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/2.jpg "The Batman Who Laughs #2")
i was talking with someone in one of the comic shops i frequent. they pointed out something i'd never really noticed before. they said that The Batman that Laughs is pretty much almost the same as Judge Death from the Dredd comics. he kind of does look like Death.
The Batman Who Laughs #2
| Writer | Scott Snyder |
| Artist | Jock |
| Cover Price | $4.99 |
After the shocking ending of issue #1, a ticking clock sets Batman on a trail throughout the different realities of the Multiverse. He starts to see all the iterations of his life, and what could have been...but more importantly, Bruce Wayne begins to deduce that his current life is somehow wrong, and that all the mistakes he's made are somehow connected. Meanwhile, the Batman Who Laughs raises the curtain on his second act, pulling out the big guns to break into Arkham Asylum... enter one of the most punishing Batmen of the Dark Multiverse: the Grim Knight!
CRITIC REVIEWS Back to Top
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10
AIPT - JJ Travers
Jan 16, 2019The minute-by-minute test of will for Bruce, combined with having to combat the two deadliest foes Batman has ever faced, delivers a comic book that's utterly fantastic from start to finish. Read Full Review
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10
Fortress of Solitude - Sergio Pereira
Jan 16, 2019The Batman Who Laughs #2 is the perfect mix of Death of the Family and The Black Mirror. Read Full Review
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10
Comic Crusaders - Shawn Warner
Jan 16, 2019Overall Scott Snyder and Jock continue to guide us down this rabbit hole and through the shadows of this dark narrative. Thematically this story borders on Gothic horror, the pace and the intensity of the action twist the dial back to the super hero setting. Snyder's narrative weaves the supernatural and super hero elements flawlessly into one heck of an exciting and entertaining issue with a final page reveal that will leave you floored. Read Full Review
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10
Infinite Earths - J.D. Jr.
Jan 16, 2019Full of twists, turns, and a whole new level of madness, The Batman Who Laughs is the book to watch in 2019! Read Full Review
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10
Comicsverse - Maite Molina
Jan 16, 2019THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #2 is a cohesive horror story that challenges The Dark Knight in a horrifying manner. So, even if we may want to look away at some points, the issue is so mesmerizing that we simply cannot. Read Full Review
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10
ComicBook.com - Russ Burlingame
Jan 16, 2019A sharp and satisfying character piece, this issue ends with a cliffhanger that will have longtime Snyder readers reeling until the next issue. Read Full Review
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10
DC Comics News - Carl Bryan
Jan 16, 2019Again, The Batman Who Laughs is years in the making. What a great imagination from Scott Snyder and Jock is providing the right ways to depict all of these characters. To this reviewer, this is a brand new way to run Batman through another gauntlet. You are not too late to buy the first issue and now the second one as these will be as valuable as when Frank Miller put the Dark into the Dark Knight! Get yours today. All that and a few new drawings of The Batman Who Laughs that are frame worthy! Read Full Review
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10
Lyles Movie Files - Jeffrey Lyles
Jan 16, 2019TBWL #2 was a flat out fun comic as Batman's nightmares are come to life. The final few pages reveal another character aligned with TBWL that should make the rest of this compelling series even more intriguing. Read Full Review
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10
On Comics Ground - Travis Tucker
Jan 17, 2019Pick up #2 as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed. Read Full Review
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9.9
The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally
Jan 16, 2019Jock's art is beautifully brutal. There are so many amazingly dark panels that showcase how Bruce is falling over the edge with his body fighting the Joker toxin. The entire sequence at Wayne Tower is breathtaking in its beauty and details. Read Full Review
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9.8
Comic Watch - Robert Struble
Jan 18, 2019This is Snyder at what he does best. Its such a dark and moody and downright frightening book. Given the fantastic art from Jock and the amazing colors from David Baron, this might be my favorite tale from Scott Snyder yet. Read Full Review
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9.6
Forces Of Geek - Lenny Schwartz
