Batman: White Knight Presents - Generation Joker #5 (of 6)

Batman on Film

Overall, another good chapter in this fun, unpredictable journey through the WHITE KNIGHT universe (aka the Murphyverse). All talents involved have their foot on the gas as we head into our final stop on this road trip next month.

Geek Dad

As we reach the penultimate issue of this side miniseries before Sean Murphy takes the franchise over again, Gotham’s villains are in the middle of a civil war—one mostly driven by Harley Quinn and Neo-Joker, both trying to save the people they love. While Harley tries to track down her kids, the kids and Jack Napier’s digital double are held hostage. Part of the odd thing about this series is the way that pairings seem to come out of nowhere. After all, this is a world where Harley and an elderly Batman are slowly falling in love, while Ivy has fallen in love with Neo-Joker, now going by Riot. There are some surprisingly affecting scenes as a dying Ivy pleads with her lover to not turn into a monster again, but it’s undercut by a final scene that introduces a completely new element to the series that at first glance doesn’t make much sense at all. At least this last issue should be interesting.

Dark Knight News

Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker #5 was an improvement over the last few issues, and definitely a step in the right direction as we ramp up the book’s main plot and chaotic ramifications.

Batman-News

God I can’t wait for this to be over. The two Joker stories I’m reviewing are at their penultimate issues and it’s honestly such a relief. The fluid storytelling is gone, the subtlety of character decisions is gone, the childhood framing and themes are a mess… Why bother reading this really? Looking at it, sure. But actually trying to unpack it leaves you with nothing more than “oh wow, people have a hard time letting go”, crazy conclusion right there! Really innovative stuff!

ComicBook.com

Throughout Generation Joker #5 the most consequential visual elements consistently fail to land on the page. As the issue opens with Harley and Jack's children flying through the air at the end of an explosive car chase, it's difficult to discern where they are moving or how quickly. The result is a chaotic set of pages where the end result is clear but the sequence can hardly be appreciated. Much of the issue is devoted to connecting dots and moving characters into place for the finale. Threats between competing parties summon a figment of tension before being quickly dissipated, often by a child making an obvious point in dialogue. That all of this staging is grounded in flashbacks, lore from prior White Knight-related series, and the final appearance of a character completely detached from the story at hand makes the entire affair seem underwhelming – a story constructed with little genuine emotion or excitement, thankfully arriving at its end next month.