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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was the first Batman comic I have read. I like the (possible) backstory for the Joker. I also really like how Batman seems to always want to rehabilitate his villains, even when they seem like a lost cause to themselves.
I definitely will be diving into more Batman comics as he is a character I admire.
I definitely will be diving into more Batman comics as he is a character I admire.
This was stunningly well done. Form-wise it’s up there with the best comics I’ve read. I’m just not a huge fan of Batman, or superheroes in general, so the story is rather underwhelming. Five stars for the masterful comic, three for the relatively uninteresting subject matter, so four for Goodreads.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm going to probably need a day or two to process this, maybe even give it a re-read. Because although there were parts the I enjoyed (hence the 3 star general rating), the ending just left me scratching my head... and don't even get me started on the 5 pages or so that follow-up Brian Bolland's afterword! I feel so confused right now.
This is an interesting Joker origin story. I'm not very well-versed in the graphic novel genre to know whether this one is considered a "good" representation of the genre or even as a representation of Batman graphic novels/comics. There were definitely some parts that struck me as weird, but not really out of place considering the Joker's warped mind and sense of humor that seems to be consistent throughout most versions of the Joker character (that I'm familiar with at least). I thought that the illustrations were done well and I liked the color differences between the present day scenes and the flashbacks.
"ALL IT TAKES IS ONE BAD DAY..."
This is the first Batman comic I've ever read, and I may read more Batman comics because I've heard that there are many great ones, and this one I can guarantee is not an exception.
(Tim Burton was inspired by this when he made his Batman movie in 1989, one year after this book was published. You can see that Tim "took" the scene where the Joker falls into the chemicals, paling his skin.)
I really liked this one because the characters are flawed and imperfect, which makes them real and human. I don't think that many superheroes are written like that. Another reason I like it is that the ending is very mysterious; it is not clear if the Batman kills the Joker or not. But we all know that the Joker character has died many times but still comes back, because the Joker sells.
But I like to pretend that this is the last "The Batman vs. The Joker" story. This story feels very final; we get the backstory of the Joker, it is said that it must end with one of them killing the other, and the tale ends with the two arch-enemies laughing at a joke that resembled their relationship, and we can interpret that ending in our own way; the Joker becoming as sane as the Batman, or the Batman becoming as insane as the Joker. The two becoming friends, or the Batman killing the Joker.
(4,5)
This is the first Batman comic I've ever read, and I may read more Batman comics because I've heard that there are many great ones, and this one I can guarantee is not an exception.
(Tim Burton was inspired by this when he made his Batman movie in 1989, one year after this book was published. You can see that Tim "took" the scene where the Joker falls into the chemicals, paling his skin.)
I really liked this one because the characters are flawed and imperfect, which makes them real and human. I don't think that many superheroes are written like that. Another reason I like it is that the ending is very mysterious; it is not clear if the Batman kills the Joker or not. But we all know that the Joker character has died many times but still comes back, because the Joker sells.
But I like to pretend that this is the last "The Batman vs. The Joker" story. This story feels very final; we get the backstory of the Joker, it is said that it must end with one of them killing the other, and the tale ends with the two arch-enemies laughing at a joke that resembled their relationship, and we can interpret that ending in our own way; the Joker becoming as sane as the Batman, or the Batman becoming as insane as the Joker. The two becoming friends, or the Batman killing the Joker.
(4,5)
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Very well executed art and an interesting story, though short and open-ended. Also self-contained which is nice in a Batman comic.
I've been meaning to read this story for years. Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to the hype. I think I might have enjoyed this much more if I had read it back when I was 18 or so, and was reading books like Dark Knight Returns and Year: One. Now, it just reads as dark, short, and unsatisfying. The problem with reading "in-continuity" books from the past is that they lose a lot of power in the ending. Maybe this left readers wondering "what's next?" back in the 80's, but reading it today we know not much changes. The Joker, for all his sympathetic origin and moment of sanity in the end, stays villain and never changes. As a stand alone story, it just reads short and doesn't really end. Barbra Gordon gets the brunt of the pain, as she becomes Oracle after this, but really, the "darkness" of this story just doesn't win me over.