The Joker

First off, according to what I've read - This was written BEFORE Dark Knight. This isn't some kind of tie-in, although the use of the scars as a smile make it seem so.

This book is proof that Azzarello has a truly amazing, unique take on Batman's world, continuing his treatment after his brilliant Broken City arc (a must read for Batman fans) This one was written outside of normal continuity though, which for non-geeks means that it's not the "normal" Batman world, its a unique adaptation that follows it's own rules.

In the world that Azzarello has created, we see a grittier street version of the classic Gotham. This is a world that leaves behind the goofiness, and somehow maintains the eccentricities of the original characters. The result is seeing these men as the criminals they really are, leaving behind the rosy shaded glasses of the normal comic book tom-foolery. In this book we see murder, rape, theft, extortion and cannibalism without the bravado, the coolness, the hype. When reading this, I felt that I was seeing these criminals for the first time again. It was a scary and invigorating tale, that constantly found the reader gaping at what they just read.

As for the art - wow. Lee Bermejo found an amazing palette in this piece. The illustrations of the Joker are up there with the striking portraits by McKean & Bolland. They gave new life and new horror to the classic character. The scene where the Joker does his 'rabbit' joke even had ME in stitches, let alone the other characters in the scene. The Russian roulette sequence was perfectly horrifying, the expressions unforgettable. His designs for the remaining cast were consistent in giving the story the realism that Azzarello demanded in his story telling. And Mick Gray, as always, continues to be one of the most talented interesting hands behind a quill. As soon as you see his inks, you know who you're reading, and understand that it will look incredible, all the way through.

The book isn't for the light hearted and it isn't for fan boys that want something that they know and feel safe with. A drug swilling, senior citizen-mutilating, suicidal, maniac Joker that feels only hatred for everything that surrounds him, ends up being too much of a stretch for those that grew up loving the man with the POP gun. So beware, but also be ready -for a dark, horrifying ride like you've never seen in the Gotham underworld.

And it's a BIG BUT. Yes, I do appreciate both author Azzarello and illustrator Bermejo, an artist who deserves more exposure, (his "Supergirl/Gen 13" three-parter was tops!) All that one must say about Brian Azzarello is "100 Bullets". Period. Along with Eduardo Risso, he's created one of the finest, most taut and compelling comics in "100 Bullets", one of the most atmospheric works in recent memory and then some! So why "The Joker" is such a steaming heap is a major mystery and source of disappointment. It just sort of lies there and smells! Beautifully rendered artwork which is at odds with a humdrum story, it started off promisingly enough, dark, intriguing even unsettling but then? Pffffffffffhhhhhhhhhhht! Nothing happens! Do yourself a favor and invest your hard-earned schekels in the collected volumes of "100 Bullets", you'll be far more satisfied and your brain will thank you... alot!

Brian A really did his thing. I love it so much. This Joker brigs anarchy, chaos, and realism but most of all he brought #MadLove. I love he brings their love. He should really do one on Harley Quinns orgins and her true orgin. Cause #MadLove did it but it was too for fanboys and didnt show Harleys intelligence. But i need brian to do one more. The way he focused on Joker himself and not the Bat was brilliant and refreshing. It shows Joker CAN be written away from batman no matter how brief.

I have read quite a number of "Batman" tales--among my favorites were "The Killing Joke", "The Cult", "The Dark Knight Returns", the "Venom" and "Last Arkham" sagas, and of course, "Arkham Asylum". Brian Azzarello (the award-winning author of "100 Bullets") and Lee Bermejo, two of the best talents in the comic industry have collaborated for the third time to bring comic fans "Joker". This graphic novel is tough, gritty, violent and unrelenting in its portrayal of the Batman's arch-nemesis. This is not the Joker who uses an acid-squirting flower or a an electric handshake; this Joker is mean and very nasty--the thing is crazy people don't know they're crazy.

Joker has been declared sane and is being released from Arkham Asylum, and though he does have a smile on his face, he isn't happy. While he was away locked up in Arkham, his fellow rogues have sliced and diced his chunk of Gotham's criminal empire and sold it off for scrap---thinking that Joker was locked away for good. But now, the madman is back on the streets and eager to make chaos and disorder the likes Gotham hasn't seen before. During this long night of the soul, The Joker will cross paths with the Penguin, Two-face, Killer Croc, The Riddler, Harley Quinn and of course, The Dark Knight...and heaven help them all.

"Joker" is a very compelling piece to add to his own myth. Brian Azzarello's script exudes total darkness and looks at the soul of this insane villain. The story is told through the eyes of his loyal and naïve henchman Jonny Frost and this is no simple comic book and feels more like a "noirish" crime novel than a superhero book. The script is very realistic, the dialogue is sharp-tongued and the proceedings are at times "gory", and artist Lee Bermejo is the right man for the job. The graphics and feel of the book exudes total darkness, mean and gritty, as Joker makes his rounds along Gotham's underworld. This Joker is very nasty and Azzarello doesn't hold back with his writing. I also liked the parts of the story when Joker delivers his own brand of philosophy and the way he communicates his intentions are strokes of pure genius, well, in a way, that crazy people would do.

The backgrounds of the story may be unrevealed, and the reasons behind his release will remain undefined. But I liked the part when Joker taunts someone when he looks up to the sky--I thought maybe he was challenging the Batman. The reasons as to how he was released will remain in the reader's understanding and conclusions. I have my own take, but to avoid spoilers, I will decline to state my opinion. The story also demonstrates the fact that Joker is well-respected in the criminal world, the Penguin is under is thrall and he uses Killer Croc as his main muscle. I loved the way he blurts out one question: "Do you know what's the one thing I hate the most?....apologies..." and adds a lot of depth to his psyche. You might say this is sort of a character study of the Joker but his relationship with the Batman is almost none-existent as the "Bat" never does appear until the story's last segments.

There is not a lot of action illustrated in this book, but there is a lot of brutal violence, gore and the language is very adult-oriented.(exactly the way I prefer) Joker is a man with a gun and a razor; so you can guess just what he does most of the time. Harley Quinn is an enigma here, she never says a word but there is a very moving illustration that displays their relationship as she cradles Joker to her bosom, he looks like a man clinging to his mother. Harley is "twistedly" sexy in "Joker" and there are scenes of strippers and such, with Harley in the spotlight. Two-face is used as Joker's main nemesis in the underworld, they plot, they scheme and Gotham City is in their grasp. What I found really interesting is the fact that Joker may have his own twisted way of honor but at the same time, he is like snake who would bite you when you have your back turned. This Joker wants chaos and to see Gotham burn...in a way to maybe get Batman's attention, in a very twisted way.

