.::BATMAN-IN-COMICS -- Review of "BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL" #8 by Bill Ramey::.

FROM DC COMICS: "Part 2 of a 6-part Joker tale written by Michael Green (TV's HEROES)! Batman crosses paths once again with the punk who will become his deadliest foe -- The Joker -- in a Gotham City that seems to be increasingly more deadly and psychotic."

I am one of those Batman fans that prefer The Joker’s origin to be ambiguous. I don’t need it spelled out for me that he was “this” and something happened and he became “that” -- you know what I’m saying here? I prefer The Joker and everything about him to be a mystery.

As someone much more important than yours truly once told me in describing The Joker: “He just IS.”

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL‘s second story arc deals with exactly what I don’t want to know: The origin of The Joker -- Who he was before and how he came to be “The Joker.”

Despite the fact that I prefer the “He just IS” explanation for the existence of The Clown Prince of Crime, I find myself enjoying this story arch written by Michael Green, pencils by Denys Cowan, and inks by John Floyd. Disclaimer: Perhaps I’m enjoying “LOVERS AND MADMEN” -- the title for this arch -- because BC‘s inaugural arch, for lack of a better word, sucked.

When we left off in issue #7, we had met “Jack,” the smalltime hood who will go on to became you-know-who. Bruce, or The Batman rather, is still in the early stages of his career. What interests me here is not the how The Joker came to be, but the why. It seems as if writer Michael Green has taken a page from BATMAN BEGINS' “escalation theory” -- The Joker and the eventual members of the Batman Rogues Gallery came to be because of The Batman.

Consequently, this “Jack” goes from being a insignificant hooligan doing “average” crimes, to carrying out felonies with a taste of the theatrical. Jack’s inspiration? The Batman.

Batman, on the other hand, is trying to find the balance between being Batman and Bruce Wayne. And just when he thinks he can relax -- believing he had his city under control -- these new, “theatrical” crimes begin to take place in Gotham.

So what else is going on here besides the origin of The Joker? Well, I previously mentioned the aspect of the story in which Bruce is trying to be “Bruce” more often. That subplot is exemplified by Bruce attempting to get something going with a little hottie named Lorna. However, it looks like Ms. Lorna is about to become the classic “damsel in distress.” Also, there’s another subplot involving Alfred putting together “Dupin” -- AKA The Batcomputer.

Denys Cowan’s art continues to impress me. I believe I said in my review of issue #7 that it comes across as “sketchy,” if you will. I can’t really compare his Batman to anyone else’s, but at times the Cowan’s Batman has a “Tim Sale” vibe to him. Regardless, I like it. I just wish that Mr. Floyd would link him more black than blue, but I digress.

The only negative that I have so far is that the story is moving a tad slow -- but that’s to be expected as this is a 6-part story arc (that should make for a good TPB down the line).

What’s next? While not a fan of knowing The Joker’s origin, I must admit that I am anxious to find out. Although I’m sure that a vat of chemicals is in Jack’s future at some point.