October 10th, 2012 was a big week in comics. Every week seems to be like that for the most part. The comic book reading world seems to have reached a consensus about Batman #13 in that it's a great book. I must agree. It is an easily recommendable comic book. It goes without saying that Joker is one of the most infamous characters in the entire DC Comics universe. He was introduced early on when the New 52 began but disappeared for about a year. So his return to the universe was inevitable. As time went on, the teasers started popping up and hype began to build. Everything about the book lives up to that hype. The return of Joker is certainly better than expected and it's all unexpected.

This may be my favorite Scott Snyder written Bat-book. The ending alone couldn’t have been predicted. It’s a definite game-changer in Batman’s world. This storyline is going to be big. You can believe the good reviews are spreading and more people will be looking for this issue as well as the next. The back-up feature co-written by James Tynion IV just adds to the value of the book by showing the set-up of an event occurring later in the book.

Scott Snyder’s writing isn’t the only star. The art team is on point again. Greg Capullo, Fco Plascencia and Jonathan Glapion turn out another good looking issue. Capullo's storytelling can stand on its own if necessary. Jock, who's certainly no stranger to the Bat-universe, joins co-writers Snyder and Tynion as artist for the back-up. His pencils add to the creepiness of the Joker.

There was some strong competition for favorite book of the week. The other books I read were: Avengers #31, Avenging Spider-Man #13, AvX: Consequences #1, Invincible Iron Man #526, Scarlet Spider #10, Secret Avengers #32, Uncanny Avengers #1, Wolverine and the X-Men #18, X-Men #37, Batman #13, Green Lantern Corps #13 and G.I. Joe #18.

If you've been curious about Batman, this is definitely the time to jump on. This issue is the beginning of a huge crossover, Death of the Family, spanning multiple books from the Batman universe. Some of the beginning issues feature die-cut covers. Anyone who read comic books during the 90’s will recognize them on sight.

Any comments always welcome. Thanks for looking. Happy reading to everyone.


I purchased this comic book with my funds.