Batman #16 Review

BATMAN #16

by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and Jock

You know, I just noticed that  the new Joker reminds of this guy: 

So, onto the actual review. What. The. !@#$. This is one of the creepiest and craziest  issues of Batman yet. It's much better than the highly praised Batman #5, but it doesn't reach the heights of issue 12. But it's close. Here, the Joker takes Batman on a creepy tour of Arkham Asylum, which has been turned into a disgusting and terrifying house of horrors. The horrors the Joker has in store are truly sickening, and I don't think many readers will be able to stomach them. I like Snyder's take on the Batman/Joker dynamic, especially here, when he portrays Gotham as a sort of medieval castle. However, I did have one major nitpick against this issue. It feels way too much like Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's Batman: Arkham Asylum. 

Greg Capullo's art seems... different. I'm not sure. Maybe it's just the dark new atmosphere, or maybe it's just that he's using more shadows than usual. And boy, does he know how to draw a horse.

The backup of the issue is slightly boring, but the ending just left my mouth watering. Oh yeah, Jock's art is still pretty awesome.

Death of the Family is getting intense. Though the backup is disappointing, the meat of the book is freaking amazing. 

STORY: 4/5

ART: 5/5

BACKUP: 3/5

VERDICT: 4/5