Tynion has done a masterful job of setting up the ultimate showdown between Batman and the Joker. Batman is backed into a corner with no help and no resources, while the Joker has possession of his wealth, his tech, and his secrets. The next few months are going to be a wild and crazy ride for Batman readers. Read Full Review

These guys were born to tell Batman stories, and the love and care they show this character and his journey are testaments to just how qualified they are to bring the Batman/Joker conflict to a "close." Regardless of whether or not the ramifications of this story last, there are going to be some significant consequences for every character involved. We'll be keeping up every step of the way. Read Full Review

Given my distaste of the over use of the Joker, this book and it's preceding set-up arc have been a massive improvement on King's run and is eminently more enjoyable. Read Full Review

I never expected DC to go where this storyline is heading"the Joker holding all the cards, so to speak, and Batman having only to rely on his wits and not his arsenal. Read Full Review

A great issue and exciting start to "Joker War". This sets the stakes and drama high and puts Batman in a situation that will be tough to get out of. Plus, it has us readers questioning how much The Joker really knows. Fantastic art makes this issue even more dynamic. Read Full Review

This is an explosive kickoff with a great cliffhanger. We'll see how the tie-ins do, but Tynion has done an excellent job of making this feel like an event. Read Full Review

Batman #95(Tynion, Jimenez, Morey, Cowles) begins the "Joker War" and with new art and a new twist on classic tropes, the series gets a much needed shot in the arm just in time! Read Full Review

Jorge Jimenez delivers some amazing art throughout this issue. The characters look awesome and the action is both visceral and full of energy. There are some disturbing visuals to be found and they perfectly capture the dark tension of the story. Read Full Review

James Tynion and Jorge Jimenez kick off "The Joker War" in spectacular fashion with Batman #95. The story speeds out of the gate and never slows down as Joker and Punchline push Batman to his absolute limit. Given how things begin with "The Joker War," there are plenty of things for fans to be excited for as this story has all the makings of a great big event that will impact the entire Batman Family. Read Full Review

Batman #95 falls a little short of the hype that was built up around it but the creators were still successful in delivering something worthy of getting fans excited about and delivering some joy. The story digs deep and really explores more of an emotional side rather than a exciting side and the art team fires on all cylinders delivering one of the best looking Batman issues we have gotten so far in this series. This issue also gives us hope that bigger and more exciting things are to come and I know personally it did a good job of hooking me and getting me on board for the rest of the arc. Batman #95 is available now at your local comic shop as well as via digital download if you prefer to read them digitally. Make sure you guys let me know what you thought of the issue and whether it lived up to what you expected of it by leaving your comment below in the comment section. Read Full Review

This is a bit better than this title has been over the past few months. Punchline, however, is still annoying as always. Read Full Review

Batman #95is a return to form for the series. Joker stories are hard to make interesting because there are just so many within Batman's lore. However, so far, The Joker War is off to a great start because it takes the time to examine the Joker's intellect and how that directly related to Batman and Joker's relationship. Read Full Review

Joker War starts off with plenty of exposition and quite the FAQ page full of answers to sell this idea, but boy is this issue absolutely gorgeous! Read Full Review

Batman #95 is a slam-bang, fun action comic. The concept is simple and the action is explosive. There's also enough emotion to make it engaging. The plot falls apart if you think about it too hard, but it makes for a solid brainless adventure. Read Full Review

Batman #95 isn't an explosive start but it delivers an interesting start. There's a lot of fascinating choices, the police standing up for Batman as an example, that will hopefully pay off nicely down the road. This feels like the opening of an epic film, a slow opening but one that does a fine job of setting things up. If you're interested in "The Joker War." Batman #95 is worth checking out. But, if you're new to Batman and want to see what this story is about, you may walk away wondering what the buzz was about. Read Full Review

This issue feels big, it feels exciting, and it feels important. Strongly recommend it to anyone wanting to start reading Batman. Read Full Review