The Joker's character has always been compelling and interesting. Some may say that he is a more compelling character than Batman himself--but it all depends on who you ask. I think they are two sides of the same coin, both were born from a tragedy but the two are on opposing sides as they deal with their personal darkness differently. Dark, Gritty and Full of style, "Joker" is a harrowing tale of one madman's journey into the hell of his own making, bad choices and Gotham`s blood-soaked underworld ....there is no cure for the Joker, except maybe another madman who dresses up as a Bat.

Highly Recommended! [4 ½ Stars]

The wrap-around cover is very nice as illustrated by Eisner award winner Lee Bermejo. The last page contains a brief background of the creators.

I am absolutely in love with this graphic novel. After "The Dark Knight" I was craving more of this incarnation of the Joker. The poetry throughout the novel was amazing, and I ended up reading this twice in two days. Not only did Azzarello create an amazing Joker, but he rebirthed the other villains in a gritty, edgy, and fascinating way. All I have to say is that his Riddler dumbstruck me. It would be awesome if he could do a story about that character on his own.

Anyway, for those of you out there, some may not like this material because it strays away from the traditional Joker. I believe that this version is extremely entertaining, and I think it was one of the best ideas DC has come up with. If Azzarello and Bermejo were hoping to entice me to buy more of their novels, they certainly achieved that. This graphic novel is dementedly beautiful.

It is known that most storys go from Batman finding a lead that make him realize The Joker is planning something, so we see all Batman movements until the end where he does find his clown foe and we see (in most cases) a great showdown. Well, prepare for different!. This is a story focus on the Joker since before his evil plan is cooked and watched from a Mr. Nobody's point of view. I found the story very interesting for several reasons. One of them being the fact that all the characters (villains) are presented here just as they would be if they belong to a version of a Christopher Nolan movie. Joker is very look like to Heath Ledger incarnation and The Riddler and Killer Croc are VERY realistics too. The story is very good (not fantastic though) and the first one I read from a villain perspective.

Gritty and twisted portrayal of the Joker like none you've ever seen or read. Dark look into the mind of a psychopath. Great art aside from the blood effect stands out too much. The rest is so detailed and gritty. Every character pops. This stand alone comic is clever and terrifying throughout. A portrait of insanity in itself.

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a graphic novel this much. I won't post any spoilers in this review, so read on. The characterization of The Joker is very similar to the one portrayed by Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. It's a very dark and violent tale that shows what goes on inside the head of The Joker. This is not a Batman story; it's all about The Joker and his interactions with many of the popular villains in the Batman universe. Batman does appear in this story, but it's a very brief appearance.

What I enjoyed most about this story is that it placed many of Batman's core villains in a more realistic setting, which is very similar to what Christopher Nolan has done in his two Batman movies. The writing was superb, the art was exquisite, and in my opinion, will earn a spot alongside The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns in the annals of Batman stories.

Joker is one messed up MOFO. Holy crap. Thats about all I can say after reading this graphic novel. This book really isn't a story about Joker, the narrator of the story, Johnny Johnny, goes and picks up Joker from the asylum and from that point forward its the story of how Johnny gets deeper and deeper in with the Joker.

Johnny wanted to be a bigger "small time crook" and his wish is granted but not in the way you would hope. The first night out with the Joker, Johnny witnesses the the first step in his revenge of those who took over his territory while he was away. He witnesses Joker skin a man alive and put him on stage at a strip joint. That is just the start and both Johnny and Jokers further downward spiral into madness.

I loved the fact that Batman was only in this book for less than 5 pages. It made it feel more real and less super hero vs. super villain.

The art in this book is phenominal and how they took Joker from Bat crap crazy and put him as a bat crap insane homicidal maniac was awesome and they showed it made it real. You realize that Joker isn't just crazy, he is crazy and a genius. The detail he put into his plans were something only a madman could create.

This book made me want to read 100 bullets (same others), I would really recommend this book to all Batman vs. Joker books or even just plain mobster revenge books.

4.5 Stars! A fantastic look inside the psychotic nature of the Joke through the eyes of one of his henchmen. The writing is absolutely great & as someone who is very picky when it comes to artwork in comics/graphic novels, I really loved the dark & creepy take on the art here that blended with the realism extremely well. A must read for all Joker fans & highly recommended to all teen/mature readers!

I don't normally review things, but I just read this graphic novel and connected with it so profoundly that I had to review it (don't worry, no spoilers).

First, the art: I'm not an artist and can only review the art as an unschooled amateur. That being said, I think the art is fantastic. The panels vary in level of detail, from good to incredible. The most important panels have tremendous detail lavished on them, which has the effect of focusing the reader's attention on important scenes (mimicking the way human memory attaches more detail to certain events and powerful images). The coloring and inking are rich, adding layers of depth and emotion to the panels. Most panels are top-lit, casting deep shadows down on people's faces. The top-lighting both allows more details (and emotions) to be seen and creates a sense that the viewer really is down low with the scum of society. Perhaps most importantly, the character designs are gripping. Killer Croc's animal qualities, though clearly setting him apart, are well synthesized with human features to allow him the full range of human expression (important for the gritty humanistic story). Harley Quinn is gorgeous and entrancing. And most importantly, the Joker is great. They went with the movie design of scars at the edges of his mouth, and I didn't realize until now why that is so effective. It makes his mouth look like a wound across his face; his tight-lipped scowls look like old scars remembering past violence, and his open-mouthed laughs look like fresh wounds ready to eject blood at any moment. The wrinkles around his eyes look like dancing flames when he's angry or ecstatic. The most expressive parts of his face (mouth and eyes) transfigure him from a human into a monster.

