Written by (See Credits Below)
Art by (See Credits Below) & Lettering by Rob Leigh
Cover Art by Jason Pearson
SUMMARY:
Released in 2010 by DC Comics, this 126-page paperback showcases the five Joker’s Asylum one-shots of 2008. The Arkham Asylum rogues profiled are: the Joker, the Penguin, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, and Two-Face, with Batman in a supporting role in these grim Gotham City noir tales. As the Joker gleefully plays master-of-ceremonies from his cell, the stories are:
- The Joker: The Joker’s Wild! (Writer: Arvid Nelson and Artists: Alex Sanchez & Jose Villarrubia). The Joker commandeers a televised game show and takes its live audience hostage. As the program’s unpredictable new host, he divulges the ‘real’ human monsters behind-the-scenes.
- The Penguin: He Who Laughs Last …! (Writer: Jason Aaron and Artists: Jason Pearson & Dave McCaig). Buffered by a flashback of young Oswald Cobblepot’s retaliation against a cruel prom-related prank, the present-day Penguin enjoys a flourishing relationship with a grateful young woman he frees from captivity. Yet, his dark propensity for avenging personal slights may well come into play.
- Poison Ivy: Deflowered! (Writer: JT Krul and Artist: Guillem March). Targeting a trio of sleazy Gotham businessmen, serial killer Poison Ivy isn’t deterred by Batman’s relentless pursuit.
- Scarecrow: Dark Knight of the Scarecrow (Writer: Joe Harris and Artist: Juan Doe). A cruel high school clique’s sex-laced parlor game targets one of psychiatrist Jonathan Crane’s young female clients. As his nefarious alter ego, the Scarecrow aids her retaliation.
- Two-Face: Two-Face, Too! (Writer: David Hine and Artists: Andy Clarke & Nathan Eyring). Similarly disfigured as Two-Face, an ex-firefighter naively reaches out to Harvey Dent. Declining this offer of friendship, Dent abducts his would-be savior and his innocent spouse for a deadly game of torture.
REVIEW:
The best way to describe this wicked concept is pitching the Joker as DC’s answer to Tales from the Crypt’s Crypt Keeper. Make no mistake: DC Comics irresponsibly fails to identify Joker’s Asylum for adults only, especially how its grisly content glorifies evil.
Unlike the hideous-looking “The Joker’s Wild!,” the four subsequent visual styles are surprisingly good to varying degrees. However, it’s the gutter-level tripe passed off as macabre fun that merits far greater scrutiny. Depicting the least amount of violence, “The Joker’s Wild!” is closest to a Tales from the Crypt-style TV tale since an ironic ‘moral’ comes into play. Telegraphing its own cleverness, Arvid Nelson’s contrived Joker fable is a dubious sign of things to come.
Enhanced by excellent visuals, the Penguin love story’s ambiguity falls short of its potential. If read straightforward, one should notice a close resemblance between present-day ‘Violet’ and the flashback’s conceited ‘Allison.’ Yet, writer Jason Aaron doesn’t acknowledge this obvious visual element — not even by Penguin simply acknowledging that Violet looks like someone he once knew.
Considering that Violet’s fate is telegraphed, one might construe that this cruel episode is merely playing out in the Penguin’s imagination. If so, then the Penguin is merely foreseeing the bleak outcome, should he ‘rescue’ the enigmatic Violet from underworld human trafficking. By that interpretation, the Penguin’s ambivalent psyche delivers this compilation’s most sophisticated story.
There’s nothing remotely subtle about Poison Ivy’s “Deflowered!” The book’s best artwork doesn’t disguise scantily-clad sleaze sensationalizing Ivy’s serial killing scheme. Including Ivy’s impersonation of a prostitute, her gratuitous mayhem is the equivalent of Batman guest-starring in a porno/slasher flick. Had Ivy’s over-sexualized look been toned down, JT Krul’s plot might have worked better. Since the Joker relates this story, one infers that he knows of Batman’s secret identity, Alfred, and the Batcave. Despite this inexplicable plot hole, Batman’s interactions with Alfred and Commissioner Gordon are perhaps this gruesome story’s only redeemable asset.
Describing the final two stories, they’re merely a ghoulish excuse for barrel-scraping Bat-entertainment. For instance, in spite of excellent work by Andy Clarke and Nathan Eyring illustrating Two-Face’s segment, there isn’t an iota of taste, plotting-wise. Just look at the last page as a reprehensible creative choice dumped on readers.
Considering far lesser degrees of depravity that DC Comics might have deployed (i.e. a witty Riddler caper, had he been included), The Joker’s Asylum opts for vile and misogynistic content for no justifiable reason. Wasting good artistic talent, this depraved compilation gladly exploiting Batman’s villains as unrepentant psychotics is pure trash from DC Comics.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Full-page reprints of all five covers are included. Two full-page images of The Joker’s wicked facial reactions staring through his cell door finish this book.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 1 Star