In a lot of ways, the beginning of 'The Joker War' feels like the beginning of the Tynion's first arc " it checks all the boxes for what you might be looking for in a Batman story. But the big difference here is that this already feels like the story that the writer really wants to tell rather than the necessary set-up for that story. Jimenez is a strong artistic collaborator for Tynion and should complement his work even more moving forward as they learn each other's quirks. Tynion is clearly interested in telling a really memorable story here, as the nods to Batman and Joker's history feel especially deliberate. While the title feels like one they just had lying around the DC offices, Tynion has proven himself to have some tricks up his sleeves in the past and he's laid out a compelling enough pledge here for fans to come back for more. Read Full Review

After spending an entire arc building to "Joker War," it's a little disappointing that not much actually happens in this issue. And while James Tynion does improve some of his character work, he also continues to fall into opportunities that are ever-present in his work. There's a quality issue here concerning his craft, and it is something that hinders the execution of the story as a whole. Read Full Review

This was a disappointingly small start to Joker War. Read Full Review

Tynion and the crew give us a snorefest of a first issue. We spent nearly ten issues getting here in the previous story so why do we have to keep setting the same thing up? We know what's happening in Gotham, we want to know what happens NEXT. Move the story along. Stop delaying us to fill out your trades. There's some good art but boy this felt like a waste of time. Read Full Review

Ultimately, the issue feels like a half-hearted mashup of the weaker parts of Nolan's The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises with a bit more Joker and yet another random shiny thing"this time literally with that new Batsuit"to distract from what is becoming painfully apparent: fun ideas don't always make for a good story. Read Full Review

I em REALLY enjoying It. I mean, i’ve read the Immortal Men series a week ago and it was TERRIBLE. But i like this Batman... a lot

One chapter of "Joker war" is already better than all 11 of "City of Bane." But I really hope after this is over there won't be another Villains-take-over-the-city story for a long time. Still, it is an interesting concept, The Joker stealing everything at Batman's disposal and using it against him. Meanwhile none of his allies are able to help, and Catwoman is only able to watch from Penguin's place with a ton of others just waiting for the right time to take advantage of the situation. Odds are wherever he is, Ra's Al Ghul is also watching with interest, knowing the Detective will triumph, but waiting to see how.
So far "The Joker war" is off to a good start. All I ask of Tynion is not to try and make a name for himself by making Batman finally kill the Joker. Readers have known for decades it could happen, but there's something about this story I have a feeling could be leading up to just that. Though he would return one day, DC knows that would make money, and that's the #1 priority on their minds since Dan DiDio's time: Making money. more

I'm curious to see what the Jokers end goal is, especially with the Theatre, but this Issue just feel like a mashup of a bunch of stories I’ve read before, but it’s alright.

Jiménez did an excellent job on the art this issue, and the colors by Morey are insanely good as always.

This was fantastic! I am really thrilled !

Picked up for the arc specifically, but now I need to read what leads up to this point.

Very nice, very strong tone and good plotting. Jimenez art is phenomenal as expected. This is gonna be a wild ride.

This was actually really good. I was really dreading this arc, but I'm tentatively on board now. I don't think Jorge Jiminez is going to draw the whole thing, which is a shame since the other artists on this book are not nearly as good.

The art was so good. The story was pretty good.

" HAHAHAHAH ! And you call us crazy. But you don't get your beautiful city of the future, you don't get your new toys, and you don't get your new duds. We took it all and now we're going to kill you with it."
- PUNCHLINE

It was enjoyable. I was hoping for a little more but overall it had some really good moments and set the stage for Joker War.

Great stuff by Tynion and Jimenez. If they wanted to do a blue bat-suit just go back to the 70's silver age suit.

The Monarch purchase plot point was already used by Morrison back in Leviathan when Talia blew it up with the Incorporated team inside. Hope Tynion does something cool with this Zorro aspect.

Also just RIP Alfred.

Probably the strongest chapter in Tynion's whole run, which shocked me consider how much I was dreading reading Joker War. I didn't find Punchline to be as insufferable in this issue, although the Joker scene made me cringe sooooo hard. Tynion attempts to address the criticism of having ANOTHER Joker story and the average ratings of "Their Dark Designs."

Theatre owner: "But haven't people already seen this? Folks don't wanna something they've seen a hundred times before..."

Joker: "People say that, but they don't meant that." Ugh.

