Reviews

Batman: Thrillkiller (New Edition) by Dan Brereton

strawberryteeth's review

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

howattp's review against another edition

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5.0

Excellent, groovy epicness. Filled with some top-heavy women, a cross dressing hero, and the most unique Joker we've seen yet. Elseworlds really continues to come through. I'm reading another Elseworlds book right now, and it's just as excellent.

earlapvaldez's review against another edition

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5.0

Never thought that this Elseworlds piece would really hit it. Wow, 60s Gotham at its finest.

bloodravenlib's review against another edition

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3.0

This was pretty good. An interesting take on Batman where Barbara Gordon, trust fund child becomes Batgirl and Gotham's heroine with Dick Grayson as her Robin. Bruce Wayne is a penniless cop after his family lost it all in the Great Depression. Sounds great, but the author really puts out a very convoluted tale of Gotham wracked by police corruption, and later drugs. You would think that is a good premise, but as I said, the plot is very convoluted at times, and at moments it seems things get wrapped up at the last rushed minute. The good things? The noir setting is very good, so if you like that genre, you may like this. The art is pretty good, adding a pulp feel to the story. And it is interesting to see how different characters such as the Riddler, the Joker (who is a woman), and others appear in the story in different ways. So, it was an "ok" read, entertaining at times, but I think the author tried to pack a bit too much. Still, worth a look for something different.

Comic is part of DC's series Elseworlds, which they describe as "heroes taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places-- some that have existed or might have existed, and others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist." This comic definitely accomplishes that putting the characters we know in very different conditions.

dumblydore's review against another edition

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4.0

If you can remind yourself that this is an Elseworlds story, thus completely outside of the canon, Thrillkiller is a fantastic romp into the pulpy underworld of Gotham City in the 1960s. The characters are all familiar to us and yet entirely changed. Barbara/Batgirl is the leading character torn between her sometime lover and partner, Dick/Robin and GCPD detective Bruce. The Joker is a delirious femme fatale by the name of Bianca Steeplechase, while Killer Croc, Catwoman, Two-Face, Harley Quinn and Black Canary also make appearances albeit in an entirely deviant form to their original characters. The pace and action is brilliant, but once Batman enters the picture things get a bit too bizarre for comfort. Luckily, the end is nigh, so it's not as painful as it could have been.

The artwork by Dan Brereton is terrific—bold, brash and vibrant, with heavy red tones, and high contrasts, complementing the period's sensibilities beautifully.

tabman678's review

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3.0

This elseworld is really fun. It plays around with Batman’s mythology in a way that is new to me and refreshing because Bruce isn’t the Star and that works in ways and doesn’t work in other ways. He’s still Batman believe me.

And the art is enchanting, it made me stop just to examine the pages in a way I haven’t for a long while. Because it’s so decadent in its execution.
But slipping into Gotham is something I love and this was familiar but different enough that it’s exciting.

That being said it relies on old Pulp tropes a bit much for me and that aspect feels tired. And the story is interesting enough but feels easy.

I’d still recommend this though.

3 stars.

trisa_slyne's review against another edition

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4.0

A very interesting alternate universe set in the 60s. I like the idea of Batgirl and Robin preceeding Batman for once.

micah_thelibrarian's review

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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