Lee Bermejo and Brian Azzarello's Joker Graphic Novel

[Doctor Jones]

Exactly, you get it. It is like watching Crank. So over the top its amazing. He spends a couple issues trying to impress Robin with his batmobile. He talks with a bad Clint Eastwood impression and hates everyone with superpowers. I don't get how someone could hate something so funny.

Thanks. It's a satire. It's a shame poeple don't get it. It really is funny. But I guess alot of people don't go for it. I still can't believed that they actually published this stuff. If you think of a major comic head like DC, you wouldn't think they would put their time into this when the Bat population mostly likes Batman serious.

I love the quote, "Not another word! I've had enough grief about calling my goddamn car the goddamn Batmobile. I'm the Goddamn Batman and I can call my goddamn car what ever the hell I want it to call it!"

t:

I don't know if I should buy it. Maybe I can get it from the library. But this is freaking hilarious.

Hell, I even snapped pics with my cell phone in the boostore in the GL yelloe aprtemtn scene. I got Batman drinking lemonade in front of GL, and him and GL going face to face on the cover of the issue. And GL saying, "Stop trying to confuse me goddammit!"

 

[ronny]

Yea I don't know how Ronny came to them conclusions. I mean how is that skinning scene not pure Joker? He was in a strip club, and he stripped the man of his flesh and slapped a one dollar bill on his ass. If that isn't Joker-esque then I don't know what is.

Okay, as it's a comic then we don't have to worry about the issues of realism that pop up in the movies.
Now, would it be so far fetched for Joker to use his Joker Venom in the story? It's an established part of the character.
I just think that skinning that man alive was neither shocking or even necessary. Honestly, I found the whole thing a little boring. I think that they could have used that moment to perhaps put a new spin on Joker's classic gag weapons. I'm certainly not a fan of the "BANG!" gun but stuff like the lethal joy buzzer could have been approached.
He skins people, he cuts up an old couple. And none of it really meant anything to me.
I found it lacking any atmosphere, any shock value or any lasting impact.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Fair enough. I love all the gag weapons aswell, but he wasn't meant to be portrayed like that in this story. This is a one shot that isn't in canon, I think of it sorta like the Elseworlds series, just different ideas. If it isn't your taste fine, no worries, but all I'm saying is that I like this interpretation.

I don't like it just because it's ultra violent or whatever, some people might be like that but I'm not. I thought it was interesting how they used Batman aswell, the scene where Joker plays Russian roulette while talking to Batman as though he is watching he right then. He then claims to be doing Batmans "dirty work" and that being why he hasn't stopped him yet. And the finale between Batman and Joker was sweeeeeeeeet.

 

[kidbateman]

And who said Batsy doesn't have a sense of humour?!?

that scene alone stole the show for me. If anything i will remember it alone for the Batman and that one line. And maybe the art work.

 

[Rasputin911]

Joker in this reminded me a lot of Jack Nicholson's character from The Departed - albeit on PCP or something.

 

[CaptainClown]

Okay, as it's a comic then we don't have to worry about the issues of realism that pop up in the movies.
Now, would it be so far fetched for Joker to use his Joker Venom in the story? It's an established part of the character.
I just think that skinning that man alive was neither shocking or even necessary. Honestly, I found the whole thing a little boring. I think that they could have used that moment to perhaps put a new spin on Joker's classic gag weapons. I'm certainly not a fan of the "BANG!" gun but stuff like the lethal joy buzzer could have been approached.
He skins people, he cuts up an old couple. And none of it really meant anything to me.
I found it lacking any atmosphere, any shock value or any lasting impact.

I think it was Azzarello that said to the effect that this story has no super villains in it, just criminals. The world just by the extensive detail in the art could lend one to believe that this is the real world. Joker venom while being iconic is not the defining feature of the character. If you even broke it down, everything Joker does ISN'T necessary. He just does things, so to say that skinning wasn't necessary is kind of hypocritical in the sense that Joker killing with gags isn't necessary.

Fair enough that you didn't find it shocking, howeverit seemed pretty obvious that you weren't going to get any joy buzzers in this.

 

[CaptainClown]

Also, if you want an onscreen portrayal of this joker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ3fITcpEdU
Blue Velvet is strikingly similar to it. I posted the trailer because it is um...censored. You do your own homework to know what I mean.

 

[ronny]

But it just reduced The Joker to this drug addict. I mean, the guy even had a load of cocaine. It just seemed that the core of the character was forgotten in an effort to be somehow original.

 

[CaptainClown]

The core of the character was largely embraced. He did all these things to try and get Batman's attention. That is all he cared about, he didn't care about money or even the turf. He just wanted to fight batman. He had a morbid sense of humor and was a couple of steps a head of everyone. Well except Batman. What do you feel his core was?

 

[deathfromabove]

Okay, as it's a comic then we don't have to worry about the issues of realism that pop up in the movies.
Now, would it be so far fetched for Joker to use his Joker Venom in the story? It's an established part of the character.
I just think that skinning that man alive was neither shocking or even necessary. Honestly, I found the whole thing a little boring. I think that they could have used that moment to perhaps put a new spin on Joker's classic gag weapons. I'm certainly not a fan of the "BANG!" gun but stuff like the lethal joy buzzer could have been approached.
He skins people, he cuts up an old couple. And none of it really meant anything to me.
I found it lacking any atmosphere, any shock value or any lasting impact.

i didnt find it very shocking either but i did find the joker to be portrayed a horrible person. selfish, a bully, a sadist, and a very sick man. i think the point of the book is that the joker isnt fun to be around and that he corrupts everything and everyone he touches. alot of times characters like the joker tend to be glorified in certain interpretations and i think the creators were trying to show just how horrendous his actions really are.

and since when do joy buzzers equal joker? how bout a joker mobile or joker's utility belt? most of those gimmicks were silver age creations and i dont really get why so many complain about their absence. the joker venom is more iconic but i think the over reliance on this lethality in the books is troublesome in its own way. and i dont think it would have fit the tone of this book.

we heard alot of the same complaints before the dark knight was released and i guess i just dont think those gags make or break a joker characterization. i dont think the joker needs any of those gimmicks to be the joker.

and i can understand not liking the book but one thing it had IMO was atmosphere.

