Also, sometimes the dialogue dragged scenes and made no sense, which I guess is to be expected with two poisoned people.

When they team up it stops being true because they’re just teamed up and stopped receiving different parts of the puzzle anymore. I imagine that there’s some talent here and that it was a big opportunity for the artists to be on the book. In parts of this story Batman is wholly reliant on him ( and this is the bit I think the purists may take umbrage with). Auf der Suche nach demjenigen, der ihm das Virus injiziert hat, trifft er seinen ärgsten Feind, den Joker, der dasselbe Schicksal teilt wie Batman.It’s in hopes to saving themselves from death that they go to various different European countries looking for the person responsible or a solution to their problem, but things aren’t looking too good for the both of them as they struggle to remain sane, or as insane as they originally were, throughout their adventure. Batman and The Joker were each given different pieces of the larger puzzle, and neither can solve the mystery without the other! It’s got its quibbling flaws, but who cares: Batman Europa is exquisitely rendered and the characters shine.

Sure, there were some good parts, the fact that the Joker and Batman were "working" together was a cool idea. Yes, it is nice for this DC fan to see his favorite characters hanging out (or battling it out) in the streets you stroll every other day, or on the landmarks that remind you of some good times with friends.

I don't think this Director's Cut of Batman: Europa is going to change many opinions that readers had of the original, but if you enjoyed the original and are a completist, here it is. Batman: Europa is a voyage across Europe as Batman’s and Joker’s repartee paints an exciting adventure that unfortunately falls short at the big reveal. He doesn't usually subscribe to the "you two need each other to exist" philosophy and I don't understand why he would have an interest in that out of nowhere. For me I always love when everything comes together at the end this is something that happened here.

Luring Batman into the Colosseum could have made for a great Bane VS Batman gladiator theatrics, only they didn't make use of it. Sure we can say that this is out of cannon and excuse it, but when it’s using so much collective knowledge about the character it ceases to be an excuse.

But with The Joker along for the ride, Batman's guaranteed to face terrifying challenges as they follow a trail that leads to their common enemy. Seriously, this is like looking at the Ark of the Covenant: you can’t avert your gaze even as it kills you. As a Joker fan dissatisfied with the character’s current portrayal in comics but a major fan of Batman: The Animated Series and The Dark Knight (2009) portrayals, I found this Joker delightful. Layouts from Giuseppe Camuncoli are absolutely stand-out: clear, bold storytelling that focuses on the visuals, which is something Casali and Azzarello support with a rather spare script.