Comic Books

BATMAN #13

• The Joker returns in “DEATH OF THE FAMILY”!

• He crippled Batgirl. He killed Robin. What will The Joker do now that he’s returned to Gotham City?

• What must Batman do to protect his secret identity and that of those who fight alongside him?

Written by Scott Snyder
Backup Written by Scott Snyder & James T Tynion IV
Art by Greg Capullo & Jonathan Glapion
Backup Art by Jock
Cover by Greg Capullo
Variant Cover by Aaron Kuder & Greg Capullo

Price: $3.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 93.4%
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Avg Rating: 4.8
 
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Comments

  1. The preview pages were nice and creepy. Seems to be headed in a direction that I am very okay with.

  2. I find that cover … underwhelming. Especially for the opening of a highly anticipated arc.

    Still, super pumped for this. Or should I say … “bat” pumped.

    I loathe myself.

  3. I was kind of hoping that picture i with The Joker holding his face would be the cover for #13

  4. Read two different previews and wow, this one is gonna be good.

  5. I am expecting/hoping for a seriously great story with this & have avoided all interviews/previews on any spoilers, roll on wednesday!

  6. OM*G I just read the preview and that was some creepy FANTASTIC tease. I can’t wait for Wed.

  7. Batman’s been amazing. Looking forward to the creepshow!

  8. Gave up on Batman, like, 8 issues ago, but I gotta see what the Joker’s up to and the whole face thing has been bothering me for a fucking year now! Good job, Snyder. You got my 4 bucks.

  9. Can you just read the Batman #13 – #17, or do you need to get all 23 parts to the story? If so, my wallet and wife might kill me. Thanks, E-

  10. Back-up is by Jock! Sweet-ass-sweet.

  11. Gotham “deserves a better class of criminal, and (Joker) is going to give it them.” Can’t wait!

  12. Is the cover shown here a variant? According to my LCS my cover will feature the joker looking in the mirror cover.
    I kinda want this one :S

  13. Joker coming back and Tynion working with Jock in a back up?

    How can this not be an amazing issue?

  14. Can’t wait! Synder is going to kill it like he always does and the art is so choice. This and Uncanny Avengers are probably my early favorites for pick of the week.

  15. “He crippled Batgirl. He killed Robin. What will The Joker do now that he’s returned to Gotham City?”

    They got better though, and it was years ago. Plus wasn’t he around in Gotham not too long ago, circa Detective #1? =P

    I really am pumped for this looks inventive and delightfully evil.

  16. We shall see…………..has anyone noticed the price of comic books these days???? OMG :-O

    • i don’t look, i just close my eyes and hand over the money!

    • DC has found its gold mine (Batman) and decided that its their only book that really sells, so lets put a 10 page backup story in there and charge an extra buck. With Batman I don’t mind forking out the extra loonie, but titles like All-Star Western, and JL, don’t deserve a $3.99 price tag for their backups. Especially All-Star, as the backups are shitty and pointless and contribute nothing to the main story arc. Drawing the line at $2.99 my ass. More like drawing the line at whatever the hell we want, cuz the die hard’s will pay it with eyes closed.

    • @Gritty

      Well, I like All Star Western and the backups in it (in general). So it just goes to show ya, different strokes, etc. I quit buying Justice League, so we can agree on that.

    • @Gritty

      I love the Back up in JL. Never been a Shazam fan, but Johns and Frank backup I look forward to maybe more than the lead JL story. Lost in this conversation is the fact that DC is at least giving us a back up for an extra buck…. I get no such love from Marvel and the $4 I spend on Ultimate Spider-man

    • You just can’t please some people some time.

      Would you rather have a backup that adds to the main story by Jock, for christ’s sake, or a “free” digital download that you never asked for in the first place. The decision isn’t even close.

      And I bought 8 DC books this week, and 75% of them were three bucks. They may not be drawing a complete line at $2.99, but it’s pretty close.

    • I don’t mind paying $3.99 at all for a book that has extra content. I hate paying $3.99 for a digital copy from Marvel when I already paid for a paper copy too.