Jan 21, 2019Snyder writes an amazing script here. I loved his work before and this is him at the top of his game. He works so well with Jock that the results are stunning. I'm at the edge of my seat for this one. The story and the imagery are top notch and this may end up being a true classic. Read Full Review
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9.6
You Don't Read Comics - Rick Lopez
Jan 22, 2019As the mysteries and tension only grow larger, Bruce must find a way to enter this black mirror and return unscathed. Snyder and Jock prove to continually work tremendously well even after all these years. With the answers still remaining unclear as towards his motive, The Batman Who Laughs and the Grim Knight prove to be quite the match against the Dark Knight is this magnificent horror story. Read Full Review
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9.5
The Brazen Bull - Charlie Chipman
Jan 16, 2019Snyder and Jock's The Batman Who Laughs continues to excite and unsettle as the Dark Knight's situation grows more dire. Read Full Review
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9.5
Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield
Jan 16, 2019Things truly come full-circle with the final reveal, and two issues in this is one of my favorite works of Scott Snyder's in years. Read Full Review
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9.5
Black Nerd Problems - Morgan Hampton
Jan 16, 2019The Batman Who Laughs #2 will make you do anything but laugh. In fact, whatever time you read this will be the farthest you'll be from laughter all day. Bruce is having a really bad time, and Jock and Snyder use every tool in the shed to put the audience in his shoes so we can not only see what Bats is going through, we but feel it too. Read Full Review
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9.3
Major Spoilers - Wayne Hall
Jan 20, 2019If you aren't reading this book, I VERY HIGHLY recommend you get it before it sells out nationwide. It's that good! Read Full Review
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9.0
Comics: The Gathering - Hussein Wasiti
Jan 16, 2019Despite this, Snyder and Jock have crafted another solid issue, and have amped up the threat of the titular villain. The art is amazing and this is already one of the best books DC is currently publishing. Check this out with confidence. Read Full Review
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9.0
Graphic Policy - Brett
Jan 16, 2019The first issue was fantastic and this second issue is amazing as well. This is a hell of a story that seems to really be a match that tests everything about Batman. Not since the Court of Owls have we had a villain who is a match, if not the better, of Batman. And we haven't had a story where it really felt that Batman might lose but also cross a line he doesn't want to. This is the mini-series to go all in for as it's one hell of a story so far. Read Full Review
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9.0
GWW - Nick Friar
Jan 16, 2019Batman always finds his way out, but much like in Dark Nights: Metal, beating The Batman Who Laughs feels impossible. He's Batman's brain and relentlessness mixed with The Joker's chaos and evil. How do you stop that twice in a lifetime? Read Full Review
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9.0
But Why Tho? - lizzylynngarcia
Jan 16, 2019Overall, if you enjoyed Dark Knights: Metal you should absolutely pick upThe Batman Who Laughs #2.That being said, even if you didn't but you are a Batman fan, particularly of his darker stories, you should pick up this book. Read Full Review
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8.5
Multiversity Comics - Gregory Ellner
Jan 17, 2019Continuing the phenomenal first issue, Scott Snyder, Jock, David Baron, and Sal Cipriano have a definite winner on their hands so far with "The Batman Who Laughs" and its psychological, horrific thriller atmosphere and storytelling. Read Full Review
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8.3
Geeked Out Nation - Jideobi Odunze
Jan 16, 2019The Batman Who Laughs #2 is yet another issue which knock you at the edge of your seat. This villain knows how to make an entrance and does so in a way that sends a message. How does one beat Batman? That is the only question that matters right now, because this fight is over before it begun if Bruce can't figure this one out. Read Full Review
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8.0
Dark Knight News - Steve J Ray
Jan 16, 2019Is our Batman slowly becoming what he fears most? Is he finally engaged in a war that he cannot win? I know this is a comic-book, but the stakes are really high and this creative team are making me fear the worst. I'm going to go and pick up a few Charles M. Schulz anthologies now, as all three titles I've reviewed this week have chilled me to the bone. Read Full Review
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8.0
Weird Science - Jim Werner
