The Good
I think that from the moment you first open the issue you can sense that the tone is a bit different than what you might find in other Batman titles. This issue is centered around Emperor Penguin who takes a trick from the Joker's playbook and uses it to his advantage. And although writer John Layman is obviously taking concepts that the entire Batman family titles are working with right now, this book and this series still feels really different; like a different kind of Batman book.
Layman's Batman reminded me a lot of the way Frank Miller writes Batman's dialogue; it's a lot edgier and more aggressive, whereas the Batman in Scott Snyder's BATMAN series feels a lot more grounded and mature. Layman's Batman has more of an attitude, and I found that really interesting. I think that having a series like this one that provides a much different take on the character's personality and perspective through his dialogue is interesting, and it is one of the things that kept me reading. This is very reminiscent of a 90's Batman.
You seriously think I'll even break a sweat over five clowns like you?
I personally like the way that artist Jason Fabok focuses on specific moments and punches in the scenes where Batman gets into a fight with the "clowns," even if I do think it takes away a little bit from the overall fight sequence in that you don't really get a good idea of the bigger picture and what is going on.
The Bad
Some of the very things that make this book interesting also make it feel a bit jarring at times, too. Why exactly, for example, does one of the kids in this issue cut his own face off? It feels a bit like a stretch and the reasons don't make a lot of sense.
There were also some moments where I felt the scenes were a bit cheesy.
The Verdict
Overall I like this story. I think it adds a new layer to the current Joker story in the DC Universe. Yet the most important thing that this issue does is provide a different voice for Batman. This Batman sounds and feels very different from the character we read in the current BATMAN series. To me, this character feels like the Batman we read in the early 90's. He's more aggressive, has more of an attitude and feels edgier. This is a side of Batman we don't see anymore and I like that we get it here.