After the shocking conclusion to Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez’s first arc of Batman, they begin their second arc with a big swing. There’s been a particular character that many considered to be one of the most oversaturated villains in Batman’s rogues gallery, and frankly for good reason, who’s been on the back burner for a little bit now. And apparently Batman felt it was time to catch up with his arch nemesis, the Joker. And this issue, Fraction and Jiménez play out a long overdue conversation between the pair. Throughout this, we get us better understanding of where they stand with one another, as well as what The Jokers’ intentions may be. This issue also provides further insight into what Doctor Zeller’s role is. I’ve been pretty suspicious of her since the start, and I’m sticking to that! Given the episodic nature of this series, seeing a direct follow up on the prior issue works very well to leave the story together by planting seeds along the way rather than building up arc by arc. Given this big swing, this still begs the question of whether this issue is a home run. In my opinion, it’s quite successful.
DC
Fraction continues his run by minimizing the action and maximizing the mystery and suspense. Fraction offers a much calmer version of the Joker, who almost reminds me of his characterization after Batman: Endgame by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. The character definitely seems to have something up his sleeve and it’s not just a smiling fish or an acid flower. Throughout Batman and Joker’s dialogue, the two attempt to have a bit of a psychological battle with one another that leaves many questions and offers an intriguing revelation that some readers might find unexpected. Without getting too into spoiler territory, this surprise revelation may not make much sense if readers haven’t been consistently reading the title, as it feels like this has been played out before, but this issue finds a way to still make it compelling. Altogether, I felt this issue to be an enjoyable exploration of the two’s dynamic and offers an interesting look into what direction their next confrontation may be heading towards.
DC
As per usual, I can’t think of a single flaw to find in Jorge Jimenez’s art. I found his depiction of the Joker in his current form to be just as eerie and terrifying as any other. Given that a majority of this issue is a conversation between the pair, Jimenez finds a way to evoke striking expressions and utilizes purposeful body language to reinforce the emotions and tones being portrayed in the story. A great example of this is how he found creative ways to add layers of expression and intensity to The Joker despite the fact the character is restrained in what looks like a Bacta Tank. Additionally, Tomeu Morey did a great job adding vibrant colors to this story. I really appreciated how important different colors were in reinforcing the intensity of the story. One moment that really stuck out to me was how we were able to see the reflections of Batman and Joker in Dr. Zeller’s glasses as sharp bright blue and green hues. I think this became a notable moment for me because of the layers this seems to offer. Are we Dr. Zeller in this moment, staring back at two of the greatest rivals go to (verbal) blows with one another? Or is this intended to speak to how Dr. Zeller (and many readers) view Batman and Joker like contrasting reflections of one another? Whatever the reason may be, I found it to be a very compelling decision that benefited from Morey’s bright colors. Altogether, I felt this issue was another well drawn story, full of striking emotions and well-balanced colors.
Overall, Batman #7 is another great issue in the series. I was a bit confused how the episodic nature of the series was going to work between different arcs, however I think this issue provided much needed clarity into this. It appears that rather than having each issue directly weave even to one another, Fraction is planning on having the story hint at the direction of things and slowly build out the architecture of his version of the title by slowly building upon these early planted seeds. My only complaint would be that the revelation revealed to the readers between Batman and Joker’s conversation is one that feels played out and overused, which does take a bit out of the bite out of the bark of this threat. Although we know how Batman has faced these kinds of situations in the past, it seems unlikely he doesn’t come out on top again this time. However, Fraction has done a spectacular job at reminding me not to get too comfortable and expect the unexpected. While it’s yet to be seen how the two will face off next, I would caution against expecting it to be the same as we’ve seen in the past and hold out hope for an exciting twist on this concept. Batman #7 is another thrilling entry in the series that readers won’t want to miss.
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