I picked up The Man Who Laughs off the back of several recommendations that basically implied that the contained storyline "got" the relationship between the Joker and Batman better than any other run, including The Killing Joke. Unfortunately, I'm not convinced it quite lives up to the hype. It's a great riff on how the Joker operates and a very clever "scheme" that definitely encapsulates the iconic villain's methodology perfectly; you're kept guessing throughout, with the standard "chaos as a smokescreen" the Joker excels at. What it isn't, however, is a particularly complex analysis of the relationship between the two characters. Don't get me wrong, as an origin story it definitely hits the mark, but I'd say The Man Who Laughs is more of a primer/introduction to the Joker than the perfect example of Clown v Bat. If anything, I'd say the analysis of Jim Gordon was more on point than either of the "main" characters.

Artistically, however, the graphic novel is spot on. The effects of the joker venom are wonderfully unnerving and force the eye to linger, enhanced by some great colouring that often amplifies the sense of paranoia and fear. Indeed, it is this sense of fear, of mounting tension and increasing paranoia, that The Man Who Laughs truly excels at and I imagine is why it is so upheld amongst fans of the Joker. I definitely enjoyed the novel and can thoroughly recommend it to anyone intrigued by the Batman universe, or who wants a slightly more coherent – though less emotionally charged – Joker heist than the Heath Ledger incarnation.

Special mention, however, must go to "Made of Wood", an unexpected second part to the story. I have no idea why the two have been paired together for the trade paperback print, as apart from both occurring during the Zero Hour continuity they aren't at all interconnected. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed the second story, which offered a nice analysis of Batman's feelings towards other caped heroes (a little similar to that found in HUSH) and his place amongst them, as well as providing insight into the early Green Lantern's life. It was a fun romp, well done with some nice twists along the way; altogether an interesting and competent story arc.