COMIC BOOKS: The Batman Who Laughs

Dec. 10—"The Batman Who Laughs" is a follow-up to the DC mega-crossover event from a few years ago, "Dark Nights: Metal."

You don't have to read "Dark Nights: Metal" first to follow "The Batman Who Laughs," though people who read "The Batman Who Laughs" may want to go back to read "Dark Nights: Metal."

From reading "The Batman Who Laughs," a metal has opened portals to a multiverse and varying versions of DC characters are falling through it.

In "The Batman Who Laughs," those characters include several Bruce Waynes who opted to stop being Batman at various points in their lives ... those lives are snuffed out upon arrival here.

Two other characters are a heavily armed Batman known as the Grim Knight — in his world, the robber who killed the Waynes dropped his gun, young Bruce picked up the gun and killed the robber — and the Batman who Laughs — poisoned by a toxin released upon the Joker's death ... turning him into a cross between the Batman and the Joker.

The Batman here not only must deal with these two rogue Batmen and the murders of alternate universe Bruce Waynes but he also has a ticking time bomb within him — he's been poisoned by the Joker toxin that will turn him into a second Batman Who Laughs.

Writer Scott Snyder has created several intriguing and milestone Batman story arcs ... DC touts him as "the premier Batman writer of our time." "The Batman Who Laughs" is another Snyder milestone.

Snyder teams with one-named artist Jock, who has a style that blends aspects of comic book artists Neal Adams and Bill Sienkiewicz while doing something that's all his own. They previously worked together on the memorable "Batman: Black Mirror" and bring a memorable character from that storyline to "Laughs."

Get the last "Laugh" then consider taking a look at "Dark Nights: Metal."