Batman: The Man Who Laughs Review
This week I continue my journey to compile The Ultimate Batman Chronology with Batman: The Man Who Laughs. Written in 2005 by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Doug Mahnke, The Man Who Laughs was a one-shot comic issue. The trades title refers to a 1928 film of the same name from which the aesthetic of the Jokers character was influenced. The collected trade also includes Detective Comics #784, Detective Comics #785, and Detective Comics #786, which make up the “Made of Wood” story arc from 2003.
As usual, let’s begin with the art. David Baron did the colouring for the ‘man who laughs’ one-shot. I am going to be honest and say that it can be odd at times. Blood looking ultra thick (almost like red pudding), the strange blue sky that clashed with police uniforms, and the greenish skinned zombie-like victims of the Joker didn’t fit with the dark pencilling style and the rest of the colour palette.
Similarly, I found Mahnke’s art to be inconsistent. Some shots of the Joker, Batman, and Gordon were very lifelike while others looked rushed or out of place. Additionally, the aesthetic didn’t really fit what I expect in a “Year One” batman setting.
I think that most readers will enjoy the artwork here. There were moments that the colour palette and the ugliness of characters like Gordon and Bruce Wayne brought me out of the story a bit but for the most part the work is well done. I will warn, that in the “Made of Wood” issues, the illustrations become very modern. They are illustrated by Patrick Zircher. Those who tend to favour art from the Golden Age or earlier may not enjoy this as much.
This is another origin story, although it begins to flesh out the situation in Gotham a little more. It assumes we already know about Gordon, Batman, and their relationship. We get right into the action with the introduction of a new villain into the Batman canon.
The Man Who Laughs one-shot takes place in Gotham City almost immediately after the events of Batman: Year One. You can expect to come across the following locations throughout this story: Gotham City, Gotham Gentleman’s Club, Arkham Asylum (mentioned), GCPD Headquarters, Williams Medical Center, Wayne Manor, The Batcave, and Ace Chemical Processing.
The Man Who Laughs is, like Year One, told through the eyes of James Gordon and Bruce Wayne. We get a lot more of Batman in this trade. Acting as a retelling of the first encounter that Batman has with the Joker, we also get a lot of the Clown Prince of Crime. In the beginning, we see Gordon contemplating how things have changed in Gotham since the arrival of Batman. Some for better and some for worse. For instance, the room of dead bodies that he has just walked into… artificial smiles manufactured onto their faces. A new evil has arrived and Gordon and Batman will need to utilize their newfound relationship to work together and stop the mass murderer who is looking to put a signature stamp on Gotham City.
What some readers may not like, is that some of the mystery behind the Joker is revealed here. I don’t necessarily think that it hurts the story, but I prefer the ‘modern day’ timeline in the trade to the brief flashbacks we have of the Joker and Batman’s recent past.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this trade is that the The Man Who Laughs one-shot might not even be the best part. “Made of Wood” provided a compelling mystery drama that I found myself very interested in. What I found unfortunate, was that this story had no business being included in this collection. The story takes place long after the events of Year One and The Man Who Laughs have passed. We see Batman and Gordon reflect on what their city means to them before being thrust into a search for a serial killer that is somehow connected to Gotham’s former protector, the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott.
In the following section I will provide a brief synopsis of each issue included in this trade. This section may contain some minor spoilers so if you would like to avoid any potential risk of having a minor plot-point spoiled just scroll down to the final rating.
The Man Who Laughs #1 One-Shot
The issue begins with Gordon contemplating how the city has changed since the arrival of Batman. Crime has been reduced and the city seems to be doing better. But the world is changing. Superman, the Flash, Batman. And now, a room full of dead bodies masked in fake smiles. Batman and Captain Gordon, now working together, set out to find and stop the murderer before he is able to enact his ultimate plan. Bruce Wayne struggles to understand the genius behind the madness of his new adversary and we begin to see the new struggle that Gotham must face.
Detective Comics #784 — Made of Wood, Part 1
A now retired Jim Gordon stumbles across a dead body while he is out on a stroll. The body lies at the foot of the Alan Scott, Gotham’s former protector, statue and has the words “made of wood” carved into its chest. Bruce Wayne discovers that the phrase refers to a series of murders from the 1940’s that were never solved.
Detective Comics # 785- Made of Wood, Part 2
Alan Scott arrives in Gotham to help Batman with the old case. Batman follows the only lead that he has, a connection between the first victim and a missing person. Gordon also looks into the case and begins to wonder why the murders stopped 55 years ago. Why does any serial killer stop killing?
Detective Comics #786- Made of Wood, Part 3
James Gordon is missing and Batman is the only one who can find him. With the help of Alan Scott, Bruce races against time to discover not only the truth about where Gordon is located, but also what happened all those years ago.
Conclusion
The artwork in this trade is good but not great. The Joker story is good but not great. Perhaps, only because it is slightly generic. The highlight just might be the three issue “Made of Wood” story arc.
Final Rating: Significant
This trade should be considered significant. The first appearance of the Joker is just about as significant to the Batman history as we can get. I don’t think the story was anything special (although ‘Made of Wood’ was!) but we see some interesting development in Gordon, Batman, and how Gotham City is coming to shape. If you’re interested in Batman, I would get it. If you’re interested in the Joker, definitely get it. If you like Batman as a detective/mystery story or if you like Alan Scott, it becomes a must-buy for Made of Wood.
If you’re interested in purchasing this trade, it can be found here.
If you would like to see how I review and rate trades, you can find that here.
Finally, if you’re interested in viewing The Ultimate Batman Chronology (for trades) that I am putting together, click here.
