ARC From Netgalley.
This might be the darkest I've ever seen Batman be. So incredibly dark... really reiterates his dedication to the mission of Batman. Then again, it has to be incredibly dark when fighting the Batman Who Laughs, as he is about as sadistic and manipulative as a combination between Joker and Carnage...
Highlights:
- Another new Dark Multiverse Batman shows his face: Grim Knight, who is a Batman that uses guns to the extent of the Punisher. He has teamed with BWL to help enact his plan. First Stop? Arkham to get the Joker...
- ... but the Joker in Arkham is a fake. The real Joker is hiding in the Batcave, but why? Joker's plan to combat BWL is to turn Batman into BWL. He does this by releasing an extremely potent toxin from his heart via suicide (though Alfred is able to save him). Batman starts his path to the darkside...
- BWL's plan involves pulling Bruce Wayne's from other Dark Multiverses and killing them, powering the Dark Metal that is left on Earth (most of which is in Gotham and under Wayne Manor). Then, due to his transformation happening, the cops turn on Batman for killing Bruce Wayne
- Next, BWL goes to meet the Court of Owls to ask for their assistance. Knowing he wouldn't get their help, he already took off the arms of most of the Talons so that when they are dispersed to stop him, they can't. BWL admits that all he really wanted was to destroy the Court, which he pretty much does. He then brings a version of Bruce Wayne who led the Court of Owls on his world through, they fight and BWL kills him.
- The Volume goes into a lot about the "Last Laugh" protocol, which was created by Batman to act as a way to close Gotham off from the world. While originally made as a safety precaution, BWL intends to show Batman how it can be used to make Gotham a fortress from which assaults could be launched. Bruce is goaded into activating "Last Laugh".
- We find out that "killing other Bruce Waynes'" is actually a way for BWL to show Bruce that he can never truly be happy, no matter how his life plays out. Each Bruce compromised his ideals to achieve their goals and Batman is doing exactly the same by allowing the Joker toxin to turn him into BWL. Our Batman reveals a Bruce that was happy, and the child Bruce from before the parents murder comes through to our universe. BWL says he doesn't need the kid because Batman himself is going to be the last Bruce to kill.
- Batman vs. BWL! Knock down, drag out, severely violent and bloody fight. BWL can't believe that Batman hasn't completed his conversion, but the love and confidence of Alfred is what helps him push through. BWL is defeated, taken to the Hall of Justice (which is where I last saw him when reading Justice League) and Bruce uses the young Bruce's blood as a transfusion, eliminating his conversion and making him sane and whole again.

This is very dark... just warning you. The combination of Snyder's story and Jock's art make for an amazing combination into the true darkness of the Dark Knight.
High recommend.

It's not just the presence of artist Jock in The Batman Who Laughs that hearkens back to Scott Snyder's earliest Batman work, Batman: The Black Mirror, it's the story as well; Snyder has written a sequel. It's subtle — one need not have read Black Mirror (now shockingly almost a decade old) to enjoy this book, but the connections are there (plus shades, too, of The Killing Joke). Also there are connections to the themes of Snyder's New 52 Batman run, placing Batman Who Laughs firmly in the Snyder canon — more so, even, than Dark Nights: Metal, since Laughs is set in the Gotham that looms so large in Snyder's books.

Man Who Laughs is perhaps not the horror masterpiece that is Black Mirror, but is still a powerful (and powerfully drawn) treatise on Batman and his quest, his relationship to the people of Gotham, and questions of whether to save the day through intimidation or inspiration as demonstrated through the metaphors of Batman's various villains. Like Black Mirror, however, Man Who Laughs shows instant staying power; this is a book surely deserving of inclusion in Snyder box sets and republishing in deluxe and Absolute formats for years to come.

Batman Who Laughs shows that Scott Snyder still has a lot of Batman left in him.

Return to the DC days of Dark Metal to view Batman confront a version of himself that was infected with Joker. And Batman has to do overcome the Batman who Laughs while being infected with Joker's final laugh. Can he persevere? Will Commissioner Gordon survive as well? Well, what are you waiting for? Dive in and find out.

I received this book in exchange for a honest review from NetGalley.

Overall I liked this graphic novel. The writing is very solid. There are times that is gets a little convoluted and self involved but I liked it none the less. I have really been liking the DC Black Label offerings. Solid Batman variant.

"The Batman Who Laughs" is another great addition to the Batman canon. There is a lot to love in the story and the art work.

The Batman Who Laughs is appropriately labeled as a horror take on Gotham's caped crusader. A previous reviewer pointed out that this graphic novel collection is for a very specific type of Batman/comic book fan, and that's true. It's definitely not for the faint of heart who can't conceive of a version of Batman that would delve way past his darkest limits.

Combining the worst qualities of Batman and the Joker into one twisted entity takes guts. Fortunately, Scott Snyder and Jock are more than qualified to navigate this Elseworlds tale. The gritty story and art will suck you in. The terrifying activities of the Batman who laughs and the Grim Knight will never leave your mind.

This alternate take on Batman will make horror fans feel right at home. Everyone else may be a little too disturbed by the experience to recognize just how well-executed this story line actually is.

In the aftermath of the Dark Knights: Metal saga, Batman is faced with a grotesque Batman/Joker amalgamation. Things get worse from there.
Snyder and crew do and excellent job sustaining the tone and keeping things consistent and immersive. The Elseworlds tales have a long history and can make for great story telling. It can be interesting to subvert the norm with a twisted story like this, but is tailored to a very specific taste. (Not mine.) I found it to be unpleasant, ugly and unnecessary.