  17. Sooo psyched for this!

  18. The more i look at this cover the more i like it. I better hit up the LCS early and see if he got an extra.

  19. Probably my PotW. Nothing else is striking my fancy like this issue this week.

  20. Snyder did such a great job making Gordon’s son creepy as hell, I can only imagine the levels of psycho he’ll bring to the Joker

  21. Any way I will just be able to read Batman and still get all the info I need? DC is killing me with the crossovers…

  22. An excellently twisted opening chapter, worthy of the Clown Prince of Crime’s epic return to the stage.

    Only held back for POTW by the excessive talking. Scary thing seem a little scarier (to me) with a bit less describing and defining of everything.

  23. I’m gonna get a lot of hate for this but this was pretty mediocre to me. Super talky and the story didn’t catch me at all.

    The back up was also a million times better than the main story. Jock’s Joker is fucking amazing.

  24. I agree there was a lot of talking but i thought the dialogue was excellent from beginning to end..
    i definitely felt the sense of fear and im very excited to see what challenges and psychological horrors the joker will continue to bring to the bat-family..

  25. Wow. Manages to be a bit of a love letter to classic Batman stories of old (obvious nods to Killing Joke, DKR, Arkham Asylum & others I probably missed) while still holding its own.

    Didn’t thing its being dialogue heavy was at all a problem.
    LOVED the Jock backup.

  26. I started reading Batman with the New 52. I loved what Snyder did, so I bought the Black Mirror HC recently. The story in that was very good, but artwork by Jock was amazing. He’s probably my favorite artist now. His Joker in the back up is fucking insane. I loved that in the back up, Joker fucks with everyone, even the person that cares for him the most. This is going to be an epic story.

  27. the single creepiest issue of a comic i have ever read! It sent chills down my spine it was so crazy

  28. Does the standard issue come with that cover?

    Regardless, I’m eagerly waiting delivery of this!

    • yes all of the standard issues come with the diecut cover with joker’s face over Batman’s. Also Batgirl #13 is also like that… it definitely made purchasing Batgirl a easier pill to swallow for me.

  29. Worth the wait. What a way to bring The Joker back. Bravo Mr Snyder.

  30. Does it make me a psycho because it brought a smile to my face every time the Joker fucked with somebody?

  31. This was my pick of the week before I even read it. Scott Snyder needs to have a permanent throne for writing Batman. He knows the Dark Knight all too well.

  32. K, this was pretty good…..but……I just don’t think I’m in love with Snyder as much as everyone else. I’d say only about 3 of his Batman Issues were as good as any of his Detective issues.

    Something just isn’t grabbing me. That and paying an extra dollar brings my expectations higher. I think the last time I thought, “Wow, now that was worth the money!” was the Court of Owl’s maze issue.

  33. Nirvana

  34. Well, this was a great start to the new storyline. The opening scene at GCPD was perfectly creepy and amazing. Snyder and Capullo make such a great team, I liked seeing the rest of the Bat family drawn by Capullo, and his Joker defintely lived up to the hype.
    The back-up by Tynion and Jock was unsettling in the best way.

  35. Hey guys – it’s Scott – just want to say thanks so much for all the kind words here. Greg and I were floored by the support this week from you all. Means a lot – thanks again. Things are only going to get more twisted from here – promise 🙂 S

    • SNYYYYYDEERRRR!!!!! Dude, you just really get how to write a great comic and have a wonderful grasp of the characters. Can not wait to see what you and Greg have in store for the rest.

    • thx brother – going to get evil 🙂

    • I’ve stuck with you since #1 and don’t plan on stopping 🙂 Wonderful job to you and Greg on this really creepy and scary issue. Really love the respect you have for the characters. Looking forward to the rest of this arc. Keep it evil:)

    • This issue was freaking amazing and cannot wait for the next one . The back up gave me chills …creepy

    • How do you do it man? lol After all the hype that was around this book I thought “theres no way it can be this good”. After finishing it im glad I was wrong. Fantastic job, im not a person to be creeped out easily but the scene in the police station sent chills down my back and reminded me of Michel Meyers. Again well sone sir.

    • Amazing job Scott! You write an excellently creepy Joker. All of the references to past stories made me want to start reading all my old Joker trades. Can’t wait to see Joker come out swinging for Batman and his gang in the coming months!

    • This issue is up there as one of the best I’ve ever read. So chilling, loved the little references and the art was unbelievable, I cannot wait for the next issue.

