| Batman: Cacophony | |
|---|---|
 Cover ofBatman: Cacophony 1 (Jan. 2009), art byAdam Kubert | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | November 2008 – January2009 |
| No. of issues | 3 |
| Main character(s) | Batman Onomatopoeia Joker Maxie Zeus |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Kevin Smith |
| Artist(s) | Walt Flanagan and Sandra Hope |
Batman: Cacophony is the title of a three-issuecomic booklimited series starringBatman published by the comic book publishing companyDC Comics. The series was written byKevin Smith with art byWalt Flanagan, and ran from November 2008 through March 2009 due to delays with issue #3. The comic chronicles Batman as he attempts to stop a turf war betweenthe Joker andMaxie Zeus. Batman also encounters a new adversary, the assassinOnomatopoeia.
The series featured the villainsOnomatopoeia,Maxie Zeus,the Joker,Deadshot, andVictor Zsasz.[1] The first issue was shipped on November 12 with three different covers: two byAdam Kubert (standard cover and 1:50 rarity sketch cover) and one byBill Sienkiewicz (1:25 rarity variant cover).[2]
The plot involves a turf war between the Joker andMaxie Zeus over a drug Zeus creates usingJoker venom, prompting the Joker to retaliate.[3]
The series opens withDeadshot breaking intoArkham Asylum with the intent to killthe Joker. He is stopped byOnomatopoeia, however, who shoots Deadshot in the head. Onomatopoeia then releases the Joker, leaving him a briefcase of money to help him create mayhem inGotham City and draw outBatman — Onomatopoeia's actual target. The Joker uses this money to attackMaxie Zeus, who turned Joker's trademark Joker venom into a designer drug.
After foilingVictor Zsasz, Batman meets withCommissioner Gordon at Arkham to investigate the Joker's latest escape. Deadshot is revealed to be still alive, having used a bloodpack and a bulletproof helmet to fake his death. Batman encounters the Joker and Onomatopoeia, and, after doing some research, realizes that Onomatopoeia is attacking non-superpowered vigilantes, and that he is Onomatopoeia's next target. Although Onomatopoeia attempts to lure Batman into a trap with the aid of the Joker, Batman surprises him, using Deadshot's own trick of a bulletproof helmet and a fake bloodpack, only for Onomatopoeia to escape when he stabs the Joker. After a moment of indecision, Batman stays behind and tries to save his archenemy, allowing the other villain to escape. Gordon urges Batman to let the Joker die, arguing that he is not asking Batman to kill the Joker, but merely asking him not to save his enemy. Batman insists that he must do everything he can to save another human being — even one as evil as the Joker.
A few months later, Batman, in his "Matches Malone" disguise and claiming to be a lawyer, goes to the prison hospital to visit the Joker. The Joker has recently come out of a coma, and has been medicated with "an ass-load of mood stablizers andantipsychotics", resulting in a relatively sane state of mind (or the painkillers have merely mellowed him out). Batman realizes he finally has a chance to have a somewhat rational conversation with the Joker, leading him to disguise himself to get into the Joker's room. He asks his foe if he truly wants him dead. When the Joker asks if Batman desires his death, Batman reveals that he saved the Joker because he never again wants to see anyone die; although he does not say as much, it is implied that he is referring to witnessing the murder of his parents. The Joker expresses sympathy for Batman's loss, but informs Batman that he does want to kill him, ultimately saying to him: "I don't hate you 'cause I'm crazy...I'm crazy 'cause I hate you". He then says he will only "retire" as a supervillain when Batman is dead.
Jesse Schedeen ofIGN felt conflicted with the first issue ofCacophony, citing a good script and comparing Smith toGrant Morrison, saying that "[Smith] manages to find a fresh voice for one of the industry's most heavily exposed characters".[4]
Schedeen also wrote that the villains were the focus, withthe Joker the most prominent. He criticized Smith's trademark scatological humor and said that Smith's characterization of Batman was "too wordy". Schedeen also states that Flanagan's art varied in trying to portray the Joker's emotions. The overall score Schedeen gave the first issue was an 8.3.[4]
In honor of his annual trip toSan Diego Comic-Con, Smith has "dramatized" each of the three issues of the series during special episodes of hispodcastHollywood Babble-On, entitledHollywood Babble-On Comic Con Theater. Primarily performed by hisHB-O co-hostRalph Garman, who used several of his better-known impressions to represent the main characters, both episodes were essentially a read-through of one of the issues of the story. Garman's voicing of the main characters included the "voices" ofAdam West as Batman,Ed Wynn as the Joker (initially, this was Garman's impression ofCesar Romero's Joker, but Smith suggested using Wynn's voice instead),Sean Connery as Commissioner Gordon, andAl Pacino as Maxie Zeus. Smith acted as the "omniscient narrator" and voice of Onomatopoeia in both episodes. In the first episode (podcast #43), an audience member was brought up to cover several other minor character roles; in the second episode (podcast #65), Smith brought in voice-over actor/announcerKyle Hebert to voice Alfred (which he did in acockney accent somewhat reminiscent ofMichael Caine, who played Alfred inBatman Begins,The Dark Knight, andThe Dark Knight Rises) and others, and cohortJason Mewes to voice most of the female characters. Smith and Hebert also voiced two of Zeus' henchmen, as well as other characters in the second episode. The final episode (podcast #104) included Jason Mewes as Commissioner Gordon, a fan as Onomatopoeia alongside Kevin and Ralph. It was stated the next "Comic Con Theater" episodes would be for "Widening Gyre" but that has not happened, yet. Instead they have "dramatized" their co-writtenBatman '66 Meets the Green Hornet on theFatman on Batman podcast.[5][6][7][8]
