The story is full of all the witty dialogue that has made Smith famous and gives us surprising twists and turns with unexpected appearances by such characters as Deadshot.  Smith clearly enjoys working with the Joker, adding some kinky aspects to the character while showing that the Joker is not completely bonkers and can still act normally -- namely frightened or angry -- in the right circumstances.

 Parts of the story are a bit overdone however. Onomatopeia still seems like just a weirdo who somehow manages to get the drop on the most dangerous men in the world. He is still mystifying rather than menacing and he could easily become irritating if it becomes obvious that the writer is trying too hard to make him more formidable than he has any right to be.

The Joker of course, is just overused. He must be appearing in about five different titles this month. Partly this is a natural consequence of THE DARK KNIGHT movie which gave the character a new, higher, harsher profile. But it is also a sign that too many writers just want the opportunity to give the world their version of the Number One comicbook-villain rather than coming up with a new bad guy of their own. At this point, seeing another version of the Joker will just make the reader shrug.

The conflicts in this story need to be sharper. In this issue, all the fighting, shooting and explosions seem like a typical action B-movie rather than a confrontation between great forces.  The inclusion of Maxie Zeus as a snivelling drug peddler does not help things. He used to have his own brand of insanity and his own sense of dignity. And isn't he suppose to be dead?

The art is adequate but unspectacular. This could be just another issue of BATMAN or DETECTIVE COMICS. The characters are recognizable but there is nothing special about their depiction.