    • You did great SS. This really was the scary Joker you promised, just in time for Halloween. Very horror movie feel to this issue. I love the opening panel of the raindrops, nice little Killing Joke homage. I liked the call backs to Jokers first appearance. All good stuff. We are assuming that Damien and Joker know each other pretty well by now, yes? Grant’s Batman and Robin is still in continuity I assume?
      Great issue, really looking forward to this this story. I hope Mr. J gets his face back by the end 🙂

    • Wonderful job again, sir! I had chills when Joker got out of the van, when he entered the police station, when he murdered everyone in the dark, when he entered the Manor, and while he was taunting Harley. There’s nothing funny at all about this Joker and that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

    • This is the best version of Joker… ever. Now.. all we need to do is convince Mark Hammil to stand behind people and voice Mr. J while we read it. I’m picking up everything in the “Death of the Family” crossover now, you have convinced the inner Joker love.

    • You are doing an awesome job on Batman Mr. Snyder. Heaven to me is this……my dog asleep at my feet, a cup of coffee on the table next to me…..myself all comfy on my couch with a warm blanket……and an issue of Scott Snyder’s and Greg Capullo’s Batman in my hands. I open the book, I start to hear rain drops…….my heart beat starts to pick up…….and I’m back in Gotham…..

  36. I found the last half of Court of the Owls to be somewhat dull, but damn did this issue bring this book back up to speed. Holy crap. Early PotW call for me.

  37. Lost in all the Joker Hoopla is the fact that Snyder writes the best Jim Gordon since Year One. It started with Black Mirror and I can only hope it continues. Love the book as I have every month. There is no substitute for a Snyder written thriller/horror.

  38. batman , joker , synder im so wet im slipping of my seat ….. i really can not wait

  39. Definitely my POTW. Incredible art and a masterfully paced first issue. That last panel was A-mazing.

    Arcs like these are why I read comics

    Picked up the comic at Midtown and Snyder showed up for some signings right when I got to the cash register, just an all-around cool dude.

  40. I was a little worried about the Joker storyline, to be honest. I love both Snyder and Capullo, and they haven’t disappointed. But there had been so much hype for this arc and on Twitter everybody was talking about how scary it was… I just knew there was no way for it to live up to expectations. It would be fine, of course, but it wouldn’t be awe-inspiring.

    Boy was I wrong.

    Everything about this issue was perfect. The Joker is twisted and genuinely frightening. I was *scared*. Scared enough to sleep with the closet door shut and the hallway light on.

    I am at the point where if Snyder wrote the nutritional information on the back of a cereal box, I would buy it and two if Capullo did the artwork.

    • Agreed. My friend and I who read it together had to hug and hold each other after ward, lol.
      *SPOLIER ALERT* And for a more than a moment, I really thought Joker was going to cut her.

  41. Man, this is a historic run. The Joker in genuinely scary. The things he knew about Gordon made my skin crawl. I will read this book as long as Capullo/Snyder are on it.

    POTW.

  42. Absolutely terrifying. A fantastic issue. I just don’t understand how people don’t like Snyder’s Batman. It’s perfect.

  43. I think this brings it back to the level of quality that Scott and Greg had with the first 7 issues of their run (8-11 were still good, but the journey is almost always better than the ending).
    I loved that this took me nearly 20 minutes to read. Greg’s line work has to enjoyed like a fine wine and Scott’s easter eggs were worth pausing for. Well done. Killed it.

  44. Also, the extra buck for a Jock on a Joker was worth it. Good times.

  45. great stuff….i mean i’ve run out of new enthusiasms to say about this team and run. But i will say i’m really happy to have a new Joker story and i’m glad they’re doing it.

    something that has me scratching my head a bit…..so i guess Tim Burton is a major influence on the new DCU bat family?That makes two origins now…

  46. Could the Joker be in cahoots with the Rot? SSSSSS?

  47. Yikes! This was pretty freaking awesome, a good idea to put this book out around Halloween time because it’s creepy as hell.

  48. OMG! He’s been hiding under Gordon’s bed! I won’t be able to sleep tonight!

    Please check my mini-review of Batman #13 here:

    http://bit.ly/QfYwMW

    Comments and feedback are always welcome!

  49. My pick of the week!

  50. The first scene was scary as hell and tense, This was great, I have never found the Joker this terrifying and he is generally pretty terrifying. Creepy as F@%k. 5 stars and the POW all day.

