It’s hard to imagine the word “restraint” when discussing a Joker tale, but think back to the recent brilliant work by Scott Snyder, where the Joker’s presence was enough to create an atmosphere of growing tension and horror. When he struck, the results were brutal and hard to look at, but Snyder saved these moments for when they meant something. Kubert, on the other, has the Joker commit atrocity after atrocity in nothing more than a series of violent vignettes. There is no narrative focus to the mayhem, and the Joker seems more like a mean-spirited child rather than the mastermind agent of chaos he has been portrayed as in recent years. The story centers on the Joker rearing a baby gorilla named Jackanapes (get it?) as his child and criminal cohort. It’s as silly as it sounds. The Joker decides to test his hand at parenthood because he is suddenly preoccupied with childhood memories of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his crone-like Aunt Eunice, who for some reason dresses like Olive Oyl. First off, tales of the Joker’s past are never a good idea. One does not need to know the origin of the hurricane that wrecks lives, just the fact that the hurricane is coming. The Joker is the same way, a being of pure chaos who lives to destroy the happiness and safety of others. To show his past, particularly his past sufferings, casts the Joker in the role of a victim and gives him an excuse for his criminal acts. Chaos needs no excuse, and to find one is to dilute everything that makes the Joker special. Secondly, the whole thing is an ill-conceived cliché embellished to the point of meaninglessness. Maybe, it’s all another origin the Joker dreamed up for himself…at least let’s hope so. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
