Now THIS is more like it.  First off the bat (no pun intended), I would
be remiss if I didn’t mention the gorgeous Scott McDaniel art.  His wild, cartoony style really captures the
growing madness that is overtaking Gotham throughout this issue.  The central plot, which sees an gang of Joker
impostors high on a diluted steroid like version Joker venom clashing with a growing
army of heavily armed and lethally inclined Batman impostors, requires a lot of
variations of the classic Batman and Joker designs. McDaniel comes through on
this need with flying colors.  Every
impostor, of which dozens on both sides are seen, has a wonderful unique look
to them, while still maintaining the believability of thrown together outfits
created by a bunch of amateurs.  The
story, while not quite reaching the heights that the art achieves, is a strong
one even if it remains somewhat predictable at times.  This issue also finally reveals the origins
of the impostor Joker and is a suitably chilling and believable one.  Admittedly this issue could just as easily
feature Bruce as Batman without anyone being able to tell the difference. Yet
to me this seems less a flaw and more a sign of the classic quality Batman
story that this multiparter is shaping up to be.  One final note, and in no way should this be
interpreted as a complaint, it is impossible not to draw connections between the
Jokerz gang of Batman Beyond and the Joker impostors in this issue.  For whatever reason, Batman Beyond has been a
growing presence at DC lately been and I suspect that is at least in part where
the origins of this storyline lay.  Do
not be surprised if by the time this arc closes out, the gang of Joker
imposters has become a permanent fixture in Gotham City.