Here it is, the finale. The climax that Joker's revamped origin-that's-not-an-origin has been building towards. A story's ending can often determine the success of its overall narrative themes and goals. For Joker Year One, that means showing the reader that the Joker's rise to power and journey into insanity successfully creates a more compelling character narrative that whatever existed beforehand. That's why it's so surprising how little he actually features in the issue.

Anyone expecting a climactic confrontation between James Gordon and Joker like the one depicted on the cover will be sorely disappointed. The story's present day narrative all but abandons anything to do with Joker and instead focuses on the GCPD plotline that's been mostly in the background until now. An uncharitable reading of that decision might suggest a concession that the story's core premise doesn't have enough merit to fill out three issues. One might even go so far as to say that trying to create a detailed backstory for how Joker came to be was a failed idea from the start. However, I am a charitable person. Perhaps the police plotline is simply the real conclusion this story needs.

Manny Gabris, the comically corrupt police officer and member of the Red Hood Gang has decided that it's time to launch a massive, armed assault on the GCPD headquarters to steal drugs from the evidence locker. I don't really know why he would do this when he's literally working with the commissioner, but I'm being charitable so I'm sure he had a good reason. Saying this feels like a contrived way to create a big action sequence to wrap up the arc would be uncharitable.

The spotlight is on Gordon this time around as he battles his way through the assault towards Commissioner McLeod. This is the most exciting part of the story and probably the highlight of the arc. It's not particularly special on its own, but it's a decently solid siege sequence where the action is tense and the stakes are clear. Camuncoli and Sánchez' art is still mostly flat and not very memorable, but it steps just far enough above serviceable to add a level of drama to the shoot out. You're put in Gordon's shoes as he fights for his life against overwhelming odds. Certainly middling Batman action is preferable to extensive evangelizing about how amazing Joker is.

Gordon's confrontation with McLeod himself acts as a sort of culmination for his character's journey. There's a sense of catharsis as he beats the man who has stood between him and a clean GCPD. Having it be an actual physical fight also taps into the sense of machismo necessary to gain respect in a organization like that. This might sound familiar to some of you. You might also recall in my review for part one that I mentioned Gordon's plot felt like a retread of his plot from Batman: Year One. Well now it takes its ending from that as well, as the fight with McLeod is just a cheap copy of the fight with Detective Flass. Flass even gets mentioned during some of this issue's narration, so as is often the case I have no idea what has and hasn't happened in DC's continuity.

Joker's only actual role during all of this is that he's disguised as a clown talking to police, and when fighting breaks out he starts killing people. It's framed as a big reveal when he busts out of the armory brandishing grenades and an AK-47. I suppose that this is the payoff for all the training he received the last issue. His tactical ability to use weapons really well is how you know he's truly become the Joker.

I'm being slightly facetious, but even the actual final moments meant to signify that his transformation is complete feel inadequate. Towards the end as Gabris and his crew are escaping, it's revealed Joker put a trap in their getaway van. He uses this as a way to kidnap, torture, and use them as test subjects for his Joker toxin. Finally, the story closes out with Joker about to murder the men who attacked him in the first issue. This is still the version of the Joker who was a violent gang boss before falling into chemicals, so I honestly fail to see what meaningful transformation has taken place. Aside from his ability to suppress fear and change his personality (which Captio even says he was mostly already able to do), what has this story accomplished? 

Once again I'm baffled by the comic's priorities as to what is worth exploring and what isn't. So much of the actual transition into the clown prince of crime is still a huge, unexplained leap. He just shows up at the end more or less characterized as the Joker we know because the story's over. For small example, we never get an explanation of how he learned to make his iconic toxin. It's just off-handedly mentioned in a menacing way right before the story ends. To be clear, I don't think that a comic about how Joker learned chemistry is a good idea, but I'm also not the one who decided to make a three part story about that sort of detail. Letting the toxin's origins itself just be an accepted mystery of the character is the right move, but feels so out of place when the same could be said for every other part of this story.

Where Joker gets a bit more focus is in the future segments, but even then it's still mostly Batman talking about him. Namely, he once again talks about how powerful and scary the Joker is. The art frames him as an almost specter of death whose inevitability can never be fully stopped. Batman reminisces on how Joker killed Jason Todd as a general example of his ability to strike at Batman's family. Joker even outright says "I could have killed you. [...] You lived because I let you. Because I love you." According to the text, Joker is the invincible demon of chaos whose defeats are simply part of his romantic game with Batman. Bruce's final words even cement that idea as he wonders how many times Joker could have won but chose not to.

Recommended If

• You wished this Joker story focused more on Commissioner Gordon
• Siege plots are fun
• You want to see Joker going full Joker

Overall

The final chapter of Joker Year One contains shockingly little Joker, but perhaps that's for the best. With him gone, the story shifts its focus to James Gordon as the Red Hood Gang launches its assault on GCPD headquarters. It's an exciting, if unremarkable action sequence to round out this three-part story. When Joker does appear, it reverts back to waxing poetic about how amazing he is and making you question what the point of all this was.

Score: 4/10

DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.