The Batman Who Laughs #1 is the Set Up to a Killer Punchline

Writer: Scott Snyder / Artist: Jock / DC Comics Good comedians know how to tell a joke in a way that calls back to the setup so seamlessly that we almost feel dumb for not being able to follow the breadcrumbs. The journey to that moment isn’t always a straight line. Often times, the comedian tries to string together two to three seemingly random things that wind up being connected to the punchline in the end. That’s why we get so enamored. Like, how did they connect that to that? The Batman Who Laughs is the six-issue mini-series we’ve all been waiting for. It reunites Scott Snyder with the Caped Crusader featuring art from the incomparable Jock in a story that seems to be a strong set up for a twisted joke. This is the first time we’re gonna directly address what’s been going on with the blended version of the Batman and Joker after his introduction in Dark Nights: Metal, and brief appearances in Justice League. And the series promises to deliver some of the darkest and most personal moments that Bruce has ever dealt with. We’ve gotten a few in this first issue, and let me tell you, when those moments hit—you feel them in your soul. Laughs is already shaping up to be one of Bruce’s greatest adversaries. As he put it in issue one “He’s led my life, has my training, has my memories, my mind… but he’s me free from codes, morals, heart black as the Joker’s.” A Batman without morals is still Batman. He’s gotta have a plan, but like a great joke, I haven’t the slightest clue where…