Batman #16

Getting digital issues is less of a hassle but I don't know if I'd do this all the time. Anyway SPOILERS AHEAD. Spoilers for the other tie ins too.

When I read the opening with the images of a dancing Batman and Joker I thought that maybe Bruce found Alfred, then I wondered if Bruce was struggling with him but the reveal was nice and creepy. I will say that the random victims explaining how Batman saved them was a little corny. It might have sounded better if Bruce had explained it in his head. I wasn't that thrilled with the "royal guards with horses" bit. Yeah Joker has a theme but it felt sort of unneeded. Maybe it'll read better the next time I read this but that's my first impression. Not sure how Bruce missed the big "banner" above. I will say I would have thought he'd put more of their memories on it. Maybe not Barbara getting shot since that was aimed more at hurting Jim than Batman but still.

I'm never thrilled to see all Batmans' rogues all appearing for short fights when they never really do much for most of the storyline. It happened in Hush, Long Halloween, etc. I get what Jokers' trying to say, that their all close to Batman but still. He's taking down all these major threats in a few short panels. Awesome but their still not important to the plot, their not even the ones from the back ups.

I honesty didn't expect the fake JL so props for that. The chainsaw/sword in the stone thing was a good twist too. It's the sort of thing I could see Joker doing before the "I wear my face as a mask" change. I guess the images on the wall tvs are spoilers for the #16 issues of the tie ins. Since Bruce doesn't know that Damian was beat up I guess he's not the Batman in B&R. (I already ordered that one online so I'll have to wait until it comes in the mail.) I can't help liking the little touch of the rogues yelling at Joker for not having a way out then the approval they show when he does. It's a nice touch to show that their all on the same boat even if some of them have less sanity than others. Although the back up shows that Two Face, Riddler and Penguin have finished their part, which was very minor, I liked their back and forth. How Joker plays with Two Face, and how Riddler is knock out because he was the only one that could figure a way out.

Now it seems like the platter Joker showed them has Alfreds' eyes since that's where the hints seem to go. But I'm wondering if it's a misdirection since Joker talks about misleads. Either way we know it has to do with Alfred because he says it will upset the "bat babies." I can't help thinking that this whole thing could have been avoided if Bruce wasn't an ass and worked with the family. Instead he insisted on doing this by himself leading to all of them getting attacked when they were by themselves. (Yes Jason and Tim are together now but they each had their own encounters with Joker before they were placed together.)

A lot of this felt pointless to me and I'm sort of waiting for this to be over in the main book even if I'm looking forward to the tie ins for B&R, TT and RHATO. At this point it will be stupid if Joker doesn't know who they are. He's known in the past, even without all the hints he'd be an idiot not to know after all the times Bruce has screamed Jasons' name while hitting him. Of course if Joker knows it also means that once again Bruces' ego endangers everyone. I'd prefer the latter. Sure it's been done but it's the only way any of this makes sense.

Did You Notice?: Jasons' costume is the DCnU one.

For some reason Clayface thought that dressing as Gordon, who's only wearing a pair of boxers, was going to fool Batman.

Does anyone stay at Arkham that's not a patient? Because the bedroom furniture doesn't look like the kind you'd likely find in an Asylum. I guess they could have got it when they bought in the horses but that's kind of random. "We need horses for the royal theme! Ooh and a bedroom set!"

Say What?: Harvey Dents' hail freak. Just the fact that he's the one that adds a insult makes the bit work.

Questions Raised?: How freaking long did it take Batman to get to Arkham? Last issue he leaves the cave with the others still in it. By the time he's in the building Joker has fought five different members of the bat family. Damians' challenge had to depend on him being the one to track down the clue to the zoo but what if he assumed the traces of urine came from Jokers' pets? He wouldn't have turned up in the right spot. Tim and Jason were both knocked out prior to their one on ones. Joker apparently waited for Jason to take a shower. It's one of those things that is better not to think about because none of it makes sense if it happens in one night.