The Joker #3

Writer: Sam Johns, James Tynion IV Artist: Mirka Andolfo, Guillem March Publisher: DC Comics Release Date: May 12, 2021 Cover Price: $5.99 Critic Reviews: 15 User Reviews: 46
8.5Critic Rating
7.8User Rating

The hunt for The Joker is under way, as Jim Gordon heads to a remote part of South America to run down a lead...and comes face-to-face with the Clown Prince of Crime himself! The mystery around A-Day deepens, but not before an attack by the blood-thirsty Sampson family!
And in the Punchline backup story, Punchline has to face off against the Queen of Spades’ new muscle...Orca! At the same time, Bluebird’s investigation at Punchline’s alma mater takes a dark and horrifying turn!

  • 10
    The Batman Universe - Scott Waldyn May 11, 2021

    Just when Jim Gordon, and ourselves, think we know where The Joker #3 is taking us, the creative team pulls the rug out from under us! This issue continues with the excellent noir-style detective narrative and rewards readers by keeping them on their toes. The Punchline backup story proves exciting, too. Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield Jan 1, 1970

    Both the main story and backup are delivering some of the best tension in any book on the stands. Read Full Review

  • 9.3
    Comic Watch - Ariel Bee May 11, 2021

    The Joker is a series that started strong and keeps getting stronger. Read Full Review

  • 9.2
    The Super Powered Fancast - Timala Elliott May 11, 2021

    The detailed art work and interesting color palates created by March and Prianto are engaging and compelling. While the panels designed by Prianto and Fajardo are colorful and exciting. The action scenes in the latter are particularly well done. I found both sets of of art to be transportive with tones that perfectly encapsulated their particular narratives. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    DC Comics News - Carl Bryan May 15, 2021

    BUY THIS BOOK! For those lucky enough to get on the ground floor of anything that James Tynion IV does, he's one of the hottest authors the past few years. I am not sure how his imaginative faucet gets turned on, or where he is creating Joker stories. But I am drinking from his fire hydrant! This should be on your shelf! Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    AIPT - Dan Spinelli May 11, 2021

    James Tynion IV's skillful story of Jim Gordon on the hunt for the Joker continues with a trip to Belize"and a harrowing flashback to one of the worst moments in Gordon's life. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Lyles Movie Files - Jeffrey Lyles May 11, 2021

    The Joker sees some drastic changes, likely for the better, from its Fugitive setup and the Punchline back-up offers captivating insight on his new ally. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    GWW - Joseph Gilmore May 11, 2021

    Even though we're very familiar with the title character, Joker remains fascinating under Tynion's watch. He's incorporating all the things we enjoy about the character, but with a fresh feel. The slow build throughout The Joker #3 was worth the lack of action because it led to the series' most shocking moment yet. Read Full Review

  • 8.8
    The Comicbook Dispatch - acnbat May 13, 2021

    ART: The art continues to be way above average but not quite spectacular. The flashback scenes were very well done. A full-page spread of a car on a bridge with a Bat-Family member on top is my favorite art of the issue! Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Black Nerd Problems - Morgan Hampton May 12, 2021

    In a short at the end of the book, Harper Row starts to piece together Punchline's past, in an effort to understand what made her such a big fan of the Joker. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Dark Knight News - Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr Jun 11, 2021

    Overall, The Joker #3 continues to deliver on the promises it began to make in the first issue. As a fan of wordier stories, I'm really happy with Tynion's noir take on this Jim Gordon adventure. March's art mostly compliments this, but he takes questionable liberties with the former commissioner (and another character in the final pages). Meanwhile, the backup story continues to slip in terms of plot. Punchline has plenty of potential, but Chapter 3 fails to capitalize on it. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    ComicBook.com - Evan Valentine May 12, 2021

    The Joker is a solid DC comic book and does a great job of exploring the world of the supervillain while also diving into the head of his victims. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    But Why Tho? - Charles Hartford May 11, 2021

    When all is said and done, The Joker #3 continues to build up its two stories nicely. What comes next for the primary tale has me genuinely intrigued as Tynion leaves Gordon in a position I never saw coming at the end of this story. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Weird Science - Eric Shea May 11, 2021

    The hunt is on as Jim Gordon tracks down the Joker, the only problem is..... hunting can be a bit boring compared to what we got previously. Yeah, this is a slower issue that tries to set the mood of what it's going for more than anything else but thankfully everything came to a head by the end and made me anxious to get the next issue..... I just wish that the Punchline backup was able to do the same. Thankfully though, the art was enjoyable throughout, and the side story of the Batgirls hunting down who Gordon's mysterious benefactor is is another intriguing plotline to this series.  Read Full Review

  • 5.5
    Batman-News - Corbin Nelson May 11, 2021

    The sheer onslaught of exposition plastered all over every panel really sunk this issue for me until the end nearly turned it around. A decent ending might not have saved the entire issue, but it at least gave me hope that the next ones can be enjoyable. The Punchline backup is still worth skipping. I'm not going to average the two scores because that'd tank the Joker main feature, so instead I'll just knock a half point off the score. Read Full Review

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