Batman #663 - The Clown at Midnight

Hi guys, today I've chosen to do a review of a fairly unconventional and to be honest, seemingly universally loathed comic issue of Batman #663 - The Clown at Midnight.

Written by: Grant Morrison

Art by: John Van Fleet

April 2007

Personally, I like this comic but I do understand where the haters are coming from. 

First of all - it's issued as a comic book, but it is actually more like a short story. I feel like some readers felt tricked at that part alone, because the cover art gives no indication that this comic book should be any different than the rest of the Batman ones out there. 

Secondly, it's extremely descriptive. Now me, I love reading so I don't care that there are ten times as many words in this issue than there are pictures. So it's pretty telling that if someone like me has to sometimes stop and re-read a sentence to recall what they're describing in the first place. That said.. I feel that the imagery evoked by the words are essential to the story and they have to be. 

You have a story here where the Joker is unable to talk, Batman's his usual cheerful, talkative self and a lot of the action takes place in cemeteries, or  when one character is all by themselves. The language is flowery but it sure as hell beats outspoken exposition! 

Here though, where you can't - literally can't - actually watch the action unfold, the wording makes it vividly clear what is happening and lets you get inside the Joker's mindset. 

"There's something about clowns at a funeral and it's hard to say if it's sad or if it's funny." 

What better way to start a comic with something we rarely see in the Batman mythos? A funeral for a clown henchman. Of course, everything goes horribly wrong at this funeral and it ties into the Joker's master plan as the other mourners slowly and painfully die one by one.

The next chapter is a page long introduction of Gotham City in it's beautiful yet vile glory, followed by acknowledgement of Batman.

"Where lives the man who has no price, the man who cannot be bought or sold or swayed from his singular path."

Batman, speaking to Alfred explains how he got there too late but has discovered the cause of the mass funeral - flowers genetically altered to release a short acting toxic venom in aerosol form. 

He draws the inevitable conclusion and races to Arkham Asylum to see the Joker. 

In case you don't know or can't remember that far back - in issue #655, an ex-cop disguised as Batman shoots the Joker smack in the face. Batman (the real one) turns up and tosses the Joker into a dumpster either because he's just poisoned commissioner Gordon, because he's the G-D Joker or BECAUSE HE'S BATMAN! So naturally, everyone thinks the real Batman shot Joker based upon this one incident involving a gun and not years of his anti-American no-guns stance. 

So in present comic time, this Joker is in no fit state to talk to Batman or even mock him, but he does so anyway in Morse code. Batman points this out to Jeremiah Arkham but is scorned. This leads to one of my favourite sassy detective moments from Batman. 

Arkham suppresses a smirk. He expects Batman to wind up here. 

"He's recovering from a near fatal trauma. We don't know how severe the brain damage could be, and he's certainly in no condition to organise gangland hits."

"Don't let him fool you. He knows exactly what he's doing."

They pause at the doors. "This speech therapist..." Batman says. 

"Miss Wisakedjak. She graduated from the Rose Bruford School."

Batman's lip curls. 

"Wisakedjak is the name of the Cree Indian tricker god," He says, as if it's something only idiots wouldn't know. "Where's Harley Quinn?" 

These pages state in a very matter of fact way what sort of processes Batman goes through in order to do his work and it's fascinating. He's an excellent multi-tasker. I like the way the Killing Joke is referenced in recalling what people like Solomon and Sheba did to Gordon, and how it changes Gordon from a great cop to an emotional, distracted and no longer impartial man. He positively celebrates Joker killing off his old henchmen and hopes he does the same to himself. 

Next we flit back to the asylum and get a hint of what's going on in the Joker's mindset. 

This is a pretty scary Joker, even when he's severely incapacitated with injuries. I liked the bit about the mosquito.. it was a nice little touch to demonstrate how dangerous the Joker is without it being a pure monologue. 

 So, where is Harley?

"She's cute like a Chihuahua pup with rabies or a baby swinging an open razor."

This one page pretty much encapsulates Harley Quinn in one hit. What she finds fascinating about the Joker, how she changes the second something or someone comes along to threaten her Puddin', her ability to adopt roles as Joker needs her to, references to her athletic gymnast abilities, her way with words ("I have a doctorate and I can KICK YOUR ASS!") and expresses how freaking insane she is. 

"Harley's damaged enough to love the Joker with a love so pure and unconditional, it has its own severe medical disorder classification in the psychiatric journals." 

Batman does not underestimate this Harley Quinn, and even though he knows it's futile he still tries to reason with her, to reach the Harleen Quinzel inside. 

"I'm back, bitches!"

This page right here is why the story setting works so well - we can clearly see through Joker's eyes what he thinks of Harley Quinn right now. This has always been an ambiguous point, some stories like Batman: Harley Quinn - show both sides, that yes, he loves her too but can't or doesn't want to deal with that human part of him as well as finding her useful in a pinch and keeping her around. 

This is Harley done right - the way she gets nervous to approach him, how she doesn't doubt the plan Joker told her, that she's not afraid to bust some skulls if it comes down to it but at the end of the day if Puddin' calls... Harley answers. 

Even if that call is to gain a Glasgow Smile. 

Batman engages Joker in a showdown.

"The eyes of the two men lock into place like dancers in a tango. It's as dangerous to look Joker in the eyes as it is to train a telescope on the sun, they say, but Batman has faced down this blue-hot blinding lunacy before.
Unflinching, he nails his stare in place until it's the Joker who blinks and glances away, troubled by what he sees. His insanity is like an ocean he can barely stay afloat in; Batman's is like a searchlight."

Joker is, of course, taken down easily by Batman after Joker elaborates on why it couldn't have been Batman who died... where would the act be without the straight man?

Harley shoots the Joker for ignoring her, Batman drags Joker back to his cell, the clock finally hits midnight and Harley's question to the Joker about loving her is met with silence, apart from the rain falling outside. 

So there you have it, I feel it's well worth a read. Yeah, the art's nearly non existent and can look like old school computer game graphics but it's a compelling story nonetheless that captures the Joker's mindset when fixated on something, the cogs turning in Batman's mind as he solves the crime, Harley Quinn's tragic devotion, the intriguing underworld of Gotham's criminal carnival folk and the 'normality' of the police or asylum staff going about their lives and somehow it ties it all together quite seamlessly. It may even hint at Poison Ivy's involvement due to the flowers and venom, especially as Harley Quinn was the one on the outside carrying out the Joker's schemes. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but if you can go into it with an open mind you may find you enjoy it, just be aware it's not your standard comic book.