The Batman Who Laughs #6 Review

Writer: Scott Snyder / Artist: Jock / DC Comics The final issue before the end of The Batman Who Laughs was packed with tension, fear, and a little bit of hope. The odds tipped in favor of our Batman for once, or so it seems. This is his last-ditch effort to beat Laughs at his own game before Bruce becomes him for good. Batman has been on this descent into darkness for most of the series. His transformation slowly transpiring in front of our eyes in grotesque fashion. But this issue ramps up everything as Alfred is constantly in his ear about just how close he is to changing irreversibly. As a reader, I appreciated this for a couple of different reasons. For one, having a recurring tool to remind the audience just how close Bruce is from the deep end really helps ramp up the tension in an issue that has to set up the implications of the finale. But I enjoyed how Snyder crafted that tool and used it in a way that felt personal for Batman. It could have easily been a gadget monitoring Bruce’s heart rate, or an internal monologue detailing how close he is to his transformation. But no, it was Alfred, the one positive constant in his life, doing everything he can to save his surrogate son from effectively dying. It makes those instances so much more impactful when they pop up within the story.

This issue also cemented the Batman Who Laughs motivations and the point he’s trying to prove. And it’s actually pretty simple, if not extremely petty. This whole series, Laughs has been …