Birds of Prey v1 016

Joker's Tale.

The last page of the last issue has practically annulled the all previous story still mostly the background Quarac thread too.

It is clearly visible from the chapter and from the front page: this booklet is Joker's one-man-show. Joker is in a Hannibal Lecter cell (currently, we don't know how he got there). Throughout almost the half booklet, ten pages, it’s going a psychological warfare between him and his unseen interrogator (Barbara). It has a pretty Hannibal Lecter atmosphere too. Then we finally find out what had happened since the cliffhanger at the end of the previous booklet. So Joker has threatened everyone that if they do not lift the sanctions against Quarac he exterminates everyone in New York (the interrogation reveals that it planned by a neutron bomb from China). Authorities hasn't could arrest him because he has had diplomatic protection; Power Girl and Dinah has immediately pursued him and caught him by the help of passers-by (the authorities hasn't could arrest him but they have not had the slightest intention to protect him). And now finally he is "home" in ArkhamAsylum.

Or isn't it?

Not at all! He is in New York.

So he starts to talk fast. The neutron bomb is on a rocket, and it's in a ship, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the exact coordinates aren't known, so Barbara leaves Joker without a word and contacts her old foe, Major Van Lewton.

Chuck Dixon's story is not only to free action, but not much is happening in it, nonetheless it is dramatically tense. So the overall picture is positive. It is also interesting that although it was the first face to face meeting between Joker and Barbara during the ongoing, the Killing Joke wasn't revived, even though it has already happened several times. Barbara is very cool throughout the questioning, and although Joker asks her whether he has got her to a wheelchair, she does not respond.

It is worth noting that the book appeared in April 2000, one and a half years ahead of the (real) terrorist attack against New York. After that, I think, they would not have dared to take such a topic.

The drawing is still Butch Guice, who does not seem to manage with the faces. He can draw only one expression, and it is pretty lame. Compensation, he is good in the panel edit,

and such little arty pictures.

The original Hungarian blog post is here.