Also, if you want an onscreen portrayal of this joker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ3fITcpEdU
Blue Velvet is strikingly similar to it. I posted the trailer because it is um...censored. You do your own homework to know what I mean.

i defiantley got a frank vibe from this joker. in fact i have always gotten a joker vibe from frank booth.

But it just reduced The Joker to this drug addict. I mean, the guy even had a load of cocaine. It just seemed that the core of the character was forgotten in an effort to be somehow original.

see i think the core of the character is completely intact. its the periphery (gags, string tie, archaic tuxedo, laughing gas, cackling ha ha's everyhere etc...) that are absent. and like i have said before the book is from the pov of jonny jonny so the joker is bound to be seen as less sophisticated by a common crook.

 

[CaptainClown]

deathfromabove. The whole story reminds me of a cross between gangs of new york and Blue Velvet. His unpredictability and sheer madness is pure Frank Booth.

 

[Quinzel]

It was amazing.
The artwork was incredible

and.......I loved it.

Then again i am obsessed. haha!

 

[deathfromabove]

deathfromabove. The whole story reminds me of a cross between gangs of new york and Blue Velvet. His unpredictability and sheer madness is pure Frank Booth.

i can see that. i mean the joker in this has a sense of real threat and danger that seldom comes across anymore. now i will concede it might be because after a coupl hundred joker stories the same tricks and ploys lose their effect.

but he really felt like a loose cannon.

and i love the bully/abusive aspect. i mean to say i hate it but it works.

 

[Rasputin911]

I wonder if the drugs were what made him so insane in the first place?

I'm sure he was always a bad seed, but i'd bet the drugs were what pushed him over the edge. Like he was a "conventional" crime boss who transformed into the Joker

 

[CaptainClown]

Seemed like the pills just kept him up. I like to think of them as hardcore speed

 

[Rasputin911]

. One minute happy, the next furious and then the next hysterically sad. Or maybe he was crying and Harley didn't look impressed because he couldn't get it up from all them pills he takes.
I thought it was brilliant, one of the best GNs i've read in years.

I didn't even think about that possibility...but it makes a sick sort of sense

 

[Rasputin911]

Seemed like the pills just kept him up. I like to think of them as hardcore speed

yea, but taking as many as he did as often as he did in the book would probably make anyone lose their mind

 

[1w/theFlashLite]

ok i have been lurking around this forum reading the review until i could get the book, i must say i really enjoyed it. it was definatley a good book, 9/10 at least! the art was fantastic, though at first it was a little disorenting to have that switch between the painted and traditional styles, eventually it seemed natural, in fact i think it gave the desired effect of slowing it down and making the reader examine it more.
the jokes in this were pretty funny, though it took me a while to get some of them. the only problem i had with the book is that while the ending was good, i really wanted to see a little more of batman, like i mean he definaley should not have come in until he did, i just would have liked to see more panels with him in it.
great book, very nice quality, good story telling, and VERY affective atmosphere. this is one of the best graphic novels that have come out in recent memory.

 

[JokerLedger]

Blown away the first time reading it.
Thought it was 'alright' the second time around.
After reading it a third time it's not as good as I thought it could be.

Enjoyable but I do admit bought into the hype. The art is still freakin killer fantastic though. I can read it over and over again just for the eye candy no matter how mediocre the story is.

 

[Rasputin911]

There seem to be some different but equally fascinating depictions of the Joker:

-The manic prankster/murderer: B:TAS and Jack Nicholson are good examples. Not trying to prove a point or gain power, they're just killin and destroyin' for a laugh.

-The "agent of chaos": TDK version, and The Killing Joke as well as many others. Out to prove a point. Or as Ledger says, "its about sending a message": whether that be through driving Gordon insane or setting up two ferries for a morbid social experiment

-The depraved crime lord: The Joker that Johny Frost experiences. A sadistic, ruthless bastard with a macabre sense of humor/irony. Still insane, but after more conventional rewards (power, attention)

 

[Dark Globe]

for those of you who liked this, check out Ichi The Killer(The Movie or The Manga). I warn you though, they're both gruesome.

This joker is extremely like the character Kakihara.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Yea Ichi the Killer is a F'd up film. Yea he does sorta remind me of Kakihara. The way he loves violence and death.

 

[Comic Book Boy]

I just don't buy that THEY JUST RELEASED HIM FROM ARKHAM! What's up with that? Lazy lack of an explanation too.

 

[Drz]

I just don't buy that THEY JUST RELEASED HIM FROM ARKHAM! What's up with that? Lazy lack of an explanation too.

Or maybe its to set up a mystery? ;/ The whole Graphical Novel is about Joker's top the criminal foodchain, not your ordinary Batman story. ;/

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Yea it's supposed to be a mystery. I liked it when Croc asked him how he managed to get out. Joker simply replies "Errr........No". A lot of stuff in the book was meant to remain mysterious, like what's in the briefcase Riddler gives him and what he whispers to Two-Face that makes him **** himself.