Next, the narrative: The story is told from the perspective of a low-level grunt who acts as Joker's driver. This allows the reader to identify with the narrator (he's very human), but gives complete access to the Joker. It also creates a bigger impact as the narrator gets sucked into the Joker's world, allowing the reader to get thrilled and terrified by the highs and lows of working with a force of nature so dangerous and powerful as he. The writing is powerful; simple to understand but often deep in meaning (with numerous great one-liners or conversations). There are two kinds of characters in this book, the human and the mythical. The human characters (the narrator, his ex-wife, numerous gangsters) are very believable and well portrayed even if they only appear briefly. The mythical characters (Joker, Killer Croc, etc) have human attributes, but embody something more. This is all very well and consistently demonstrated in the dialogue.

Last, the story elements (or "meaning"): This graphic novel truly grasps the nature of the Joker. Graphic novels in general are great because they are the mythology of modern times. Like the ancient pagan gods and legends, the mythical characters in comic books embody aspects of the human condition without actually being fully human, so their interactions allow a human story to be told in a way that can't otherwise be done in today's monotheistic/atheistic culture. The battle between Joker and Batman is the battle between chaos and order, the battle between the self-destructive aspects of the human psyche that always threaten hell-on-earth with the willpower and self-discipline that make civilization possible. This battle is perfectly presented here, though unusually from the side of The Joker. He appropriately employs Killer Croc, an always hungry beast-man who embodies the power of the animal but is limited by his intelligence (thus eager to serve Joker to get in on bigger action, as is the narrator). It's interesting to watch the narrator get drawn in by the seductive power they represent and try to act like them, and the consequences that follow. Even the brief explanation of Batman's costume is pregnant with meaning, especially when juxtaposed with Joker's.

As should be clear, I thought this was a great graphic novel, and highly recommend it. The only caveat is that it is very adult, with depictions of graphic violence and despicable acts. Don't get it if that kind of thing bothers you.

The story that Brian Azarello has written here is worthy of the joker. He's just been released from Arhkahm and it details what he does once he's out. The characterization of Joker and Two-Face are great for their characters. However, there's a character called Croc (who I'm assuming is Killer Croc since he kind of looks like him) that is simply nothing more than a goon, this is not the Croc I'm familiar with. Also, there is a character that looks a lot like Penguin (white tux and monocle) but the joker calls him Abner. I was a little confused by this as I know the Penguin's name is Oswald but he looks so much like the Penguin.

As for the art, I love Lee Bermejo's style. This book left me feeling a little on the fence about the consistency. There are some pages that are done in a typical pencil/ink style that work incredibly well for the story. Occasionally they will throw in, for a single panel, a painted style of artwork that really helps to bring out the detail of certain figures (i.e. Two-Face, Croc, Joker, Harley, etc). However, there are some pages where every panel is done in this painted style. I like the concept of one particular panel being "painted" but by mixing in entire pages with the drawn-ink combo creates a great deal of inconsistency. Pick this up in a bookstore or library to see what I'm talking about.

I always look for re-readability in my comics and I'm not sure I would ever want to read this again. The story was good, but not great. Do yourself a favor and read it first, if you can, before you buy it.

Few writers have ever really "gotten" the Joker like Alan Moore did with the prolific Batman tale, The Killing Joke. Grant Morrison seems to get the character to a point, but more than anything, the Joker is just a little too difficult a villain for many writers to really grasp. Not so for 100 Bullets creator Brian Azzarello, whose original graphic novel The Joker finds the Batman arch-nemesis freed from Arkham Asylum and seeking to reclaim what's his. Whether this means joining up with Killer Croc, intimidating The Penguin, or royally angering Two-Face; Joker makes his mark, and Azzarello puts a distinct spin on the character from the perspective of a low-rent hood named Jonny, who himself seeks to claim a little piece of the action by working for Joker. With spectacular pencil work and paint work from Azzarello's Lex Luthor: Man of Steel partner Lee Bermejo; The Joker is the defining Joker tale for a new generation of readers, just as The Killing Joke was all those years ago. All in all, if you're a Batman fan in the very least, The Joker deserves a place in your library.

I love the joker as a character. He is a perfectly psychotic criminal. This is not the joker. This is a joker who is a junkie, an alcoholic and a druggie. I was open to this joker for a while throughout the story, but then they show him raping a woman. That upset me very much, because that is something the joker simply would not do. The joker does not have motivation for something like sex. This isn't even the Heath Ledger Joker. Also, the joker is not the type of man who ever cries. This writer has just made Joker a run of the mill criminal and its a shame, because it had such potential. The art is amazing and I loved that, but the story just angered me. Also, the way they portray Harley Quinn as simply an object is simply appalling. I won't be re reading this ever again and I would not recommend it to Joker fans.

The Joker was a decent novel. The art style was very inconsistent ranging from amazing (like the cover art) to downright ugly. The more vital scenes of the book were treated with the better art work. The story is really where it falls on its face. It builds and builds to an amazing climax and then...that's it. It's over. After a mere 30 minutes, I had read the book and have no drive to read it again any time soon. There were some really great scenes in this book, but they were so short that they were over before they even began, and the Joker is still the same old villain, no new revelations about him are discovered in this book....even though it is a book solely about his character. I would suggest borrowing this from a friend, buying it for under $10 on ebay, or buying "Watchmen" (It's three dollars cheaper, has better art work, and is a literary masterpiece). Joker is overpriced, ugly (for the most part), and overall disappointing. The author had so much material to work with here and did nothing with it. It was merely a way to make a cheap buck without investing any emotional interest into it, and you can tell.

"The Joker" by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo
(DC Comics, 2008)
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If you're looking for a Joker story that's grittier, gorier and more gruesomely upsetting, this "true-crime" version of the eternal Joker-Batman rivalry may get your blood running. I have to confess, I found it a little too "Vertigo"-y for me, like DC's fabled trip-out-the-reader imprint, which I sort of outgrew a while back. Not really into Bermejo's purposefully grotesque artwork, either, but overall I suppose this book was okay. Obviously, the intent was to capitalize on the Heath Ledger/Dark Knight movie interpretation of the character as a crazy guy wearing smeary make-up (as opposed to the original Joker, whose face and flesh were disfigured in a chemical accident...) and for fans of that version, this book will have a big payoff. Gnarly, mean, disturbing version of Bats, as well. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews)

One thing that has always been a source of pride for comic book and graphic novel readers has been watching a film or animated series and knowing the origin from a certain story arc or novel. In this case the tables have been turned. 'The Joker', released in 2008 the same year as The Dark Knight, is a novel that uses the Joker incarnation from the film. This is something as a comic reader that disturbs me.

