Joker by Brian Azzarello, Lee Bermejo

Joker

by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo

The Joker has been mysteriously released from Arkham Asylum, and he's none too happy about what's happened to his Gotham City rackets while he's been "away." Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo bring you arguably the most terrifying Joker tale ever written!

The scourge of Gotham City reaches new levels of complexity and intensity in these two uniquely crafted stories from the New York Times best-selling and Eisner Award-winning team of Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo (Batman: Damned, Luthor).

He will stand over your body, with your blood on his hands, and I promise you he will laugh. Not because your life means nothing to him. But because death, for him, is the punch line.

The Joker has been mysteriously released from Arkham Asylum, and he's none too happy about what's happened to his Gotham City rackets while he's been away. What follows is a harrowing night of revenge, murder and manic crime as only The Joker can deliver it, as he brutally takes back his stolen assets from the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, Killer Croc and more.

Collects Joker and Absolute Joker.

Reviewed by inlibrisveritas on

2 of 5 stars

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So I’ve heard a lot about this one, mostly good…and I’m at the point where I don’t really understand the hype.

This is pretty obviously modeled after the Heath Ledger version of Joker, which I personally adore because he’s kind of a different breed than the normal Joker (whom I also love). This however fell a bit flat for me, though there were a few moments where I enjoyed the interaction but it was few and far in-between.

This is supposed to be an edgy and ‘realistic’ version much like the movies, but I think they tried to incorporate too much for it to truly be pulled off properly. I didn’t like Killer Croc and Harley was quiet the whole time…seriously not a single word from her. Riddler makes a brief appearance which made me laugh a bit but was kind of forgetton directly after. The few jokes that Joker actually said fell flat and even there was a lack of the ‘brutal’ jokes that Heath’s Joker presented…so it didn’t really feel Joker-ish at all too me. It’s told from the henchman’s point of view which was rather interesting, but the character as a whole was pretty one note. I did like having someone else describe the Joker and his antics though.

Overall I found this one to be a bit boring and I firmly believe that the Joker should never be considered boring. It’s a bit shrug worthy to me but it does have it’s moments…but it didn’t feel like the ‘mandatory’ reading everyone promised.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 13 January, 2013: Finished reading
  • 13 January, 2013: Reviewed