  51. Another thing, now i got to check under my bed before i tuck in for the night. Thanks Scott ya big bollock 🙂

  52. Just picked this up on my way home and it was really good. I love the Joker and he was creepy as hell in this. Will this only be in Batman or will it be jumping into all the other Bat family stuff? If is does… is there a list? I only pick up Batman for Joker stuff.

    • It will be spreading out into other issues of Batgirl, Catwoman, Suicide Squad, Detective Comics, Batman and Robin, Red hood, Nightwing and Teen Titans between now and January. You can stick to the main Batman story and still understand what’s going on… Just like Avengers vs X-men for example

    • Thank you Kipper2099. I’ll try and keep up with the story. Just hard for me to get Batgirl or Robin stuff. Unless the Joker kills Robin again. lol. I’ll see what I can add to my list.

  53. What can you say? It’s the Joker and it’s great. I had a hard time finding a copy of this issue where I live. There were a million copies of #12 floating around but #13 was hard to come by.

  54. The creepiest parts were definitely him standing in the doorway, and telling Gordon that he’s been under his bed when he sleeps at night. It’s really hard to scare me when I consume any media, but those two things genuinely made me feel uneasy. Everything else was obviously great too.

  55. This is about as damn near close to perfection as you can get.
    I’m honestly at a loss for words.

  56. Has to be one of the best Batman (new 52) books I’ve read. Can’t wait for next month.

  57. Hell. Yeah. POTW. This is the best book of the big two. Period.

  58. It was good, but not earth shatteringly good. Some of the hype this series receives is getting a little ridiculous, and ends up making me like it less than I probably otherwise would.

    • Ya, its good but its not even the best Batman comic coming out now. Batman Incorporated is a far superior comic in my opinion. Nice comic but nothing extraordinary.

    • Batman Inc. is basically preventing me from truly enjoying any other Batman title. It delivers exactly what I want from a Batman comic. I gravitate towards the zaniness more than the serious crime stuff. It’s just a matter of taste.

      Really, it’s great that there are two quality Batman comics being published now that scratch two different itches. And good on DC for letting them co-exist and not worrying about how they synch up or whatever.

      I borrow this Batman from a friend and just read it tonight. I will say, it’s the best issue of the series so far. I thought the Court of Owls were weak antagonists (aside from their spooky design) so Joker is already way better on that front.

    • Two points I strongly agree with:

      a) Batman Inc. is the better bat-book right now
      b) Snyder’s Batman is over-hyped

      This is a matter of taste so please, feel free to share your opinion but don’t try to prove me wrong. I’m talking to you Morrison-haters!

      Also – I am definitely not saying that I don’t like Snyder’s work – I do – a lot.
      I enjoyed Snyder’s pre-New 52 Batman work on Detective and Gates of Gotham more than his recent stuff though. The pacing of Court of Owls was odd – a couple of issues too long for me.

      This Joker arc is starting off great though and I am looking forward to it immensely. I’m even going to pick up some books I usually don’t – like Batgirl and Batman and Robin.

      Would have been my POTW for sure if not for Fantastic four 611

  59. this has to be a 1st on ifanboy that one book has over a 90% POTW status.

  60. This. Was. Amazing.

  61. Snyder truly seems to understand the Joker, something not many writers do understand…this was an absolutely brilliant book, and one of the best I’ve read in years. Kudos to all involved. On a side note, the little stories at the end are usually an irritant to me, but this one actually augmented the story–and gave the reader more insight into the characters. A rare treat indeed. Great job DC!

  62. Gotta say, I’m completely in agreement with the hype, this issue is spectacular. Such a great run, hope this is only the beginning, give us five years minimum Synder and Capullo!

  63. Just finished reading this issue ( I know I’m late… catching up on my stack I swear!) and this was awesome! Masterfully written, the horror as the Joker breached the G.C.P.D. and killed the cops one by one: wow! The art by Capullo leaves me speachless. Incredible is what comes to mind concerning this run by Snyder/Capullo! May it run for a hundred issues and then some!!!!

  64. This issue was AMAZING. Snyder writes an awesome Joker. can’t wait to see what happens next. POTW, no question.

  65. Art’s not a good match for this kind of writing. Frankly, I kind of wish Finch was working on this book with Snyder.

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