Jokers Asylum The Joker #1

Who's writing this?

I'm not sure who this writer is, but the next issue is a Penguin issue written by Jason Aaron! Yes, I'm excited.

Love me some villian centric stories(The recent Toyman issue of Action Comics being another example), so I'm looking foreward to this.

Now that the rest of the info posted, who the hell is Arvid Nelson?  Anything else he's done that's any good?  Is this just DC capitalizing on the movie coming out?  I love the cover though.

Considering this run will wrap up the week TDK comes out, it does feel a bit like cashing in, but who can blame them? After a Marvel-heavy summer at the movies, and with Morrison kicking ass on RIP and Final Crisis, not to mention them having the most anticipated film of the year coming out, I can see why DC would wanna milk it.

And the cover sold me instantly. 

I was iffy on this until I saw that Jason Aaron is writing the Penguin issue - so now I'm all in.

Of course DC is capitolizing on The Dark Knight, they are a company -- it's what they do. There is a Two-Face one shot coming out soon that's also perfectly timed for the movie. Marvel did the same type things with Hulk & Iron Man comics recently. It's a good way to get new readers into comics, and it's all good in my opinion.

@WadeWilson - I completely agree. I'd do the same thing. And I love that Marvel seemed to own the first half of 2008, but now looks like DC will own the second half. And both companies did it with quality products. Good time to be a fanboy.

@Conor - You say you were iffy, but I bet you would have bought this anyway :) 

@Eyun - Nope, I skip Batman tie-ins and specials all the time.  I don't know anything abut this writer.

I am really looking forward to seeing what Aaron does with Penguin (is that next week?). I think I will be skipping the rest of the Joker Asylum books though. I do have to say that this cover is BAD ASS and I will have to flip through it on the rack just incase.

Arvid Nelson is writer of Rex Mundi (fromerly of Image, now at home at Dark Horse).

This guys got some chops...although I don't recall ever reading anything squarely in the superhero world from him.

I wish Andy Kubert drew more interiors. I don't like this cover that much, but just seeing it reminds me... I wish both Kuberts drew more interiors.

My shop won't be getting this until tomorrow, la sigh.

Picked it up.  A limited issue run focusing on Batman's baddies?  Gotta get it since I'm new to Batman.

i'm waiting to hear what you folks say before i pick this up...  i'm considering it because Arvid Nelson is writing...  i really enjoyed the first 4 Rex Mundi trades...

I got it at first I didnt like it mostly because of the art but by the end I liked more then I thought I gave it a 4 but felt it as a 3.5.

Overall I like it.  At this point I'm trying to absorb as much Batman as possible, so this was interesting.  Could definitely see a Heath Ledger-esque look to many of the frames with Joker, though other times wildly not so.  The art was a sort of "sloppy" style, but it fit the flashback.  I would have preferred a clearner style like on the cover.

To me, the Joker is a homicidal comedian who is happiest when the punchline of one his jokes involves someones death. The Joker playing a "prank" & using confetti bombs with no violence involved seems like the Joker of about 2-30 years ago -- not todays. I didn't think the issue was badly written or drawn, I just thought this wasn't the modern Joker in the story. So I liked the execution of this issue -- just not the premise.

*20-30 years

Yes, I am the king of spell checking.