These characters are just that, they are characters created many, many decades ago and by artists (filmmakers included) may be interpreted any which way they seem fit. However I would NEVER use a character from a film in a comic book, that is backwards to me, seeing as how the film in one way was trying to imitate a comic book character. Having said all that, the story is fine the dialog is pretty good, very grim and the art is odd and eccentric (which is perfect for the book).

This book portrays the Joker as if he was living in our own world. Many reviews hated the book because it was too different from the original Joker. I understand that. At the same time they are missing the wonderful character portrayal that the Joker is in this book.

I'm not going to give any spoilers. This book did a terrific job in creating a dark Gotham which can be a parallel to our own world. They almost went to far with the strip club stuff(almost nudity, ect). But Brian Azzarello did a great job in creating a dark atmosphere. In one panel we see a man shot in a toilet stall with blood on the wall and a needle on the ground. It reminds us of the world beyond the comfort of our own walls(some those reading this might even live in that kind of world). The book was very dark and rightly so.

The characters are the main thing people dislike with this book. I didn't mind a different look at the characters. Like I said, this is a look into the world of the Joker in a way that it would be if it were real(not in fantasy land). I didn't find the Joker to be all that funny but at the same time he definitely had a "humorous" side. Another thing people complain about is that the book is more about Johnny Frost than the Joker. That's true...but not really. It's ALL about the Joker but it's done through the eyes of Johnny. It's not really that big of a deal because Joker is the main subject anyway just with some narration done by Johnny.

Again, this isn't your typical batman beat em up book...it's more of a look into the Jokers life as if he was a real human being(an insane one that is) in a real world..not in the DC universe.
Once people can except that this isn't as much fantasy as it is a real life depiction of the Joker, they can enjoy it alot more and realize what a gem it is to have in any batman collection.

I for one am Glad Azzarello presented the Joker the way he did so as to have a different(more realistic) look at the characters instead of the same old fantasy we've gotten used to. I wouldn't want every book to be like this but that's why this book is such a gem...there aren't other batman book like it.

Brian Azzarello writing the Joker is a perfect combination. He has such a good handle on depraved characters that I would be scared to share an elevator with him. His story here, which seems to have a more Dark Knight movie version of the Joker and other villains while not told through the Joker's eyes dwells on his insanity. Its creepy, jarring, well-paced, and expertly drawn by Lee Bermejo. His art is even more of a match than Azzarello's plot. While the outcome isn't surprising and the different versions of some characters are great, this book is really good.

I knew this story would be gruesome and that it was more of a "realistic" Joker, such as Christopher Nolan's Joker in The Dark Knight. But this Joker is simply a madman and nothing else. No humor (and Heath Ledger certainly brought humor to his Joker), just a sick psychopath.

Without spoiling anything, the ending especially ruined the whole book for me, when Batman finally shows up.

I have a decent collection of Batman graphic novels/TPBs and this is the only one I've turned around and sold.

This book portrays the Joker as if he was living in our own world. Many reviews hated the book because it was too different from the original Joker. I understand that. At the same time they are missing the wonderful character portrayal that the Joker is in this book.

I'm not going to give any spoilers. This book did a terrific job in creating a dark Gotham which can be a parallel to our own world. They almost went to far with the strip club stuff(almost nudity, ect). But Brian Azzarello did a great job in creating a dark atmosphere. In one panel we see a man shot in a toilet stall with blood on the wall and a needle on the ground. It reminds us of the world beyond the comfort of our own walls(some those reading this might even live in that kind of world). The book was very dark and rightly so.

The characters are the main thing people dislike with this book. I didn't mind a different look at the characters. Like I said, this is a look into the world of the Joker in a way that it would be if it were real(not in fantasy land). I didn't find the Joker to be all that funny but at the same time he definitely had a "humorous" side. Another thing people complain about is that the book is more about Johnny Frost than the Joker. That's true...but not really. It's ALL about the Joker but it's done through the eyes of Johnny. It's not really that big of a deal because Joker is the main subject anyway just with some narration done by Johnny.

Again, this isn't your typical batman beat em up book...it's more of a look into the Jokers life as if he was a real human being(an insane one that is) in a real world..not in the DC universe.
Once people can except that this isn't as much fantasy as it is a real life depiction of the Joker, they can enjoy it alot more and realize what a gem it is to have in any batman collection.

I for one am Glad Azzarello presented the Joker the way he did so as to have a different(more realistic) look at the characters instead of the same old fantasy we've gotten used to. I wouldn't want every book to be like this but that's why this book is such a gem...there aren't other batman book like it.

Brian Azzarello writing the Joker is a perfect combination. He has such a good handle on depraved characters that I would be scared to share an elevator with him. His story here, which seems to have a more Dark Knight movie version of the Joker and other villains while not told through the Joker's eyes dwells on his insanity. Its creepy, jarring, well-paced, and expertly drawn by Lee Bermejo. His art is even more of a match than Azzarello's plot. While the outcome isn't surprising and the different versions of some characters are great, this book is really good.

I knew this story would be gruesome and that it was more of a "realistic" Joker, such as Christopher Nolan's Joker in The Dark Knight. But this Joker is simply a madman and nothing else. No humor (and Heath Ledger certainly brought humor to his Joker), just a sick psychopath.

Without spoiling anything, the ending especially ruined the whole book for me, when Batman finally shows up.

I have a decent collection of Batman graphic novels/TPBs and this is the only one I've turned around and sold.

An enjoyable read, as the narrator attempts to understand the mechanics of the Joker's mind. Not a bad story, overall, but nothing that left me feeling satisfied either. The art is mixed. It's generally line art, but at times the art takes on a more painted quality which I found distracting. The painted art gave the book more dimension, more realism, and it would have been nice to have seen the entire project done this way. The mix of line art and fully rendered art seemed to have neither rhyme nor reason. By the end of the tale, I was ready for it to be done. I'd had enough. The climax of this story could have gone in any number of ways, and the writer chose an acceptable resolution, though again, it was not revolutionary or mind blowing by any means. There are enough twists and turns (and a few very clever surprises) to keep the reader's attention, and the dialogue is indeed well written. Better than average, but not worthy of a 4- or 5-star review.

