REVIEW: ‘Batman: White Knight Presents – Generation Joker,’ Issue #1

Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker #1 is the latest series in the White Knight universe under DC’s Black Label. It’s brought to you by the writing team of Sean Murphy, Katana Collins, and Clay McCormack. Because this isn’t the main Batman book of this universe, Murphy is only on cover duty this time around. Art and colors are provided by Mirka Adolfo and Alejandro Sánchez. Lastly, Andworld Design is tasked as Letterer. Since this isn’t the main Batman book of this universe, Murphy is only on cover duty this time around. It picks up immediately after the events of Batman: Beyond The White Knight. This review won’t include any spoilers of Generation Joker but will include details from the previous story, Batman: Beyond the White Knight. Readers should at least be familiar with Beyond the White Knight before jumping into this comic.

Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker follows Jackie and Bryce as they navigate their very complicated family dynamic. With their mother being the ex-criminal formerly known as Harley Quinn, Batman as their step-dad uncle, and Jack Napier aka The Joker for a biological father, they obviously have issues. Jack is an AI, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to connect with his kids. This leads to a little grand theft of a family vehicle and some light-hearted shenanigans, ultimately ending with danger related to Jack’s time as The Joker.

Shifting the focus to kids doesn’t mean the writing lacks depth. The writing in issue #1 is just as strong as the rest of the saga. Their actions make sense for kids raised by geniuses, but they lack wisdom at times, which makes it interesting. Beyond the White Knight does a decent job of making you care about them on the surface level, but Generation Joker really gives them some depth and charm. You truly believe that they’re the best parts of all three parents. That includes the parts that sometimes get them in trouble. One of the core values of White Knight has been love and you really feel it in the dialogue. The lettering helps to bring that dialogue to life by providing clear stopping points in the speech to indicate hesitancy. Or, by making certain words or letters bold for emphasis. Jack’s actions, though not completely thought out, are earnest. He sees the path that Jackie is on and hopes knowing more about him can make their connection stronger.  

The team of Mirka Adolfo and Alejandro Sánchez deliver great visuals. The art even helps to interpret things in a slightly lighter tone. Adolfo’s lines are a bit softer than Murphy’s while also maintaining the White Knight tradition of utilizing character shadows to enhance the story. A recurring theme has been the characters appearing one way in the moment but having the silhouette of their traditional costume behind them. Sánchez’s colors also help provide a change in tone. They’re brighter and more vibrant than the more washed tones you see in other White Knight comics. There is one issue with the art and it’s that some of the details, or lack thereof, create confusion in some panels. There’s a panel where it’s hard to tell the difference between Ace the Great Dane and Harley’s hyena. The lettering is very clear, there are no errors. The letters also aren’t uniform throughout.

If you’re a White Knight fan, Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker #1 is a rewarding addition to this universe.  If this is your first White Knight comic, there is more than enough to keep your interest in this story as well as push you to read the others. 

Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker #1 is available wherever comics are sold.