written by JAMES TYNION IV
art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH
backup story written by JAMES TYNION IV and SAM JOHNS
backup story art by MIRKA ANDOLFO
variant cover by LEE BERMEJO
variant cover by BRIAN STELFREEZE
1:25 variant cover by RICCARDO FEDERICI
ON SALE 4/13/21
$4.99 US | 40 PAGES | FC | DC
As James Tynion continues to expand his reach over all things Bat-related, which I am absolutely loving, let’s see what’s going on in issue two of The Joker! Also, can our “backup” story perform well enough to get rid of the dreaded “backup” status? Or not…
If you’re interested in this comic or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.
Story:
This issue, much like issue one, is more of a Jim Gordon story than a Joker story, and I’m totally fine with that. The Joker doesn’t even show up till half the main story is over. What this issue is, is an issue of consequence. That being, in the destruction of Arkham Asylum, also known as A-Day, many lives were affected. Many died. Many in Gotham and many far-reaching areas may be looking and planning for revenge, payback, retribution, etc… Tynion reaches back into the past and gives us a new approach on some well known super villains. Make sure you read the issue. The picture below gives a hint of which I speak!
This is also an issue about the Gordon family. What was, could have been, could be, and a stunning revelation that many have wondered about for years. 
James Tynion is a master of the “family” aspect of comic book writing. And while he’s thrown a huge number of new characters into the Batman/Gotham universe, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m not talking about having the existing Bat-family members present either. I mean real family. Blood-related.
The interplay between Jim and Barbara feels like a real conversation happening between parent and child. The way Barbara tries to blame Jim, but he calls her on it is awesome!
Art:
The art is spectacular, again! Guillem March pencils a wide-eyed Batman that reminded me of Bronze Age era Neal Adams!! He also has a panel that shows how much taller and bigger Batman is than Jim Gordon. Normally they’re spaced apart on a rooftop somewhere, but here we get a true side-by-side comparison and it makes the Caped Crusader very intimidating!
We again get a nice variety of variant covers this month. 
Punchline backup:
This story and art as was the last issue aren’t terrible. They just aren’t up to par story-wise or visually. Thus, the “backup” status. With a much higher issue cost, I’d prefer 10 more pages of the Joker story/art by far!
Final Thoughts:
A subpar in every way backup story again drag down what may have been a very highly rated score. DC needs to either up the game on the backups or give us an oversized book of the main story to justify the higher price.
Tynion and Guillem have crafted a wide-reaching story in scope and possibilities and I can’t wait to read more. This is quickly reaching the top of my favorite DC ongoing books!