I liked it enough, but i think of it more like a poem or vignette than a story. It does have a beginning, middle and end. The joker is released from Arkham (don't ask why). and he wants Gotham by the balls again. But it pretty much ends up right where it started, and the last few pages sum up the whole point of it really. I did enjoy reading it for the whole half hour that it takes to do so. The art is awesome, very awesome. I think if your a big joker fan, it's going to bug you until you get it anyway. So just add it to your ridiculous collection of comics, and get it over with.. eheh... No really it's worth buying

As a big fan of Batman and the Joker, I was excited to get this graphic novel. In the end, I have to admit I found it mildly disappointed. In short, while I loved the art work and some of the writing, I had trouble really finding much of interest in terms of the ideas the story seemed to want to engage. While the Joker is presented in his standard mad-cap formulation, I learned nothing new about the character. More importantly for me, I learned nothing about what the Joker could be meant to represent, either by this author or as an entity in its own right. In the end, while enjoyable, this isn't something I would ever read again, or frankly think about. Other Joker focused graphic novels, in particular "The Killing Joke," do much more in terms of not only exploring the Joker as a person/creature, but also the Joker as an idea.

Almost nothing can compare to Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke". This book comes close in a solid second with this grusome tale of the Ace of Knaves as told through his new henchman Jonny Frost.
The story is very well written. As other's have stated, not many writers do the Joker justice (how ironic) when depicting him in literature. As proof of certain works (*cough* Tim Burton's "Batman" *cough*) it is very easy to write the Joker off and type cast him as a comedic-psychopathic jester. This story delves deeper into the psyche of the Harlequin of Hate, from the outside perspective of the narrator Jonny Frost who seems to be suffering mentally as well. Personally, I like to view this as an unofficial sequal to the Summer blockbuster "The Dark Knight". It picks up with the Joker being released from Arkham for unknown reasons being picked up by the recently hired driver Jonny Frost. Unhappy with how his criminal empire has been divided in his absense, the Joker sets about rebuilding his empire to what it was before his incarceration. Along the way the Joker has run ins and dealings with many of Gotham top criminals (Killer Croc, The Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin, etc.) In true Joker fashion there are many graphic and at times creative killings.

A couple draw backs in the story. One is the unexplanation of possible remorse coming from the Joker. Again, this is told from the point of view of a person who is allready on unsteady mental ground to begin with, and is only being further driven mad with accociation from the Joker. Another is the ambiguous ending with the only appearance from the Dark Knight himself.

The artwork is really top-notch and if one is a fan of the movie, one will really like the art direction in this book.

All in all, if you are a fan, buy the book. However, I seen some prices on here that are rediculous. This book cam out about a week ago. Do not buy it for anything less than $20. (I bought mine at a comic shop for that price.) It's no Killing Joke, but it comes close.

Just read all the way through this and was pretty disturbed by this new version of the Joker, mostly based on Heath Ledger's version (at least, he looks more like Ledger's, plus some more scars that're never explained). The only problem I had with this graphic novel was that it seemed to have two different art styles, one with blurred lines that seemed more like masterpiece-style panels, and sharp-lined artwork, at times, it really messed with my mind, and I doubt the Joker intended that. Or Azzarello for that matter.

I'd have to concider this an "otherworlds" book, seeing as it's yet another interpritation of the Joker taken from a weak foothold; the new Dark Night movie. There are things I like & dislike about it.

PROS: It's a good sequal to the movie & the art is good, bareling a refreshing realistic look. Harley is in it, for those wishing she'd been in the movie, & she has a realistic bustline. The Joker's eyes have a lot of life & effort put into them.

CON: The comic seems to imply that the Joker has an intimate relationship with Harley, which contradicts the comics in which he usually ignores or beats her. In both The Dark Knight Returns & The Dark Knight, the Joker's sexuality is a lust for killing & a bizzare sadomasochistic desire to preform the reoccuring method of messing with Batman until a bloody fistfight ensues, someday ending in either a double homicide or at least getting Batman to kill. Otherwise the Joker is precieved to be either Autosexual, Asexual, & sometimes even Pansexual, Bisexual, or gay.

There are alot of Batman and Villian books being released in this most recent Bat-Boost brought on by the release of the Dark Knight. This Book lives up to the hype. It's a similar take on the Dark Knights joker, in looks, violence, and insane loveability. Alot of your favorite Villians make an appearence, with great imaginings of the characters (killer Croc is really cool). This book is not for young readers, but you can tell that by the cover art. This book is not just for Fan Boys, anyone who enjoys batman or the recent movie will love this book.

This is great for someone (like me) who really enjoys seeing personalized artistic takes on older characters and premises. Bermejo and Azzarello's Joker is pure poker psychosis mixed with bloody breath and dirty fingernails tore-up with glass. Excellent madness. I know that the work on this has gone on for years now, long before The Dark Knight, but there is a Heath Ledger feel to the character. It isn't as heavy as you might expect, so people who want to read it purely for the similarities to the Ledger/Nolanverse Joker will probably be disappointed. Personally I like these interesting "logical conclusion" representations of The Joker in a world that's less supernatural and more real-life crime terror.

Aside from that, it's just straight up fun. I had to give it five stars. It's bloody and makes you kinda squeamish, but I feel like they could have gone a lot further with the violence and I appreciate that they reigned it in to what I consider to be just the right level of disgusting.

The unique take on the Riddler was the most surprising goody for me. I really liked it a lot after the initial shock of 'what... ?' Batman's part is subdued in this particular story, but he shows up when it's really important. Also, how cool did Croc come off? Pretty awesome.

I was worried when I read Bermejo's honestly quite chauvinistic comments about Harley's character, but you know what? He's pretty much right about her, and it works, so I find it hard to be an angry feminist about it. He totally gets away with this portrayal of her. She doesn't say a single word, she poses as a stripper for one scene and she's just generally a thug/slag, but it actually works. Didn't make me at all angry, and I was prepared to be angry. You can tell that Bermejo had a fun time drawing everyone and Azzarello's story is boss. Nothing significant happens to change the universe or Gotham, but it's like seeing the same old thing through fresh eyes. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I bought "Joker" on a whim when it first came out, just to see what Azzarello and Bermejo would do with it. I flipped through the first couple of pages and then I was struck by the image of the Joker walking out of Arkham Asylum. All I could think was, "Man. That is such a cool image." I was sold from that point on. Anyone who can capture a character so perfectly on the fourth page knows exactly what they are doing. "Joker" takes the reader for an insane, sadistic, and demented rollercoaster ride into the life of it's entitled character. So sit back, relax, and be disgusted as one of the most beloved characters of the DC Universe is served up raw and uncut. Just prepare for a little surprise when you find out just how crazy the Joker isn't.

For a book all about the Joker, the portrayal of the characters feels very poor. Many of his jokes and lines in general sound like things that Joker would never say, and would even detest. Also, Riddler looks like Elton John for no reason.

It's a joker book written by someone who doesn't get the character.

This is a great tale. Just embrace this re-imagining of Gotham City. Everyone is reduced to a more "real" level: Killer Croc is just a big man with some scales who eats people, Penguin is just a money-handler, Two-Face is a crime lord. But you get first-hand account (through the narrator, one of Joker's goons) of his mindset. It's different, it is interesting, but you gotta get rid of your previous incarnations of the characters. Also, Batman is only in this in person for a few pages, so if you really just want to see Batman kick some butt, look elsewhere.

Ever wonder what it would be like to be employed by the Joker? Job security would not be a selling point, nor would benefits like health and life insurance. In fact it might be a good idea to buy some beforehand. Just ask Jonny Frost, his new henchman. Brian Azzarello's Joker novel is told through the anxious perspective of his new accomplice and no experience on the streets of Gotham is going to prepare him for the madness to follow. This is a different Joker than normal; more serious than silly, more reflective than refractive. He has returned from another of his enforced sojourns in Arkham, released legally for a change, back with a vengeance to reclaim lost turf and heaven help those in his way. Joining the party are Killer Croc, the Penguin, slightly tweaked versions of Harley Quinn and the Riddler, and the one downside, an ineffective Harvey Dent. While this is the Joker's story it serves little purpose portraying other villains as weak to make him loom larger. As Batman can attest you're only as strong as your opponents. All of the rogues have different looks, thanks to the imaginative illustrations of Lee Bermejo, whose work ranges from remarkable to occasionally awkward. As for Batman he's only seen briefly at the end, an unsatisfying conclusion that did appear abrupt, but this is more about portent and personalities than plot and practicalities. Comparisons to the creators fantastic Lex Luthor mini are natural. That tale took Lex in a different direction and was a major part of its appeal. While this project didn't break any new ground it thankfully didn't retread the same tiresome gag fests and mindless mania that many of his stories do. Azzarello incorporated his trademark grit behind the grin, added danger to the drama, and in the process possibly produced this generation's unique Joker saga. Fans of these two men expected no less.

If you're like me then, even though you do love and adore the Bruce-man, whenever the Joker was involved you have always felt that you never got enough. Again, if you're like me, you've proably been watching the series, reading various comics (all of which ended far too soon) and you've thought, "Hey wouldn't it be great to just follow the Joker around for a day?" Well Happy Fans, I am so please to announce that your wish has come true...

"Joker" is gritty, yes, distinctly "Ledgeresque", for sure, but the thing that stands out is the depth of the storytelling. Writers and Readers will be impressed with arch of the story and the "main" character (better descibed as the narrator, put the Joker in any story and there really is only one main character) manages to hold his own as a device and a character. The narrator, Jonny Frost, is the audience, watching, following, and on some level, understanding the Clown Prince. After all, if you've been following the Joker in any capacty, you have established SOME theory as to the "how" and "why" and "what will he do next"?

Art fans will be delighted as well. If you think you "know" comic illustrations and are prett sure what to expect, you'll be impressed with how...intellectually illustrated the book is. Panel after panel is brillantly motivated into the next. Also, certain physical similarities between Jonny Frost and The Joker are to strictly be ignored...or not, depends on how you're reading the story (from the panels I had seen, I was sure "Joker" was a retelling of the Joker's backstory, happy suprise!) Also, the storyline is not "one night" as the description...describes, a brillant tension is created by the fact that the story is better paced than that. Also, definitely get the hardcover - behind the jacket is one of the best panels in the comic impressed on the front in lieu of a cover title, very cool.

Harley fans may be somewhat disappointed at her role in this particular comic. Azarello's promise about her character is pretty much fulfilled throughout the book. Don't go in expecting her usual witty comments and fawning demeanor. This Harley is basically silent and more of a muscle than ever before. There are times where she seems more of force of nature herself rather than anything understandable. She even appears and disappears within the story in a kind of ethereal manner, at one point you're not sure if she's dead or alive until she pops out of something. However, The Joker is given such a rigorous character analysis in the book, perhaps the writers meant Harley to be the bastion of mystery for a change. There are, however, a few key panels that give an insight into this Harley's and this Joker's relationship. No spoilers here...but let's just say a famous Arleen Sorkin quote was taken to heart.

For the die-hard Batfans who like nothing more than watching their boy descend from the skies and drive a bad guy six inches into the pavement...well, let's just say this is a Joker fanz novel. (Yes, novel, whch is how strongly it reads.) However, instead of obligatory panel after panel of Batsy brooding in his lair trying to figure out where the Joker is...ever wonder what the Joker was doing while inbetween those moments that he KNOWS Batman is watching? Again, the psychological tension created by the ABSENCE of certain characters is one of the book's strengths. While The Joker is typically pictured as the ultimate one in control, half the time pulling Batman's strings and ultimately being brought down at the last moment, Azzarello gives us the Joker's downward spiral in a unique turn. And when the big climax is revealed, we are left knowing absolutely, one-hundred percent, who is the ultimate BAMF of Gotham City. The results may - fittingly - suprise you.

I enjoy much of Brain Azzarello's work. I loved his take on Lex Luthor in his mini series Lex Luthor: Man of Steel. So I was so exicited when He was going to do a book on the Joker. The book was a let down though as the character did not seem like the joker even though he was called the Joker and drawn like the Joker. He was turning into a run of the mill crime boss who was now a rapist to boot. The Joker seems to do bad things because they are bad and he is a bad guy. He is so bad in fact that he doesnt care about anyone else but himself, so he does what he wants cause he is bad. If those last sentances seemed poorly writen it was meant to refelect the terrible writing of this story. If you are a huge fan who needs everyrthing joker you might find yourself trying to overlook the terrible in the book for the few nuggets of goodness throughout the book. I was this way but at the end realized it just wasn't Brain Azzarello's best work. If you are like me though and love the Joker you will probbaly ignore the bad reviews and get this anyway. When you do though, read it through once and pretend that the character they call the Joker is named anyone else and think for a moment wether you would recoginize this character as the Joker. I dont think I could.

This story brings a new psychological depth to the villains of Gotham. Azzarello and Bermejo work together majestically to bring to light the true evil of the Joker, as well as his inner struggles. The story isn't fantastically original, but the beauty is in the details. The artwork is unmatched and the character depth is refreshing. This one will go down in history along with Batman: The Killing Joke and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns as one of the best graphic novels about Gotham's villains ever written.

I love that Batman is considered to be the greatest super-hero in the comic book world, and the Joker help him get there. So why shouldn't there be at least one novel him. Heck, I'm in favor for Brian Azzarello to do more work on Batman's adversaries and turn it into some kind of Arch story line if there is a media for it. But no this novel doesn't have Batman it, this one's all about the world of the Joker. Haven't you ever wondered what the guy does when he's not losing to Batman at every turn. Well this novel is wonderfully done and is the reason I've become a fan of Azzaerllo's work. Since reading the novel, I've purchased at least six other graphic novels of his, opening a whole new world of graphic novel reading. Below is a link to a list of his work, along with other great novel lists.

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This is one of the best Joker stories ever written. Period.
If there was a homicidal maniac roaming around town charge of organized crime, this is what it would be like to be his driver. Azzarello's writing is fantastic, Bermejos art is phenomenal.
That said, the reason I subtract a star is for personal bias and that alone. I love my Joker more theatrical and this one is too real. A truly tiny quibble.
Enjoy!

Completely shallow take on the Joker. It seemed to me an attempt to cash in on the Dark Knight craze. Shallow shallow shallow. When I read stories, I look for the philosophies of the characters and enjoy watching them play out.. Not much of that in here.. There's virtually no character development so I suppose I could just "look" for their philosophies and guess what they are but I do that all day everyday with normal people lol.. I read a story to see character development.. The story in here was just hateful.. Although hate is an interesting subject, there wasn't much to him than that.. Maybe that was supposed to say something in itself.. I dunno.. All I know is I was definetely not thrilled with this read..

SPOILERS

Compared to the milestones of Heath Ledger's portrayal and "The Killing Joke", Azzarello's contribution to the Joker legacy makes for an entertaining but unmemorable read. From the Chelsea grin to the realistic spin on the usual rogues gallery, "The Joker" was clearly influenced by "The Dark Knight." That's not to say that Azzarello copied Nolan's work - it's unlikely that Azzarello got to see the finished movie before working on this graphic novel) - but it seems that Azzarello saw the approach Nolan and Ledger had for the Joker (based on early rumors/spoliers) and extrapolated from there.

Like "The Dark Knight", the Joker is a force that just blows into town without much explanation on his origins. But while Ledger's Joker played as a hyper-intelligent anarchist, Azzarello's Joker is more of a manic and sadistic psychopath, prone to extreme bouts of bipolar behavior. This would have been fine if only Azzarello hadn't insisted on showing Joker as a drug user. The appeal of the Joker is that he just Is. There's no explanation for why he behaves the way he does; as Ledger so succinctly put it, "I just DO things". The inclusion of drugs takes away from the Joker's Freak of Nature appeal (much like how Hannibal Lecter became much less of monster after his past history was revealed).

There were instances in this novel that ultimately spoiled the whole feel for me. The first was the fear/shock displayed on Joker's face when he was about to be shot, and the second was a scene showing him crying after what looked like a drug/manic episode. I don't want to see a humanized Joker.

In terms of the sideline characters, I rather liked the realistic approach taken by Azzarello. Much has been said about Killer Croc becoming a gangbanger with a skin condition, but I think it's much more appealing than having a human/crocodile mutant running around. Similarly, portraying the Riddler as a handicapped criminal created a nice spin to the character. Call it the Nolan Effect of making characters fit in to the real world.

Just a word on the art by Lee Bermejo. The graphics are fine and I like how Bermejo alternates between normally drawn and painted sections, but I really wish he used more painted sections, just because they look so beautiful.

"The Joker" offers an interesting alternate approach but it's the type of story that you'll read once or twice and then won't think about picking up again. It doesn't add anything worthwhile to the legacy of the Joker.

Brian Azzarello definitely does a good job of portraying the psychotic nature of The Joker, making him more like the sociopath he is than a clown trying to get a few laughs out of people. The illustrations are beautiful and the writing is crisp. I do not particuarly like the concept of Harley Quinn being a coke-snorting exotic dancer after The Joker is locked up (which, spoilers, is never explained why he was let out of Arkham in the first place). If you like a good Joker yarn, read this book. It definitely will unsettle you.

This is one of the best comic narratives I've ever read. The ending abrupt and initially I thought "is that it?" but then started to think back and realised what the story was all about. Or at least what I though the story was all about. What really struck a cord was the fact was that I had figured it out as I was reading it the first time but hadn't realised it until the final panel... what really makes this comic stand out is the subtle use of art and prose to tell the story... make sure you read the newspapers.

I could be wrong but by the end of the novel I can't help but think that Azzarello is say that The Joker isn't a physical psychopath but a metaphysical concept that will never die.

The second rule of The Joker is.....

This book is very interesting. It tells a story from the eyes a henchman named Jonny Frost, in his service to the joker through a somewhat normal: turf war gang story, However, the characters, dialogue, and the writing are heavily psychological and gripping. It almost asks the question "what if the joker was real? Instead of being some cool villain people want to relate too. It paints a picture of this disturbing, scary character that I found fascinating. The art is a bit varied, mostly because of coloring but I found most of the pictures to be expressive and beautifully gritty and very fitting to the book. If you want a dark psychological story centered on a realistic joker, set in a gritty realistic Gotham City and some intelligent writing, this is definitely worth a read.

This is not the Joker we're all used to...does that make it a great story? No. I thought this was going to be an epic Joker story, but it was a letdown. There really isn't much of a story. It's just the joker wondering around with Jonny Frost trying to take back Gotham City.

One thing that I thought would be interesting is that all of the villains have a `real world' look to them. This worked for awhile. But when I saw how the writer portrayed the Riddler, I just gave up on the story. I know the writer wanted the villains to more real than in previous books, but seeing this version of the Riddler was a joke.

