Writer: Marc Silvestri
Art: Marc Silvestri, Arif Prianto, and Greg Capullo
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: February 7th, 2023
Batman and The Joker’s ability to function as a team is put to the biggest test yet as they are dropped out of the sky and into a moving train! Will their alliance hold together, even if the speeding locomotive does not? Meanwhile, the Dark Knight has enlisted the help of Nightwing and Catwoman to help with his investigation, but with more pieces of Gordon being shipped to GCPD headquarters, by the time they find any clues, will there even be enough of the commissioner left to save? Let’s dive into Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4 by Marc Silvestri and find out!
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THE DISPATCH
An emotional wedding day, a lunatic killer, and mistakes that cost many people their lives open this week’s Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4 providing fans background into why exactly all this is happening to Batman and the Joker. Additionally, it foreshadows events later in the issue and wraps a perfect, almost poetic, bow around the entire story. Moreover, the symbolism and foreshadowing mixed with the puzzles and thievery make Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4 uniquely appealing. It’s almost like nothing on the market today with its Blockbuster Movie feel. Heck, it could easily be an HBO Max show with the way Silvestri delivers the perfect amount of suspenseful story beats, crafty solutions, and wicked cliffhangers each month.
Furthermore, if the excitement and suspense of Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4 aren’t enough for you, how about you check out the Sci-Fi angle? Readers will discover even more as to what is happening genetically with these weird-looking Jokerish creatures, their true capabilities, and even more clues as to who’s behind all of this, how they’re doing it, and why. Ultimately, the driving force behind this series was to get to a point that would force Batman and the Joker to team up. So, after everything they’ve been through, why would they team up? Well, Silvestri spent almost three issues getting you to that spot and FINALLY, we made it! Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4 gives fans the team-up you’ve always wanted in a logical package that just makes sense. I have no doubt fans will leave the issue excited for more twisted pleasantries between these two icons.
ART
Be prepared for a graphic opening. Bullets to the head multiple times mixed with the sadistic grin from the Joker make this thriller even more intense upping the level of suspense this week. Additionally, I love the look of Harley Quinn in this week’s Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo. She still ultimately looks like Harley but is more realistic. Furthermore, the Joker looks a bit different in the flashback as opposed to his current present-day appearance. Notice a panel at the beginning of the issue with Joker and Harley inside a truck. That Joker looks outstanding! My wish for the issue was that the Joker could look like that throughout the Comic. Additionally, take notice of now firm and serious Batman looks throughout Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4. He’s all business, menacing, and kind of scary looking. In all actuality, the renderings are very reminiscent of Todd MacFarlane’s designs with Spawn. From the color choices down to the linework, I feel like Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4 reminds me of a Spawn comic, which isn’t a bad thing at all!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4 was the best issue in the run to date. Silvestri put all the pieces together and readers can tell we’ve finally made it to what we’ve signed up for. We finally get the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime working together in a logical way that makes sense. Moreover, readers get solid story beats that help fortify this story giving it substantial teeth and meaning. Couple all the above with thrills, suspense, action, mystery, genetics, and some wildly graphic illustrations, and fans get a thorough story exploding with excitement from start to finish. I give it five years before a movie, TV show, or animated movie/ TV show is made of this run. It has all the makings to be a live-action success as long as they follow Silvestri’s thorough script and setup. Readers, I couldn’t recommend Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4 enough. Sure, it’s not the perfect time to hop into this series. However, if you’re LCS has the back issues, I’d go for it! If not, you can buy them online right HERE! If you have any questions on the review or are ever interested in tackling a comic review of your own, feel free to email me directly at dispatchdcu@gmail.com. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!