Countdown Presents: The Search For Ray Palmer: Crime Society # 1 - The Jokester's Last Laugh

I read Identity Crisis. M'eh.

I read 52. I was disappointed by 52 because I was happy that the multiverse was collapsed into one single world with a single history. Okay so there were some kinks, like what to do with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Green Arrow.

I liked that an Elseworlds story was an imaginary story. Hey, guess what - they're all imaginary stories. I'm fine with different versions of Batman. Whether it's Gotham by Gaslight, Holy Terror or even Red Rain.

Even Owlman has grown on me.

I liked the Earth-2 graphic novel. Probably because I liked the Mirror, Mirror episode of Classic Trek, and most every one that followed.

Here's what I would have liked to have seen.

The Jokester should have been called Punchline. Seriously. Punchline. Emphasize that he's the hero. Emphasize that he's a real challenge to Owlman, who's been imagined as such a badass. The mirror image of The Joker needs to come along and clean his and Talon's clock. Or at least be a pretty "worthy adversary". Instead, I was still rooting for Owlman. I shouldn't be rooting for Owlman. This isn't Bizarro, this is a mirror. Almost like being darkened by Eclipso. Or the Justice Lords.

I liked Eve. I got the joke about Eve. Her appearance could have been better if it were slightly different.

There was another reveal that was even more disappointing, becuase instead of making things clearer - for me, at least - it only made things more complicated.

I really wanted a look at what this mirror reality looked like. I was really disappointed that this was such and short, quick view. The way the story wrapped up told me that, in a universe where "anything can happen", not much really will happen.