Meanwhile, Punchline delves into what were all here for or, well, what Im here for anyway: Punchline herself. It is an examination of who she is and where she came from. While it does not unlock a full understanding of her psyche, that is perhaps to be expected... because someone like her can only ever be a puzzle to people who arent violent sociopaths. Read Full Review

As we get closer to the final arc of James Tynion IV's Joker thriller, Guillem March takes a break and Stefano Raffaele does a game job of keeping the art style similar. That's a good thing because this fast-paced issue needs a skilled artist to keep up with all the twists and turns. Read Full Review

The Joker #9 pulls us deeper into a conspiracy that has been going on throughout Batman's career, and we're absolutely here for it! It's haunting, ghoulish, and full of tension. Read Full Review

This series is very good, but I still don't know if it should actually be called The Joker. Two whole issues have now gone by without the main man (no"not Lobo) making an appearance. Yes, everything that occurs is largely down to his actions, but it's hard to accept this being a Joker title without the Master of Mayhem. Read Full Review

Tynion has wonderfully set up this Joker manhunt with Gordon always seeming a step or two behind. Now if he could just tie up the dubious continuity issues. Read Full Review

Some big things are happening in our Joker story and not as equal but still, some big things happening in the Punchline backup, I just wish that the presentation of the main Joker story came off more exciting and didn't focus solely on narration boxes to give us our information because it starts getting pretty dull, even with the information being intriguing.   Read Full Review

Tynion's characterization is still on point and Stefano Raffaele's art here is a grand slam, but the issue loses the forest for the trees when it has one too many balancing acts taking place. Read Full Review

The Joker #9 isn't a bad issue but it just feels like it shifts the story far too much from the initial launch. Having various groups all trying to capture the same person could drive the series for quite a while and feels like it was just being touched as far as potential. This one issue shifts all of that in a major way. This is an issue to read because of its possible impact on the DC Universe, not necessarily because it does its story any justice. Read Full Review

There's a little too much surprise packed into the last couple pages for me to focus on one thing too long, and I suspect one of the events was added just to delay a character so the story can take a different focus next issue. Read Full Review

Gordon #9 was really good. Still contend this is Gordon’s series, not Joker’s.

Tynion pulled an Alan Moore by tying this goofy villain comic to big gov’s misdeeds. Not specifically the US, big gov in general. Love it. Ignore Fear State cuz is this quietly Tynion’s real swansong.

This is good, but my eyes glazed over at the big government conspiracy shit. It works better in Department of Truth than it does in this Joker comic.

Finally got back up to speed on this title and I have to say, what Tynion is doing is really working for me. He's positioned Jim Gordon (the real lead of the book), as a proverbial frog in a pot of water and the heat is slowly being turned up around him. I love the way he's working some of the Joker's biggest stories into the background of the book. It feels really organic and it's enhancing the story telling without coming off as a history lesson.

We finally got some interesting answers and I can't wait to see what's coming up next.

So we finally have the answers (or some answers at least) Tynion has been teasing from the first issue. And I don't know how to feel about that. There's a convoluted plot here that seems like it's getting somewhere only for it to not matter at all in the end when the cannibals from Texas come to turn the tables on everyone else. I like where the stuff with the Talon is going, at least. Also, while the art was pretty decent, we need March back because he's been great on this.

I can’t wait for issue #12 when I can properly drop this title. I’m really just getting bored.

Get's interesting at the end but the whole recapping common knowledge Batman lore that's already been recapped in the series is getting to be pretty brutal and took me out of half the issue.