Batman and Robin #15

That Joker mask fits Damian perfectly.

Damian has once again been left alone in the Batcave because Batman is afraid he's going to get hurt. How long can Batman keep making excuses to keep Damian out of trouble? Perhaps this isn't going to work. Batman seems a little too invested in Damian for him to work as his sidekick. No wonder Tim Drake is so jealous.

Damian is pissed off because the other members of the Bat-Family gave Batman such a hard time in Batman #15 about The Joker possibly having gotten into the Batcave.

I'm sure he's talking to Titus but I'm hoping it's Batcow.

It does end up being Titus and Titus gives him some really shitty advice. Not the kind of awe-inspiring advice Batcow would have given him. I get the feeling Batcow is being neglected. And now that Alfred is gone, who's taking care of Batcow? Who's shoveling its shit and baling its hay? Are those things you do when you're taking care of a cow? Don't you occasionally have to put on a giant white glove and put your hand into its hoo-ha? What is that for? Do you have to flip a switch inside of its uterus to make it produce milk? Maybe that's a just a joke farmers play on the interns or the boys interested in fucking their daughters. I hope Batcow hasn't already been relegated to the Super Pet garbage pile! I'll be pretty upset if that happens. I might cry.

Titus's advice is to search for Alfred. Fucking big shot dog thinks he's Scooby Doo all of a sudden? So that's Damian's plan. He searches around the scene of the abduction and the outside of Wayne Manor until Titus finds some Hyena pee. So Robin goes to ask the Hyenas some questions.

They don't know anything.

The Hyenas are currently feasting on the guard of the zoo so The Joker was probably involved. Titus might have been able to sniff out some more hyena pee but he stayed home. Robin decides to beat up the Hyenas to see if they're lying about not knowing anything but they remain silent. One of them does bite him though and its teeth must have been covered in one of The Joker's many toxins because Robin gets dizzy and passes out.

Batcow never would have let this happen.

Fucking Titus better get his ass in gear. Ace would be rolling over in his grave, I mean his super comfy doggy bed in his palace on the other side of the rainbow bridge if he knew Titus was abandoning his boy. It's not like Titus has to battle Bud and Lou! They're dead!

Speaking of Bud and Lou, I wonder if The Joker trained them to attack when they heard someone say "Niagara Falls." Oh, never mind. It's almost Christmas (technically it is Christmas) and I should probably cut this short so I can enjoy my day off. Oh wait. I don't get the day off because my boss is a fucking asshole whose only concern is making fun of Scott Lobdell and J.T. Krul. Oh wait! That's me! I get to do whatever I want today!

I think I'll start my Christmas Morning by pretending to finish reading Batman and Robin and going to get breakfast!

The Joker does some things that The Joker usually does which gets the good guy to react in the way that the good guy usually reacts. Remember? He did it to Batgirl and he did it to Harley Quinn and now he's done it to Robin!

The Joker seems to be getting everyone to promise that. Is his plan to have every member of the Bat Family ready to kill him so that Batman finally has to do it himself? Sort of a shoot your own dog moment?

Then The Joker says some more stuff (remember how much stuff he always says?!) and Robin has to listen because he's strung up and half-drugged.

I just really like the motion in these panels.

The Joker goes on with some more of that stuff about how Batman is losing his edge because of Robin and the other nitwits of Gotham. Robin probably agrees with the part about the others being a negative influence on Batman but he's smart enough to not say anything about it even though he's been drugged. Batman could learn something from this kid! Batman is always giving away hints and clues that he's Bruce Wayne whenever he's on some Fear Toxin or Joker Juice or Penguin Pill or Riddler Suppository.

This is my favorite Joker appearance so far!

The Joker is even beginning to convince me!

Especially with the Pez analogy!

Guess what happens next? The Joker does more talking! Talk, talk, talk! Joke, joke, joke! The Joker is funny! He is very funny! The Joker is also smart. Very smart! The Joker might not be as funny or as smart as I think because what The Joker might actually be is very, very manipulative! So here's some more stuff he said!

The Joker is on a fucking roll! Encore! Encore!

But The Joker isn't sticking around for an encore. Apparently The Joker was just the opening act because after The Joker is finally done talking, Joker Batman emerges from a pile of worms and bugs and dead things.

The Joker thinks it's funny but I don't get it.

Batman and Robin #15 Rating: +1 Ranking. The Joker was hilarious this issue! Bravo, sir! Bravo! Although Damian was pretty passive. That kid should be on Joker Drugs more often.