TBWL #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

Pick up #2 as soon as you can, you will not be disappointed. Read Full Review

The Batman Who Laughs #2 is the perfect mix of Death of the Family and The Black Mirror. Read Full Review

Overall 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

Full of twists, turns, and a whole new level of madness, The Batman Who Laughs is the book to watch in 2019! Read Full Review

THE 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

A 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

Again, 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

Jock'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

This 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

Snyder 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

As 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

Snyder and Jock's The Batman Who Laughs continues to excite and unsettle as the Dark Knight's situation grows more dire. Read Full Review

Things 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

The 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

If 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

Despite 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

The 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

Batman 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

Overall, 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

Continuing 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

The 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

I 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

I 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

Snyder 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

Putting 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

Overall: 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

This is a high stakes book that walks the line between tense and terrifying. 4 out of 5 stars! Read Full Review

Is 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

Becoming more and more of a sinister comic book. Read Full Review

The 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

The 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

Overall 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

It'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

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.

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.

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 Laughing Batman acting more like Batman than Joker. He used his knowledge about Bruce Wayne and his mind against Batman. It’s nice to see him not just crazy like Joker. But the Laughing Batman just looks cool as ever& the art enhances that.

I also liked the ending SPOILER it was great to see Gordon reunite with his son James,& I’m wondering what these two are up to. Always felt kind of sorry for him in Batgirl SPOILER ENDING

So I’m definitely excited for the next issue.
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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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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 Batman saving Joker from death. It's overboard and if you've been following Snyder's run with the character you're probably tired of it too. 

I'm also tired of retreading the same plot points that were supposed to be addressed years ago. Joker has access to the Batcave and now knows Bruce's secret identity. I know this may have been addressed somewhere but at this point, the Batman/Joker dynamic is beating a dead horse and needs a break.

Aside from the rant above I loved the rest of the issue. Snyder has a very interesting plot here. Dead Bruce Waynes appearing everywhere and being exposed to Joker toxin has put Bruce on edge. We're also introduced to the Grim Knight in this issue. He's essentially the Punisher with Bruce Wayne's resources. I'm interested in getting more details on the character as the series develops. 

Batman also has a brief encounter with the Batman Who laughs and out of all of his appearances, this is the first time I've actually felt like we were reading about a Jokerized version of Bruce. In most cases, it feels like the character is Joker wearing the Batman costume. This is a nice change of pace and I'm happy that Snyder has found a nice balance here. 

 I wasn't sold on Jock's art style in the previous issue and although I'm still not entirely onboard its has grown on me a bit. In between the last review I picked up Wytches: Bad Egg and absolutely loved it. I think it's more of my sensibilities than a knock on the artist. He's a capable artist I'm just not sold on him with these characters. 

The positives outweigh the negatives and I look forward to the direction the series takes. If the book can tone down the Joker/Batman dynamic the series can develop into a classic. As it stands now I can recommend the book if only tepidly. more

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 more natural. Like Jason Aaron has been doing in Avengers. It's sort of a nitpick in this case, because it didn't hinder my enjoyment of this issue too much. It just made it a little less good. more

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myconius - Jan 17, 2019

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.

Darkseid24 - Jan 17, 2019

If you say Judge Death I have to think of the crossover where Scarecrow teamed up with him, what was funny. But I’d say Batman, who Laughs is more crazy.

Darkseid24 - Jan 17, 2019

And he reminds me of Hellraiser

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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.

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.

"I'm here"

Slow, but entertaining.

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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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.

-The Joker scene this issue was creepy and really mad cup for the confusing and rushed one last issue.

-And God… that end. I won't spoil it. If you haven't read this issue, I strongly suggest you stay away from spoilers. Ruining the utter shock one gets from the last page should be outlawed. +1 extra point.

THE BAD:

-Sadly, after the first page, we get a cringe-y splash of Batman saying, "Whatever the hell it takes," with a bunch of needles sticking out of back. That was so overly forced.

-Wasn't a fan of Bat-Bullock. I'm not sure why that was even necessary, except to provoke that weird spurt of anger.

-This issue definitely had more Synder-exposition than the first one. I will admit I was bored at a few points throughout the issue.

-Sadly, I can't say I'm a fan of the Grim Knight. He was overhyped, really a very minor player so far. I do think a Punisher-style Batman has potential, but this issue isn't reaching it in that aspect.

-I wasn't a fan of the explosion page. It felt like it was forced to make it a splash page, but it really should't have and I don't like how they brightened the sky in that one little spot to show Batman. Didn't resonate with me visually. That's just me though, it's perfectly understandable for another person to love that page. more

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 !?!

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?...

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.