emotions very well.

You and Me, Kid!

Although I didn't like the art on Joker in this issue, I did like Joker himself. Lobdell wrote him brilliantly, and the way he utilised Joker, and Jason's history was fantastic, without being over the top. The comments Joker made about Jason during this issue was also brilliant, and you could really feel the tension between the two characters. This issue also furthered the question that has been asked throughout the Death of the Family crossover, and that's what exactly Joker knows, and whether he knows the Bat-Families secret identities. It's looking more and more like Joker might actually know their identities, as he showed something to Jason that triggered a memory that happened before Jason became Robin, meaning that Joker could very well know who he is. This could also just be a gigantic red herring that the writer's of the series are using to make you think this. There's also the possibility that someone that knows the Bat-Families secret identities could be helping Joker by feeding him information.

What Happened to Red Robin

The mystery of Tim Drake's location is revealed in this issue, as at the end of Teen Titans #14 Tim gets kidnapped by Joker. Although I was happy to see Tim in this issue, as he's my favourite Robin, I was a little disappointed that he did nothing. I was also looking forward to seeing how Jason and Tim got along together, as it was shown earlier in this series that they can both get along with each other, and that they both respect one another, so I was slightly disappointed that nothing happened in this issue. There is however plenty of time for the two in this story, and I hope that it's worth the wait. It's also interesting to see that Joker might have something planed that involves both Jason and Tim, as up until now he's been taking on the members of the Bat-Family individually.

Arsenal and Starfire Meet the Teen Titans

I was happy to see that Roy, and Starfire weren't left out of this issue, and although they didn't really do a lot they set-up the next part of the story, whilst nicely introducing the remaining Teen Titans at the end of the issue. The relationship between the two over the series has been very interesting, and I love that Starfire has began to see Roy as a love interest, and not just a mating partner. It is also revealed that Roy uses technology from the Starfire (Starfire's battleship) to intercept calls to Jason. The thing I liked most about this was that Starfire questioned whether it's morally right to nose into others personal calls, and whether Roy monitors her movements. I also enjoyed the small sequence at the end where Roy, and Starfire meet the Teen Titans, and am looking forward to seeing how this continues in Teen Titans #15.

Final Verdict

A very good issue, and a good start to this part of the Death of the Family crossover, which itself crosses over with Teen Titans. I would highly recommend this issue, and the rest of the series, and am looking forward to what happens to Jason, Roy, Starfire, Tim, and the rest of the Teen Titans in Teen Titans #15.

Rating: 4/5

Nightwing #15 Review

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artist: Eddy Barrows

Overall this series has been terrific, and Kyle Higgins has done an excellent job. I've loved that this series has focused on Dick Grayson dealing with his past, and how he's embraced it. I've also been really enjoying seeing Dick as Nightwing again, as although I liked him as Batman, and Robin, I much preferred him as Nightwing.

Plot

This issue starts with Joker killing Jimmy Clark because of the resemblance between them, and to get to Nightwing. Joker also has Raya Vestri, and Nightwing has to figure out Joker's plan.

Review

This was an excellent issue, and Higgins has done a splendid job of introducing this series into the Death of the Family crossover. I have really liked Higgins work over this series, and although Tom DeFalco didn't do too bad a job on the last two issues, it wasn't as good as Higgins' work. The way he's reintroduced Haly's Circus into this series, and that he's used this as a recurring setting has been a very nice touch, and I felt he used that in this issue perfectly. He also appears to have a brilliant understanding of Dick as a character, whether he's normal Dick Grayson, or NIghtwing, and it's shown in this issue. I've also loved how Higgins has used Joker a little more casually than the other series in this crossover has, whilst still making him psychotic, which I really liked. These tie-in issues to Death of the Family have also been a brilliant platform to show that Joker has put a lot of effort, and planing into this, and that it won't be an easy feet stopping him.

The art in this issue was phenomenal, and Eddy Barrows did a fabulous job. I have loved his artwork throughout this series, and am happy he's back to do the art for this issue. His art is very detailed, and suits this series perfectly. It is obvious when looking at his artwork that a lot of effort has went into it, and it's much appreciated. He also does a brilliant job of showing the tone's in the series, whether that's through facial expressions/emotions, or in the sequence where Dick, and Sonia Zucco kiss' case with images in the background showing what's going through Dick's mind, although I'll talk more on that further down my review. The way Barrows draws Joker is also fantastic, and I love that he makes the differences between the real Joker, and the people affected by the Joker Gas obvious, even if Joker didn't have his face mask.

No Body Likes a Knockoff

The sequence where Joker kills Jimmy, at the start of this issue was brilliant, and one of the best things about the issue. I really liked that Joker couldn't see the resemblance until the Joker Gas had taken him over, killing him. It was however the symbolism in this sequence that caught my attention the most, as Joker hangs him above the Haly's Circus entrance, with a sign round him saying, "no body likes a knockoff," which could refer to Dick's time as Batman besides Jimmy's resemblance to Joker. I also liked this because it makes you question if Joker knows the Bat-Families secret identities or not, as it would have been easy to have worked out that it was a different Batman whilst Dick was in the role, especially to Batman's arch nemesis.

Your Dad was Tony Zucco

The relationship between Dick, and Sonia has been an interesting development throughout the series, and I was wondering when it would get to this stage. Although it may have been better kept till the Death of the Family crossover finished it was still nice to see, and a good choice of filler, between the Joker sequences, and Dick being Nightwing. The sequence itself was brilliant, and I loved that Higgins built up to it in the pages before the kiss, with both characters upset over what happened at Haly's Circus. I also loved that Dick's thoughts were shown in the background, and he remembered that Sonia was Tony Zucco (the man that killed his parents) father, and that them being in a relationship is something he's need to think over. I will be looking forward to seeing if this relationship goes any further, and if the events of Death of the Family will affect it.

WARNING: SMALL SPOILER!

Mini Joker

There was a small thing that I felt spoiled this issue, and it was the way Raya was used. I felt that there was more potential in Raya, and especially after seeing she'd be involved in this story, so when I found out that Joker infected her with Joker Gas I was slightly annoyed. I did however like that Joker pointed out that now Nightwing can have his own Joker. Raya's appearance does however set-up the next issue, which looks to be very interesting. I do however hope that Raya's appearance in this issue proves to be more worthy than it appears, and that it might have consequences further in the series.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant issue, and one of the best in the series so far. It has also been one of the best Death of the Family tie-in's so far, and I hope the next and final part of this story is just as good, if not better, I would highly recommend this issue, and the series so far, as despite the few down moments in the series, it has still been very good overall.

Rating: 4.5/5