BRAVE AND THE BOLD #31
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Art by Chad Hardin & Justiano
Cover by Jesus Saiz
Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99
This review contains spoilers, click here to read
How many origins can one character have? If you're the Joker, no number is the right answer. Since Alan Moore's essential read of the Clown Prince of Crime, many writers have taken the opportunity to put their own view of how the villain came to be. Some of them good, others not so much. With Brave and the Bold, JMS is showing us yet another Joker origin for the DCU....or is he?
Out of all the issues, this is the weirdest pairing JMS has done so far. Atom and Joker don't really have much history together, but that's ok! Cause essentially it is Ray Palmer trying to cure the Joker from a neurological condition other wise he will die from a seizure. Obviously that seems to be a bit of a joke in itself, why would he want to do that? There are some funny stuff in the beginning of this where Palmer tries to kill Joker almost purposely but for the sake of science he tries to cure him anyways. Once he hits his brain, it suddenly turns into a look back into the life of Joker, as Palmer suddenly starts to go insane from witnessing the birth of the villain.
Now I have to say that I was thinking this was a bit so-so at first. I mean how many more Joker origins can we have? But then a panel came that totally hit me by surprise. Now some will say that this is just an homage or a joke panel....but I'm not so sure. The panel in question is where we see an almost exact copy of a scene from 'The Dark Knight'. Where Joker begs Batman to run him over after the amazingĀ truck chase. So while it doesn't seem offical in the pages of this comic but I think this isn't just an origin for Joker. It's THE origin for 'The Dark Knight' Joker. It totally makes sense in the early days of Joker we see in the beginning of this. Then you have the speech that he makes towards the end of the comic, which fits perfectly with what he stated in the film countless times. So while again it isn't offical, I saw this as an origin for the film version of the character. Re-reading it again with that in mind, this comic worked more for me. Sure The Atom doesn't fit in the word of Nolan films, but who's to say other superheroes don't exsist in those films?
Anyways the one thing that bummed me about this comic was: Jesus Saiz is not the artist. I was so devastated to learn that he wasn't on this. He drew a great cover, but this time there are 2 pencillers and 3 inkers/colorists on this. You really can't tell though, and honestly I couldn't see the transition from Hardin and Justiniano. It is a good looking book, don't get me wrong. It's also still just as colorful as it was before, so it hasn't lost it's total aura with the art. But still, it is a huge drop from Saiz and I really hope we see him again next issue.
I enjoyed the hell out of this comic once I felt this was an origin for 'Dark Knight' Joker. If you read it that way, like I did, it is an amazing read by JMS. The art is a bit of a bother but it still is a good looking book on the basis of what Hardin/Justinano did. Not the strongest issue of Brave and the Bold, but I have yet to see a bad issue by JMS.
Art: 4 - Very Good
i totally agree it feel a lot like the dark knight joker. the art was abit of a let down.
This has to be an origin for Dark Knight Joker.
Cause that panel is so out of place if it isn’t.
"Who’s to say other superheroes don’t exist in those films?" Nolan. He’s stated it a few times. In fact the theme of Dark Knight doesn’t work if there are. I think you’re reading too much into a homage scene that might not even have been in JMS’s script, it follows closely after the big "Joker commits crimes montage." As well, the visual design for Joker doesn’t at all match that of the Dark Knight Joker. He’s dressed like the Batman Animated Series Joker with the same hair and sharp-edged face. While it’s perfectly fine for you to like this as the origin or to take it away, I don’t think that’s at all the intention. For me, I found the scene jarring and it took me out of the book – which is what leads me to believe it was artistic interpretation. Good review.
As for the artists, one of them is clearly the artist for the "real world" and "flash back" scenes while the other is the artist for the "Inside Joker" portions. I’m pretty sure the colorist persists through both of them. (The distinction comes when the panels go borderless.)
@Prax: I couldnt tell the transition but now that you sorta specifiy it, I can see it now.
But if it is just an homage, then I find it to be oddly placed. I mean it has to be in JMS’s script otherwise why would it be in there? If it was just a silent panel then yeah, I would think it’s just an homage. But if JMS wrote the scene to be like Dark Knight, then I wanna think it’s just an origin.
Although it could just be an homage…..I’m confuse now. lol
Saiz’s art tends to be very shiny for me. I think the art was better.
Yeah, whatever the role of the TDK panel is, it shouldn’t be there. I’m sure JMS can tell a story about the TDK Joker’s origin without resorting into that. But I admit, TDK Joker Origin makes alot more sense than if it is not. Thanks for pointing that out @TNC. Now I have to read this again.