Axis Chemicals. She wants the Axis Chemical plant. She knows what she’s doing, but that doesn’t mean she’s not crazy. And now Batman is after her. She might be in way over her head, or she might know exactly what she’s doing. It’s difficult to tell in Punchline: The Gotham Game #2. The writing team of Tini Howard and Blake Howard continue to dive into the psyche of Gotham City’s latest psycho in an issue visually realized by the art team of Gleb Melnikov and Will Robson. Luis Guerrero brings color to the page. Punchline manages to dominate the issue even in those scenes where she isn’t physically present. 

Batman knows that he will need to get to her. She’s been set loose, and she’s already active in and around the Royal Flush Gang. There’s no secret that she’s looking to take over a huge section of Gotham City. She’s going after someone who works for Catwoman...someone who has control of the chemical plant. It’s not going to be easy, especially with Batman showing up when he does. It’s going to be a mess, but she’s an actively dominating sociopath in Gotham City, so she’s in her natural habitat. She’ll come out on top.

The Howards give Batman a grounding that his own comics don’t often manage. Punchline comes across with a great amount of depth as well. The dialogue feels a bit stiff and awkward in places, but there’s more than enough momentum shooting through the heart of the drama to keep everything moving from scene to scene. Punchline is kind of a tricky presence to frame. The Howards keep the title character mysterious and intriguing even though she’s not exactly doing anything that’s specifically memorable. Her aspirations aren’t distinctive. She doesn’t look particularly imposing. Somehow the Howards manage to keep her fascinating through the end of the issue.

Melnikov and Robson keep the mystery of Punchline rolling through well-executed action and the occasional dramatic moment that’s reflected in the openly enigmatic face of Punchline. The action in the second chapter of the series doesn’t allow for many moments of reflection, but Melnikov and Robson do a good job of catching the subtlety here and there as the story progresses through kicks, punches, and slashes to its inevitable end. Guerrero’s colors appealingly contrast the heroic grey bulk of Batman against Punchline’s lean and sinewy purples and blacks.

As much work as the Howards and the art team have done to advance this mini-series in an interesting direction, its distinct impact is still forming. The second issue continues to keep things a bit formless as the precise path ahead of the title character seems a little mysterious. This would be a lot more engaging in an open-ended series. The series is already 1/3 of the way finished, and it doesn’t seem to have a clear direction. Thankfully, it’s still fun.

Grade: B