It’s a done-in-one, this issue, which usually means an inventory story – something pulled from the slush pile because of an foreseen delay in production. BUT… if that’s the case, I don’t think DC Editorial could have chosen better. It’s charmingly written, with nods to The Killing Joke and Tombstone, and beautifully illustrated.

Tomasi has crafted some major stories in recent years, so it is refreshing to know he can work on a smaller canvas. I remember an editor once saying that being capable of telling a story in an extremely limited manner is the mark of a true professional. If there was doubt before, it’s gone now.

The combined talents of Mahnke, Mendoza and Baron evoke the spirit of Neal Adams, harkening back to “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge,” (Batman #251), complete with the aforementioned Mistah J. Perhaps it’s the carnival setting, but Baron’s color palette is bright and festive, in contrast to the menace of the homicidal Joker.

As with most recent DC titles, this issue includes the shrouded spirit of Lex Luthor visiting a DC villain with an offer. Thankfully, he does not go for the obvious A-listers, but in this case, a respectable name in Batman’s rogues gallery.

Rating: 10/10