Greetings comic lovers and welcome back to Casually Comics the channel where we chat
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Today back to Killer Smile did you forget we were covering this cause I’m not going
to lie I kind of did until the psychedelic cover jumped out at me that’s not to say
it’s bad it’s just to say lots of comics come out...lots send help.
I’m Sasha and if you sometimes forget what you’re reading well be sure to subscribe
so that you never miss a vid I know there’s a lot of content out there but you want this
content.
So Killer Smile a black label comic about yet another hapless psychiatrist trying to
tackle the Joker spoilers it’s going badly for those of you who missed part one I of
course will do cliffnotes and provide a card and link so you can experience the full thing
but for those short on time.Our protagonist is Ben Arnell he’s been treating the Joker
he wants to write a book based on his discoveries and he is not ok reality has begun to blur
he is snapping at his family and the Joker is 100% inside his head he is hallucinating
the whole nine yards.
Things can only get worse we tossed around some theories about his family cause you know
something has to be up with them or i’ll eat...not my hat something edible a piece
of pineapple.
Issue 2 Go!
This cover is done in the same style as the first with a more classic style Joker on the
cover it is for me at least far harder to look at than the first cover.
I like it but I can’t look at it for more than a few seconds at a time it starts to
cause a very visceral kinda siwrly nauseaous reaction so heads up if you’re affected
by stuff like that it’s super cool I just need to look at it like a horror movie painting
one glance then run!
We open on Ben driving to a dinner named Arkhams’
There are two worlds
There is the world that most of us inhabit This is the world where we live our day to
day lives For the sake of simplicity let’s call this the real world.
But there is another world And this other place is is one that only special people can
see.
No that’s not right.
They don’t just see this other place these special people actually live in it.
Ben is talking of course about sanity and insanity waxing poetic and philosophical I
like to think that this is how his Joker book would be written it was the best of smiles
it was the worst of smiles.
Arkhams is a dinner staffed and populated by Arkham inmates also Ben starts going on
about how calling these people mad is simply too reductive at the dinner he’s joined
by the Joker who orders for him.
The dish his head on a platter served up in clown makeup.
He’s not ok where’s his therapist he should have one it’s actually a requirement.
Ben wakes up screaming scaring his and scaring her even more when he asks her if this his
life is real.
Downstairs his son is watching the ominous Mr Smiles on his phone and then enthusiastically
tells his dad he has a joke for him.
Why don’t cannibals eat clowns . Because they taste funny.
Where did you hear that
I dunno school
Well it’s not funny
Um Ben Ima let you finish but that joke is prime grade school humour high comedy on the
playground circuit.
Worth at least a humouring chuckle.
I’ll start ha!
Ben then proceeds to get rough with his son when he tries to go into the basement telling
him to never go down there.
You’ll remmeber the basement was the area with the green door from his nightmare last
time but now he tells his son that his “office” is down there so he can’t go down there.
There are two worlds, and this place this place sits at the borderline between them.
Arkham it’s lookin real nice in this comic they got an upgrade no gothic castles on hills
for Jeff Lemire.
Cold acetic hospital vibes.
Ben proceeds to have another session with the Joker where he asks him about his origins
and the Joker’s just bored he even flat out laughs at him when Ben asks him doesn’t
he want to get better again fair.
I dunno Ben could write a book but it would have to be how
I didn’t cure the Joker and learned to accept that he was making fun of me a memoir.
Oh I’m sorry I don;t mean to laugh at you Benjamin it’s just that...well you really
think I’m the sick one do you?
Look around look where you are
There’s a nice parallel panel here of the starkness of the holding area ben sits in
that makes the cold clinicalness of it feel unreal and disconcerting while the Joker’s
because it has so much more detail in the drawing actually comes across as more solid
and inviting simply for the fact it’s full of familiar objects even the Joker it’s
a subtle visual cue well executed.
Ben tries to lure him into talking about Batman which he’s also bored by very been there
done that yeah he’s my soulmate he says that I’m not just being flippant but then
he flips the script asking Ben about his soul mate asking him when he met his wife Anna.
he then asks him how is son is doing also by name and Ben trips out pounding on the
glass right as his superior walks by.
His boss proceeds to be my favorite person What you didn’t think the Joker would try
to get in your head Come on Ben, I love how even in Ben’s descent so much of this is
people just ragging on him, the joker his boss his wife.
New title why I quit my job to open a diner the Ben Arnell story.
Ben proceeds to apologize and say he knows he’s on edge but 3 weeks is too little time
I mean it’s going to take months years even.
Ben it’s already been.
Dun dun dun place your bets now how long has he really been working here you know with
a line like that it hasn’t been 3 weeks the comic wants you to know that it’s leading
you so you know that’s not even the biggest thing coming cause it just gave you that it
was a free sample.
Outside the Joker tries to tell the same joke Ben’s son told him to Killer croc who isn’t
here for it cause he already knows the punch line...yeah I bet croc knows all the cannibal
jokes.
Ben continues to hallucinate seeing gruesome visions of his family dead jokerized and he
realizes he can’t go on not knowing how the joker knew details about his family so
he rushes back to Arkham.
I have to I have to know
No you don’t it’s better this way.
I told you they weren’t fine also that was bit pointed a bit too leading and on the nose
for my blood.
We’re smart cookies give us some space.
When he goes back to confront the Joker he finally learns the truth Benji dear you have
been treating me for 3 years,,, really they’ve let this man be this much of a hot mess for
3 whole years a) how harley happened is starting to make a lot more sense b) it’s Arkham
what was I expecting standards.
But that that is not the best part benjamin
I know simon and Anna’s names because you told me months ago you told me right after
Anna left you and took your son
with her.
Nooooo
Do they not have cameras or night guards is no one hearing this.
Oh just another Doctor breaking down better put out another ad.
Ben realizes the Joker is right as the illusion of his daily life comes crashing down as he
is forced to contend that his real world was the other world and he has been living in
it as the lines from the comics issues are echoed this time with Ben going through his
empty home seeing it for how barren it actually is.
Slowly Ben makes his way down to the basement which isn’t an office at all but instead
contains a vanity
No need to cry it’s only a joke
The vanity is shown to contain greasepaint and clown makeup and so he paints his face
in the same manner as the head in his dream probably not for the first time.
I enjoyed this just not as much as issue 1 there a few lines where I felt a bit too lead
towards a conclusion but there’s still one issue left there’s time for a misdirect
although I’m not sure about first looks at this book back in November that said this
issue would turn the story on it;s head i mean really it just took it where it was going
down a dark path turning it on its head would be like Ben makes some kind of breakthrough
rights that book and goes on to live a happy life, I was surprised that as it stands him
family seems to be alive both relieved and disappointed cause I’m morbid like that.
This issue also felt like it progressed very fast from what is going on to your family
left you and it;s been 3 years.
But I still want to know where it’s going for Ben I mean nowhere good but how bad we
talkin’?
What do you think the future holds for Ben do you believe the Joker about his family?
Did Ben kill and eat his family?
Probably not but I made you think.
Can you look at that cover tell me all that and whatever else you want to tell me down
below.
And while you’re down there please do all of the youtube things like share comment and
subscribe I’m Sasha and thanks so much for spending some time with me here on Casually
comics I always appreciate it, and I’ll see you again soon buh bye.