Writer: Matthew Rosenberg
Art: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Nick Filardi, and Tom Napolitano
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: June 6th, 2023
What’s big and scary and lives in the sewers? In Gotham City, a lot of things. But the Joker is going to war with the biggest scariest of them all—Killer Croc as The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #9 by Matthew Rosenberg continues to unfold! Plus, Red Hood is being set up to take a fall at Blackgate Prison…and his only hope of survival may just be someone from his past.
If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, then simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon as you read The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #9 Review.
THE DISPATCH
Killer Croc had a moment in The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #9 that basically summarized the entire series. He said to the Joker in the sewer that this whole story is ultimately a power struggle over the name. A way to see who gets the Joker name. However, he continues with another profound statement. He said that it doesn’t really matter anyway because “nobody knows who the Joker really is or even likes him” implying that the name is pointless. In other words, the Joker has no friends. He has no one to turn to. He’s almost always been… alone which was an interesting concept that I never quite thought of in all my years of reading about the character. Heck, so many of Batman’s Rogues at least have someone… but not the Joker.
That said, everyone beats to the drum of money. And Rosenberg sends this story to a war between the Jokers funded by the almighty dollar. However, one team is stacked far more than the other. Now, anyone reading The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #9 noticed the obvious setup and positioning from Rosenberg. It’s blatantly obvious that the sewer Joker and his ridiculous band of misfits are designated as the original Joker. Rosenberg has put this specific Joker in harm’s way playing him as the underdog since Day One. But, my point is… why. What are we going to get from this story? Will one Joker die? Will the fake one die? And again, why do we have two? There is just too much story left dangling in the wind with the focus on these silly battles and survival moments that don’t culminate into anything substantial. The story is floundering and Rosenberg is focusing on the wrong elements and story beats instead of providing answers to motives and questions. After being nine issues in, we should know more than we do… but sadly we don’t.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #9 sets up a war between the Jokers with Gotham and its Rogues as its backdrop. However, do we get any of the pertinent information that we’ve been missing or wanting since this series began? No. Will this street war be pretty cool to see? Sure… but my first thoughts aren’t about a street war. I want to know who the real Joker is and why we have two. Also, why do they both think they’re the real Joker? That’s the information readers are craving. This war would be a great side story if we could just get more information about the “how” and “why”. Right now, I’m hanging on by a thin line to this series and I can tell you, I’m not the only one with fewer and fewer people talking about this series less and less as it loses its luster. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!