Yeah, a blind man could see the freaking meta commentary there, and it was very cringe. Despite that, the art was absolutely incredible, Jorge does an amazing job as always (his Batman looked so good in JL) and I'm genuinely excited to see him draw more of Gotham. All in all, a solid start to an arc I was loathing to read. I just hope it stays this consistent for the next five parts. more

Not a bad start. I get the impression that Batman's first encounter with the Joker and that Alfred will play an important role in one way or another.

Much to my surprise, I quite enjoyed the character of Punchline.

That was a slow burner, definitely not what I expected going into Joker War. Probably I am on that Death Metal hype, but I was just expecting more going into Joker War for a 1st issue, something big, explosive, bombastic given the slow build up we had for the past few issues. But instead we just get more build up. Even so, its still very well done.

Tynion has definitely improved on his dialogue work. He can be very verbose and exposition heavy, and there are hints of that in here, but for the most part he has smoothed out his craft and delivered a good issue carried in part by his writing. So great job on that. Jorge Jimenez's art. Man, DC really do have some great artists, and Jorge Jimenez is carrying that mantle from Greg Capullo. Not to say that March's art was bad, but Jimenez is just an all around a top notch artist. Along with the dialogue, the art and colors really does carry the book due to a lack of substance of the meat of the story to commence.

I really like the flashback with Alfred in this issue, gives me da feels. The Joker section was fire, and I mean this Joker is super scary, I feel bad for the dude he was with. Apparently Joker wants to buy out all the movie theaters in town, and the Under-broker is his financial guy to handle that. There is this cool scene with Batman and Punchline towards the end as well with a really cool cameo flashed really quick.

But again, this just feels like more build up, when I already thought that we finished building up and we get to see some Joker War goodness. It just underwhelms my excitement for probably one of thee biggest cross-over events this year. The last few issues of Batman have been underwhelming for that matter. Kind of a weak start, fell a little flat, but it still good. Hopefully we pick the pace up soon. more

I liked the chatty old man having a conversation with Joker. His part was written well. I liked Joker’s reference to the mark of zorro. I also liked seeing Bullock and liked his dialogue.

The rest.. I think Jimenez’s and Morey’s work was what mostly kept my attention rather than the actual story. I hated how the reference to the man who laughs was done with Batman supposedly knowing Joker was going to be part of his life, anyone who’s read the book knows there was no long term, deep connection between the 2 recognised by him or Joker that Tynion says there was. Just bad. Punchline for once isn’t the better fighter and her personality seems better but not quite there. The issue feels like a mini prelude even though it’s titled part one.

I’m holding out for Tynion to bring this up next issue with clownhunter and other events because so far the hype is not matching supposedly the last battle between the greatest rivals in comics. The overall plot of the city being overtaken by Joker and being done with Batman has been done before, so Tynion needs to be at the same level or higher than other stories which have done this with Joker and other villains. more

The plot is basically the same as The Dark Knight Rises movie. Enemy claims all of Bruce/Batman's resources and captures Batman. He must now fight back without resources.

The Worf effect (TV Tropes) is in full effect. Punchline is so badass, she takes down Batman.

We see the Joker buy the theater that the Waynes left to be killed. It's also filled with bodies or corpses or people trapped via joker gas. Don't know, don't care.

I truly feel that the Joker is played out. He's used so often that no one's done anything new with him for a long time. Keep him on the shelf until someone comes up with a plot like the Laughing Fish (which only lasted two issues and we're still talking about it more than 40 years later).

This whole run is just a rehash of previous stories - The Dark Knight Rises, City of Bane. It seems like writers want to outdo each other in terms of damage to Batman/Bruce and body counts. The net effect is a bland sameness to the stories. No clever plots that keep us guessing, no fun or surprises. Frankly, at this point I am of the opinion that Gotham should just be left to die. I hated the whole Gotham is cut off from the world plot, but it makes sense. Just evacuate the city and call it a day.

I read an interview with Tynion on CBR and he said he's writing a story about Bruce and wealth and his contribution to violence and stuff. He said Bruce was always rich, but not SUPER RICH (Not true) and that he is playing with ideas of what happens when this wealth is used for evil instead of good. Yawn. Like I said, this has all been done before in The Dark Knight Rises.

I am bored and unimpressed.

Or I could be wrong. more