Review of The Joker War Saga

The Joker War Saga by James Tynion IV

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My thanks go out to the creative teams involved in compiling the puzzle pieces that revealed the gruesome result of this project. Mostly because everyone knows how quickly my blood pressure climbs when I see that asterisk encouraging you to pick up ANOTHER comic volume to continue a storyline. And with how many lines one needs to track down for the entire Saga?

Yeah, forget it.

Of course, the various feeders leave gaps in the story – even with DC’s work in getting the timeline “just so.” It leaves you flipping back through the pages, wondering if you accidentally skipped ahead. (Seriously, did you leave out an entire volume of Batgirl?) But, overall, the plot moves forward reasonably – even for someone who DOESN’T read Batman comics and has zero idea how half the characters are, at this point. (When did Batman become a gang?)

Digging into the story itself, Joker comes into his own. Tearing Gotham apart from the inside reveals the spark of genius at the core of his madness. It’s the perfect foil for Batman’s stubborn code of conduct. The tortured dance at the root of their relationship lies bare at the center of the story. And the reader waits for that final climax to bring about a resolution.

You walk away disappointed and content at the same time. It’s a perfect display of accurate character portrayal. And what more can a reader ask for?

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