Joker: Killer Smile #1 (of 3) is published by DC Comics under their Black Label imprint. It is written by Jeff Lemire with art by Andrea Sorrentino and colors by Jordie Bellaire.
Whenever I read a comic with the Joker, I read his words in Mark Hamill’s voice. That has always been the true voice of the Joker to me – and if the words don’t sound right in Hamill’s voice, then those aren’t the words of the Joker. It may seem silly, but this is how I’ve always judged whether I like a writer’s version of him. Even though we read them, words and sentences sound a certain way in our heads, and if they don’t sound right, it takes you out of that immersive experience. I can say confidently that Killer Smile sounds perfect. I never had any doubts though because it’s Jeff Lemire.
So we meet this new doctor, Doctor Ben Arnell. Just like all the doctors before him, Dr. Ben thinks he can cure the Joker. It’s good to have ambitions, but as we have seen time and time again, any doctor that goes up against the Joker loses more than just a battle of wits. The Joker even comments on it in perhaps my favorite line in the issue “Oh, you wanna play the secret origin game? I warn you, I’m really good at that one. I never lose.” There’s something so downright chilling about that line. Despite his claims of being close to a breakthrough, that line alone tells us Dr. Ben isn’t anywhere near where he thinks he is and while Arkham’s head doctor has him on a strict timeline, it may already be too late for Dr. Ben.
This comic reads like a psychological thriller as opposed to a superhero book. As it should because it’s dealing with the Joker but I still feel like I need to state that because people go in expecting Batman and Batman only shows up in like one panel (and it gave me a chuckle because basically the Joker is just talking about how Batman hates fun and always ruins it). Andrea Sorrentino’s art and Jordie Bellaire’s colors only add to this vibe with the realistic and shadowy look. I particularly love the use of purple, green, and red and how much these colors stick out among the others in such an eerie way. The week of Halloween was definitely an appropriate time for this story to begin.
OVERALL SCORE: 9.5 / 10
Make sure to grab a copy of Joker: Killer Smile #1 from your local comic shop!
Happy reading!
