At some point in time, you have to wonder if we’ll stop being so floored every time this happens. Every time Jock and Scott Snyder team up on a book, it blows our tiny little minds. You think you’re ready for it too, you think to yourself I’ve read Wytches, what more can these 2 do to me?

Meet The Batman Who Laughs.

Born out of Snyder’s METAL event, The Batman Who Laughs is a version of Batman born from Joker’s ultimate punchline. In their splinter universe, Batman breaks and kills his Joker unleashing a toxin that removes all moral inhibitions. Essentially, the Batman Who Laughs is all of Batman’s brains, brawn and bravado with his moral compass smashed all to hell. And he escaped his universe to come eff up yours and he is gonna do it.

In the first issue of this six part mini, we meet The Batman Who Laughs newest plaything - The Grim Knight. A supremely terrifying Batman who wields guns and kills whoever stands in his way. He’s working WITH The Batman Who Laughs as they wreak havoc.

Jock just destroys it on the art in this one, as always. From the opening chase scene to a grisly “fight” in Arkham, he hits every beat out of the park. The Grim Knight deserved Jock. This is a pairing made in Hell if I have ever seen one. These moments are great from Jock and he just kills it. These relationships between writer and artist that are occurring like you see with actors and directors is so cool but it’s more like…it’s more like 2 directors working together. This is very much Jock’s Batman but with far more restraint than we’re used to seeing. My hope is the art gets more and more crazed as the mini goes forward.

When we interviewed Scott Snyder a while back, he told us that he writes based on his fears. And if The Batman Who Laughs is based on one of his fears, I hope Scott never gets the psychiatric help he so clearly needs based on his writing. This issue is an incredible look into the psyche of Bruce Wayne as it regards the Joker as well as the Joker’s psyche as it regards Batman. Snyder makes sure we get the BIG moments and gives them all the weight and gravity they deserve. But what makes him so damn good? The little moments between Bruce and Alfred over the coms.

And can we take 5 minutes to appreciate the colors from David Baron?

FINAL RATING: 10/10 Batman Insurance Policies

Snyder and Jock at work together is a thing of beauty. I love that this is a mini because they can make maximum impact in 6 books (and man my pull list is getting big). This is a gorgeous book with one of the best in the business masterminding it. What’s not to love?