Member-only story
Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1 — Sean Murphy, Writer/Artist; Matt Hollingsworth, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray — 8.5/10
Ray: I was never quite as high on Batman: White Knight, Sean Murphy’s popular role-reversal AU between Batman and the Joker, as some. But the response that basically launched Black Label can’t be denied.
So it’s no surprise that the surprise megahit is back for a second go with Joker — no longer cured as Jack Napier — out to cause more trouble for Batman in Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1. But the story goes back much deeper this time, to a three-century old murder before Gotham was Gotham and a dark conspiracy reaching the deepest quarters of Arkham Asylum.
When Curse of the White Knight #1 opens, Joker is back at Arkham, but he has something on the Warden and forces his cooperation before non-fatally stabbing him and escaping. Bruce, meanwhile, is still recovering from his imprisonment and losing Alfred. I’m usually not a fan of broken, lonely Bruce but Murphy does a good job fleshing him out. This Bruce tries to maintain relationships and better himself, but he fumbles it more often than not.
