“Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo” – Book Five
Color Artist: Arif Prianto
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Review by Adam Ray
As a reviewer and former literature student, I try to read everything I write about with a cool head and a logical stance. The ending of Batman & The Joker Deadly Duo #5 had me shouting out obscenities because no reasonable human ends the issue like that.
Marc Silvestri, you evil genius. There’s everything to be excited about in this issue as the story starts to reach fever pitch.
Silvestri has filled this issue with the perfect combination of strong character designs in the sudden appearance of two fan favorites along with the many, many, many creepy individuals in the haunted place that is Gotham City. The scratchy and stylish Gotham is in full force, but there are also a lot of strong looks at character silhouettes and design elements in this issue.
There have been many threads and details to the mystery in “Deadly Duo”, and in this issue, we see them all come together. Batman has been a strong detective in this story, and the elements of the mystery as well as details from Gotham’s past are all coming together in a satisfying way.
Conclusion
Batman & The Joker Deadly Duo #5 is the culmination of a consistent run of very strong comic book storytelling. We’re seeing familiar characters forced into impossible situations that allow for new and compelling takes. There’s everything to look forward to when it comes to the final issues, but there are still a great many things to resolve between now and then. This story could truly go anywhere, and I’d be okay with Silvestri handling even more Batman with this level of care and attention.
The Script, art, colors, and lettering in this issue are all near-perfect. This is what a Batman special event story should be.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment