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A review by gesch
Joker by Brian Azzarello
3.0
To start off let it to be known that this is may first foray into any of the comics or graphic novels about Batman.
I picked this book up for the first time while working at a local bookstore, which was around the time that Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” was released. Naturally this bookstore, which panders to any trend of note as well as Amazon’s top selling list, stocked up on any Batman-related comics. When it arrived the style of it’s cover caught my attention and a quick look at it confirmed my decision to take this comic with me.
This interpretation of the Joker is clearly an extension of the character that Nolan presented in his trilogy, interpreted by Heath Ledger. The story revolves around Jonny Frost, a young hoodlum in search of fame and glory, who associates with Joker as soon as he is released from Arkham Asylum for unknown reasons. From that point onwards the story centers on Joker’s attempts to retake Gotham, which he considers his, from several of the other criminals and villains, which appear in this universe. We have brief and often insignificant appearances by the Riddler, Killer Croc, the Penguin, Harley Quinn, and to a further extent Harvey Dent. Batman, sadly, does not appear until the last few pages and barely influences the story. The whole book is a pretense to elaborate Joker’s character and his machinations and allow a brief, and weak, insight into his motivations.
The art is dynamic and for the most part well executed. Unfortunately there are also some inconsistencies from one panel to another. Some are illustrated in a highly detailed and naturalistic manner whilst others, the majority, are drawn in a style that after inking looks rather angular and blocky.
So overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book too much. Although it is a good companion to Nolan’s movie I find it lacked strength for a stand-alone graphic novel. Fans of the Batman comic will probably not be as satisfied by it though.
I picked this book up for the first time while working at a local bookstore, which was around the time that Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” was released. Naturally this bookstore, which panders to any trend of note as well as Amazon’s top selling list, stocked up on any Batman-related comics. When it arrived the style of it’s cover caught my attention and a quick look at it confirmed my decision to take this comic with me.
This interpretation of the Joker is clearly an extension of the character that Nolan presented in his trilogy, interpreted by Heath Ledger. The story revolves around Jonny Frost, a young hoodlum in search of fame and glory, who associates with Joker as soon as he is released from Arkham Asylum for unknown reasons. From that point onwards the story centers on Joker’s attempts to retake Gotham, which he considers his, from several of the other criminals and villains, which appear in this universe. We have brief and often insignificant appearances by the Riddler, Killer Croc, the Penguin, Harley Quinn, and to a further extent Harvey Dent. Batman, sadly, does not appear until the last few pages and barely influences the story. The whole book is a pretense to elaborate Joker’s character and his machinations and allow a brief, and weak, insight into his motivations.
The art is dynamic and for the most part well executed. Unfortunately there are also some inconsistencies from one panel to another. Some are illustrated in a highly detailed and naturalistic manner whilst others, the majority, are drawn in a style that after inking looks rather angular and blocky.
So overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book too much. Although it is a good companion to Nolan’s movie I find it lacked strength for a stand-alone graphic novel. Fans of the Batman comic will probably not be as satisfied by it though.