Jan 16, 2019I liked this issue for the character moments and the cliffhanger promises even more of those. Yea, there is also action and some big moments, but right now I could read a book with Batman and the Batman Who Laughs hanging in a room together talking about how different they are from each other. Of course, the Batman Who Laughs would probably blow up the room after slicing Bruce's neck, but isn't that whey we love him? Read Full Review
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8.0
The Batman Universe - Tony Hammack
Jan 16, 2019I am still unsure of the overall plan for the Batman Who Laughs to this point, but I am really enjoying this mystery. Read Full Review
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8.0
Newsarama - Richard Gray
Jan 16, 2019Putting the Dark into the Dark Knight, Snyder and Jock leave us at a point that is nothing short of bleak. Snyder holds back some of his deepest cuts until the very end, with another cliffhanger that reintroduces a character who has some importance in Snyder’s earlier works. As both a Dark Knights: Metal spin-off and as a standalone limited series, The Batman Who Laughs continues to impress. You might just need to take a shower when you’re done to feel clean again. Read Full Review
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8.0
Comic Book Revolution - Rokk
Jan 17, 2019Overall: The Batman Who Laughs #2 is another excellent read. Snyder and Jock are delivering a high quality comic that stands out from the rest of the comic books currently being published. This is a title that is worth your hard-earned money. Read Full Review
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8.0
Impulse Gamer - Mark McKechnie
Jan 18, 2019This is a high stakes book that walks the line between tense and terrifying. 4 out of 5 stars! Read Full Review
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8.0
Newsarama - Scott Cederlund
Jan 23, 2019Snyder and Greg Capullo continued that theme in Metal, showing dark and twisted What If versions of the character fighting the Justice League. Where that story was large, colorful and brash, The Batman Who Laughs #2 is much smaller yet the stakes for one man feel much greater than the fate of the multiverse ever did. Read Full Review
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7.8
Outright Geekery - Brian A. Madrid
Jan 20, 2019Becoming more and more of a sinister comic book. Read Full Review
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7.7
Sequential Planet - Matt Herman
Jan 17, 2019The Batman Who Laughs #2 is another solid chapter of this story. We get to see Batman doing detective work and unraveling the secrets of Gotham City. Throw in a few Batmen from alternate universes and you got a pretty great story. Read Full Review
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7.5
Batman-News - Casper Rudolph
Jan 17, 2019The comic is also rather heavy on exposition which slows down the overall reading experience. However, Batman's biggest obstacle is his own infected body, which creates suspense and just has me wondering how he's going to overcome this, and I'm looking forward to the next installment all the same! Read Full Review
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7.0
Comic Book Corps - Kelly OneShot
Jan 16, 2019Overall I'd say Scott Snyder and friends have done a great job at starting something special here as he further expands on the mythos and lure of The Batman who laughs, while he also introduces us to other new and previously untold Knightmares from the Dark Multiverse, this time in the form of The Grim Knight. Only time will tell how this story shakes out or if these two Knightmare Batmen will have the same long term staying power as so many other great Batman villains have, but with Scott Snyder at the helm I have faith that this story will find its way into the hearts of fans. Read Full Review
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6.0
Horror DNA - James Ferguson
Jan 23, 2019It's telling that the person that has pushed Batman beyond the breaking point is Batman himself. You'd think this would lead to some serious self-exploration as he figures out what he's really doing with his life, but that's probably not going to happen. In any case, The Batman Who Laughs flows like the biggest action movie the Dark Knight has ever seen, with the most unsettling villain he's ever come across. Read Full Review
USER REVIEWS Back to Top
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10
Great art and I like where the story is going
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9.5
Scott Snyder was born to write Batman and Jock's art is incredible and gels perfectly with Snyder's storytelling. If you aren't reading this series you need to grab the back issue(s) and add this to your pull list.
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9.5
The corners Scott Snyder reach is just, wow! He knows how to crack a joke in the middle of a dark and bloody situation. The ends surprise you and keep you hooked on the series.
