Review: Batman (2016-) #32

Batman (2016-) #32 by Tom King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Batman #32 by Tom King and Mikel Janin
This issue featured not only the conclusion of The War of Jokes and Riddles storyline, but also Selina’s answer to Bruce’s proposal of marriage, so it’s easy to say this was a highly anticipated issue and King and Janin did not disappoint.
The issue opens with a silent page in which Bruce clearly displays his frustration and despair over the events of the War between Joker and Riddler and his part in them. We as readers have been eagerly awaiting the conclusion of Bruce’s story to Selina as it is an event that he highly regrets and as we reach the apex of the story King and Janin tease it out just a little more turning that knife into the reader just a little further.
With a page turn the reader is met with a double page spread that bleeds off every edge of the pages with the victims of this war. It is another gut punch to the reader as we can start to put faces to the loss that a Joker or Riddler would cost.
After a credit page with face shots of Riddler, Joker and Batman the reader is again taken to Bruce dealing with his regrets, but now, he is being consoled by Selina. It is easy to see the tenderness that King and Janin have Bruce and Selina show towards each other. This tenderness plays at the hopefulness in most Batman readers that Bruce can find that happy ending after his tragic origins. It is this hope that King is playing with of the readers.
After this touching scene the reader is taken back into Bruce’s story of the past and the fight with Riddler and Joker. Batman beats up on the two other men for 4 pages before Riddler declares Batman the winner of this physical contest. It’s after this fight that the story really turns. Riddler reviles that he was the one behind that entire war essentially creating Kite Man and manipulating everyone involved all in an attempt to understand the Joker, “That’s a Riddle I want to solve.” He screams at Joker and Batman.
This is the climax of the entire story and unfortunately it’s not entirely clear. Usually I’m a huge fan of juxtaposition in comics, but during these pages as Riddler is explaining his entire plan, Joker is telling a knock knock joke that doesn’t relate and Batman is explaining the motivations for his actions. It took me a couple times reading to get everything clear in my head. I think it’s the joke that really just slows and complicates the story that is going on at this time and doesn’t really add anything to the story. At an emotional time in the story as Batman empathizes with Kite Man and the death of his son to his own loss, to have the story as clear as possible at this point I feel would have heightened the emotional impact.
The story again becomes clear on the next page when the reader sees a splash page of Batman and we are narrowed down to just Batman’s words, which allow the reader too gain focus of the events they are witnessing, Batman breaking his vow never to take life and then being stopped by the Joker. King has come up with an event that will ripple through Batman for a long time. Just when we thought the relationship between Batman and the Joker could not be anymore more layered, King comes up with a story that truly changes the way we look at that relationship.
As the issue wraps we are taken back to present day and Bruce and Selina discussing his actions on the day of the Joker and Riddler fight. It’s in these pages we really see what King does well, emotional introspective dialogue. The reader is taken from Bruce’s failure in that moment with the Riddler to him finding happiness with Selina. The emotional rollercoaster King takes the reader on only heightens the moment of Selina saying yes to Bruce’s proposal and I know from my perspective made me have to really choke back the tears of joy.
As this issue concludes this story it also leads to the bigger overall question I think king is asking with his Batman stories so far, can Bruce be happy? Certainly with his father’s words from the Button storyline are hitting Bruce hard and I’m sure is the reason he’s finally asked Selina, but does this mean he stops being Batman as his father wished. This reader is eagerly waiting to find out.


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