The head of the Royal Flush Gang is out of prison and on the streets of Gotham. It’s rough for anyone getting out of prison. Getting out of prison in Gotham City, though? There’s no telling what could happen. She’s probably going to be fine, though. The rest of the city, though? The rest of the city might need some kind of protection as the writing team of Tini Howard and Blake Howard presents Punchline: The Gotham Game #1. Artist Gleb Melnikov and colorist Luis Guerrero etch a bit of chaos into the shadowy margins of Gotham City in the opening issue of a new mini-series.

It’s not long after Punchline has been let out. She finds herself at an outdoor concert in the middle of the night. There are a lot of unsavory types lurking around the place, but Punchline is right at home. Most people on their way out of prison might want to consider laying low, but Punchline isn’t just any person. She’s got a whole gang at her disposal, and she’s got quite a bit of work to do if she is to rise to prominence as one of Gotham City’s biggest crime lords. 

The Howards are doing reasonably clever work with a relatively new Gotham City villain. Much of the more savvy end of the writing comes in the form of an extended ensemble of characters. Focus too much on Punchline, and she’ll lose some of the mystery that makes her so appealing for the moment. Spend too little time on her, and the series will be largely unsatisfying. The Howards have found a rhythm for Punchline’s latest that explores her own small corner of Gotham City in great detail. The overall plot of the series hasn’t quite resolved into a bigger picture yet, but the Howards’ work in the first issue is coherent enough that it feels like a driving conflict is bound to present itself in the coming chapters.

Melnikov gives the page a stern darkness that is given to splashes of instability that feel cool and atmospheric. Gotham City has been seen from so many angles over the decades. Trying to find a unique place for Punchline to exist could be very tricky, but Melnikov manages to temper the shadowy darkness with a splashy chaos that feels distinct enough to give Punchline her unique fingerprint. Drama hits the page with a pulse that seems to match the percussion of the action in dark colors drawn to the page by Guerrero.

As distinctive a personality as Punchline is, it’s very, very difficult for anyone to stand out in Gotham City. The criminal underworld is a garish parade of weird people in weird costumes. This is a city that has also served as a punching bag for the Joker AND Harley Quinn in the past. It’s difficult to imagine Punchline making an enduring impact, but the Howards are moving things in the right direction in the first issue of Punchline’s latest.

Grade: B