Batman: Joker's Daughter (One-Shot) Review

Writer: Marguerite Bennett

Artist: Meghan Hetrick

Is "Daughter" like Father? Read on to find out.

The official description from DC Comics:

Who is The Joker's Daughter? What horrors lurk in the mind of this deranged lunatic, and why is there more to her than meets the eye? More than just a crazy person who stumbled upon The Joker's face, more than just a woman with a mission, The Joker's Daughter sees herself as a woman on the path of greed, dominance and lordship over the Gotham Underground. This special issue tells a sordid tale in the life of one of DC's most popular new villains!

I've been avoiding reading anything Joker's Daughter, as despite the Joker connection drawing me in, the fact the character was being written by Ann Nocenti put me off. Thankfully however Batman Annual #2 writer Marguerite Bennett wrote the script for this issue so I could finally check this character out.

Marguerite Bennett has proven to be a very talented new writer, having done a terrific job of both the Batgirl Zero Year tie-in and Batman Annual #2. Bennett's storytelling was probably the best part of this issue, with the monologue from Joker's Daughter adding a lot of depth to the story. Bennett also showed how unlike fellow Joker worshiper Harley Quinn, this girl is much more disturbed, having a very mixed up sense of purpose. Added to this the brilliant pacing and intense character interaction and I'd gladly read more stories featuring Joker's Daughter, as long as Bennett was writing them.

Meghan Hetrick's artwork was also amazing, suiting the tone of Bennett's script perfectly. The detail of Hetrick's art was simply outstanding, being very consistent, having little to no imperfections. Hetrick's layouts were also very dynamic, giving a natural flow to the story as well as a lot of impact to the action sequences. Added to this the symbolic nature behind some of her layouts along with the realistic tone that the facial features add and I'd be very happy read more comics featuring Hetrick's artwork.

Joker's Daughter is a refreshing alternative to the usual Batman stories, giving a nice introduction for people who're trying the character for the first time. Highly recommended.

Rating: 9/10