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9.0
It's almost disappointing to land on a 9 here, because it could have been perfect. The first page, complete with nostalgic Snyder prose IS perfect. I'll never forget that page. But two big-time cringes (page 3 with the syringes and leaning HARD into the Bullock science mumbo-jumbo) felt like glaring, albeit brief, missteps. However, the elevator scene and last page, bringing Snyder-Jock full-circle, is undeniable, irresistible, and tantalizing! PS: Batman briefly begging was actually pretty cool, and I wonder if he has ever been reduced to no options but to beg before? (Not that I want to see him humiliated or anything...just wondering)
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9.0
There is nothing in this issue I could really complain about. Snyder is doing a great job with portraying the characters. I wasn't a fan of Metal& the one shots with the Batmen, but this one is well written. This issue never gets boring. Batman is trying to find a solution to beat the Batman Who Laughs& the Batman with weapons. It's interesting to see all these alternative versions of Batman& what the Batman who Laughs said about him being the most miserable of them all is quite ironic. I'm also glad to see, that Snyder focuses on the main characters& leaves the other villains out this issue. Didn't like how they were reduced to canon fodder in the Metal One shots, so hope the other 4 issues continue with that. It was also great to see the more
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8.0
Overall, I liked this issue. I find the opening to be the best part. The scene in the batcave. The issue doesn't really go downhill from there so much as it doesn't get a ton more interesting. We have Batman and The Batman Who Laughs fight again, with Grim Knight as support. And it's cool. I liked what happened in this. The problem with this issue, and really a lot of Scott Snyder's comics, is he does a ton of telling, not showing. Every moment is given explanation by one of the characters in that given scene. I see it consistently in Snyder's comics and I don't really care for it. It's actually really grating for me, once I start noticing it. And it just feels very forced. Better writers can do the same thing and make it feel a whole lot m more
+ Like • Comments (3)• Likes (2) -
8.0
Subscribe for more reviews: https://www.gtmediareviews.com/ I was somewhat on the fence about after reading the first issue to this series. It wasn't bad but there were glaring problems with the story and I wasn't happy with the art direction. This issue is definitely a step in the right direction but there are some issues here preventing me from enjoying it as much as I would like to. I'll get the major gripe out of the way first. I'm not a fan of this relationship between Batman and the Joker. Batman keeps going out of his way to either save or rescue the Joker. The plot device is overdone and you see shades of it too often. Its referenced in Red Hood. We've seen this dynamic explored in the Arkham Knight and now we literally have more
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7.5
The story and characters remain fascinating but something felt a little off this issue. Just a little too cringey and hammy for me. I understand that's kind of the point but much of the dialogue felt forced. Snyder's prose at the beginning was brilliant though.
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7.5
I thought this was pretty cool I guess but I went through the whole thing feeling really disconnected from the narrative, it was weird because it definitely seems like something that should interest me, I dunno.
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7.0
What might be one of the most badass villains, Batman has to face! Although the bringing the dead Bruce Wayne's over, still confusing and no clue on to why. We see Batman trying to hold in the Joker toxin in which he is losing that battle. The cliffhanger shows James Gordon Jr. at the store talking to his dad, even though shouldn't he be in prison?...
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7.0
I still have no idea what's happening here... Jock Art is amazing tho, love that artist. I feel like he saved this issue. Can someone explain it to me, lol !?!
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7.0
THE GOOD: -Still loving the art. I don't think I've read an issue where I've disliked Jock's art. -I thought that first page was really cool. Reminds me of Snyder in the good old days when he was at his best. This whole series seems to evoke that very feeling. -It's interesting to see more and more of these Bruce Wayne murders. So far, they're really keeping my attention. -The Batman Who Laughs is so good. No not the series... That's pretty good, but the villain is perfect. I didn't like him in Metal (I wasn't a fan of that whole event in general), but this series is doing miracles for him. -I really loved the confrontation between Batman and The Batman Who Laughs in this one. It was a really cool moment in this issue. more
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7.0
Odd direction Story: 7/10 Art: 7/10 Overall: 7/10 Story: Considering the impact and awesome cliffhanger issue 1 left off with, I didn't expect this story to take this direction. It almost negates the ending of issue 1 altogether, rendering it meaningless. That being said, I mean... Okay, BWL is well written, and we are trying to flush out story. It's fine, I feel like this is a good chapter to read, but not so immersive that I couldn't put the book down. Art: No crowd pleasers in this issue, Jock. Kind of run of the mill work. It's good. It's dynamic with a great plan on panel composition... Overall: It's a good issue. Not great. That's why I give it a strong: 7/10
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7.0
"I'm here" Slow, but entertaining.
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6.5
The dark matter talk makes no sense when you know what the hypothetical form of matter is that the term actually describes in the real world. Its a dumb artifact from the Metal series that I would rather get swept under the rug and forgotten. This issue starts out strong with the Joker business, but leaves the narrative behind to hop Bruce into various locations without much of a through line.
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2025 In Review:
