… hosted at Batman on Film by our good friend Bill “Jett” Ramey, the hardest working Batman fan on the planet!
Review: Batman: The Dark Knight #2
Streets #21 was that book’s final issue, and I’m really going to miss Paul Dini’s stories.
I noticed something in the flashback that really got me wondering; vile mobster Sallie Guzzo says some familiar things to a young boy he and his goons have taken from Dr. Leslie Thompkins’s clinic (and the care of Bruce Wayne’s future parents, Thomas Wayne and Martha Kane) and forced into servitude.
So I checked out #19 again and realized where I’d read those words before. The Joker speaks them to Sallie Guzzo — right before he guts him.
Coincidence?
I asked Paul on Twitter, and he was kind enough to respond:
“@johnbierly No coincidence. That kid was the Joker, age seven. Martha & Thomas were the only ones who were ever kind to him. Irony!”
“@johnbierly I set it up way back in the “Case Study” story I did w/Alex Ross. One of the hoods says one of Joker’s early names was ‘Sonny.'”
Awesome! It brings a whole new dynamic to the story.
And then! And then!
A few days later, Paul transmitted this:
“A really nice review of our last STREETS OF GOTHAM issue. Thanks, John. http://tinyurl.com/3k22v4k”
Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Awesome. I am beyond honored.
And Paul, thank you. You get Batman like no one else does, and we need your voice in Gotham City now more than ever.