The Batman Who Laughs No. 4 review: Of fathers and sons

Has Batman finally gone to the dark side and become the Batman Who Laughs, or can he be brought back from the cliff’s edge in the fourth issue of the series?

The Batman Who Laughs No. 4

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Jock

The Batman Who Laughs No. 4 cover by Jock (Credit: DC Comics)

The Batman Who Laughs No. 3 ended on a disturbing note. Batman had locked himself in the Batcave, only for Alfred to discover him moulding and then donning the visor of the Batman Who Laughs. This was Bruce Wayne’s and Alfred’s great fear ever since the Joker toxin had infected the Caped Crusader in the first issue of the series. But all is not lost, yet.

Despite teetering on the edge of insanity, Batman was creating the visor for a valid reason, one that he hopes will prevent the deaths of more Bruce Wayne’s across the multiverse. While the World’s Greatest Detective continues his mission to save himself, James Gordon Jr. has been set the task of establishing which waterways the Batman Who Laughs and the Grim Knight plan to use to infect all of Gotham with the toxin. These unlikely allies will have to hurry, however, as Jim Gordon’s life hangs in the balance. The Commissioner is still in the Grim Night’s clutches, but what does he want from Gordon?

The first act of The Batman Who Laughs No. 4 is another touching tribute to the Bat-family, this time bringing in Batman’s sidekick Robin. It’s a single page montage that adds a dose of joy and happiness that’s been missing throughout this series. However, Scott Snyder seems to only focus on Dick Grayson, the first Robin, mentioning the others only as an afterthought. Will the rest of Batman’s sprawling family get name-checked in subsequent issues?

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Since the capture of Gordon has been drawn out over so many issues, one would have expected a change of pace in this issue. When the Batman Who Laughs’ Robins made their first appearance in this series in The Batman Who Laughs No. 4, there was a hope that these creatures would tie in with Earth-One’s Robin. But again, they’re just background characters. Honestly, the Robins Who Laugh are mysterious characters who deserve compelling arcs – this issue was ripe for introducing them as alternate versions of Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, Carrie Kelly, Stephanie, and maybe even Barbara.

The Batman Who Laughs No. 4 variant cover by Jenny Frisson (Credit: DC Comics)

Perhaps because this installment starts off emphasizing the importance of Bruce’s children and even talks about “seeing the world through the eyes of children,” the denouement feels like a cop-out. One anticipated that Snyder intended to close that loop in the final act with some connection to the Robins, but that doesn’t happen. As gripping as this story is, The Batman Who Laughs No. 4 is a missed opportunity. Also, DC needs to stop retconning Dick Grayson’s Robin costume – he wore tiny green hotpants well into his teenage years – just own it, people!

One would be remiss not to mention Sal Cipriano’s outstanding lettering in this issue. Admittedly, the lettering aspect of comic books is often an overlooked aspect, but Cipriano meshes Batman’s normal speech with that of the Batman Who Laughs so effortlessly it is hard not to commend it. Readers will easily be able to decipher just how menacing Bruce sounds now, especially as he fights hard to retain his sense of self.

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With every installment, Bruce is pushed further and further into the dark side. It’s going to take a miracle to bring him back, but his fight won’t end until the Batman Who Laughs is destroyed. There has been no inkling as to how this villain can be vanquished, yet. What hope is there for the Caped Crusader?

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