The Joker is more of a thug than anything, and the other villains are cowards when it comes to the Joker. This is why the book didn't work for me. The only saving grace is the fantastic artwork (it has a Magnolia feel to it). Overall it was a disappointment.

I love the writing of this book. It's so good. It's absolute poetry.

But why have I read this book at least 5 times? Because of the art. And I'm not that guy--I've read some really terribly drawn books because I loved the plot. This book has it all.

Don't hesitate.

Buy it.

This comic is boldly titled "Joker," and it puts this most intriguing of comic book villains front-and-center. Unfortunately, it fails to do so with any level of creativity or panache. Writer Brian Azzarello, who did such a wonderful job with Lex Luthor, fails to render the Joker in any interesting fashion at all.

Sure, this Joker looks nastier (much like Heath Ledger's Joker from THE DARK KNIGHT), and acts as nastily as he ever has, but there's not much else there. It's just a display in excessive violence masquerading as character development. As much as this comic might want to be a Joker story for the ages, it brings nothing particularly worthwhile to the table beyond some nice art from Lee Bermejo.

The word `brutal' sums up this graphic novel perfectly.

A lot of people have been comparing this to the classic `Killing Joke' story, but I feel the only thing they have in common is the violence factor and boy does `The Joker' turn that up a notch. We get some graphic murder and some nasty beatings, both which are acceptable in any Joker centered story. However we also have the element of rape, which seems so out of character for the Joker that it left me feeling Brain Azzarello tried too hard to make him edgy in the worst way possible. It left a bad taste in my mouth, even if this was an independent take of the Joker.

While `Killing Joke' is set in the main stream comic universe, this is an alternative universe sort of affair, to which I am very grateful. Believe me, I much prefer the classic Clown Prince of Crime to the drug addicted degenerate here.

Looking at the artwork and the realistic approach to character designs you would be quick to think that is even related to the Nolan-universe (I'm talking about the Joker's Glasgow/Chelsea grin.) but this is also false, and a coincidence. I'll also go on record to say that I also prefer Nolan's anarchist to the sick person in this story.

The artwork is amazing, hands down, some of the best stuff I've seen in awhile. Lee Bermejo's stuff is gritty eye candy, and the use of colors is a wonderful way for certain scenes to be burned into your mind.

The story is fine enough, but not on par with `Killing Joke' in my opinion. `The Joker' is frantic and fast, and above all else is about mayhem and the gullibility of a man who wants nothing but respect and realization that to get it you have to become a monster. It ends quickly and the ending wasn't really satisfying.

Still, it was a pretty good ride for the most part.

This graphic novel features beautiful art and a great story. You get inside the head of one of Joker's henchmen who sees Joker in a different light than Batman or The Dark Knight movie. This interpretation of Joker seems like a cross between the comics and Nolan's Bat universe. It brings an exciting twist to the character of Harley Quinn too. I'd recommend this story to any Joker fan and even Batman fans too. Its a great read and well worth the price! 5/5

This is one of my favorite graphic novels. The story is pretty good, but the artwork is amazing! Gritty, yet colorful. It definitly depticts a very violent, hopeless, Gotham City. The quality of the print is top notch. The story is basically that a street thug gets in with the Joker's crew and we get to view the behind the scenes from his perspective. It adds a touch of humanity to the Joker, while also showing what a merciless monster he can be.

The story, like this review, does not have enough meat on the bone. There is barely enough substance for me to sink my teeth into and the exquisite character development is left dangling on the carcass of an unfinished story, like sinews on a tender bone. The whole experience can be equated more aptly (for the vegetarians reading this) to meeting a beautiful and intelligent woman on a plane but forgetting to ask for a number only to be left cheated and deprived of the chance to get to know her more. That is what this story is like. It's a disappointment.

Creator of best selling novel 100 bullets, Brian azzarello does it again with this in depth personal backstory of the joker and his somewhat of a sidekick as they get into crazy situations where quite a few of batmans enemies come out to play...

The book might be perfect for someone who wants to see more of Ledger's Joker, and I'm not saying that it is a bad thing. The art is stunnig (the only thing that bugs me is too much computer work) and Joker is a brutal, inhuman criminal. The difference between movie and graphic novel is: the movie felt like Christopher Nolan's tribute to all of the years of Joker's and Batman's "relationship". It's the lines like "I think we're destined to do this forever" and interrogation scene made it a massive, beautiful and stunning homage to comics. The book misses the point and reading it feels like Azzarello's trying too hard to make a completely new character, instead of showing us his own take on Batman's nemezis. Being in love with The Killing Joke, Arkham Asylum, Long Halloween or even Hush and the 90's cartoon's Joker, Azarello's take on "new, different Joker" feels like modern american pop-punk bands trying to make rebellious, shocking music, but forgetting about all the thirty years and roots of punk.

EXTREME VIOLENCE ALERT!!!
Nobody knows how he got out of Arkham, but it was waaaaaaay too soon. This Joker is less gentlemanly, less foppish, than in the past. He's more of a "normal" psychopath (if there is such a thing), but his "always-on-the-edge-of-a-murder-spree" persona comes through here in a powerful way. I also like the take on other Batman Villians (Croc, Riddler and Penguin). All-in-all a great story, tremendous artwork. Good Homage to Heath Ledger's portrayal in "The Dark Knight".

More than anything else, this graphic novel begs the question What would working for the Joker entail? So much time gets devoted to the Joker in the movies and comic books, without showing how the henchmen, gofers, and assassins come and go from his army. "The Joker" paints a picture of the psychotic crimes and whimsical planning from an outsider's perspective with sinful, yet beautiful artwork to boot.

EXTREME VIOLENCE ALERT!!!
Nobody knows how he got out of Arkham, but it was waaaaaaay too soon. This Joker is less gentlemanly, less foppish, than in the past. He's more of a "normal" psychopath (if there is such a thing), but his "always-on-the-edge-of-a-murder-spree" persona comes through here in a powerful way. I also like the take on other Batman Villians (Croc, Riddler and Penguin). All-in-all a great story, tremendous artwork. Good Homage to Heath Ledger's portrayal in "The Dark Knight".

More than anything else, this graphic novel begs the question What would working for the Joker entail? So much time gets devoted to the Joker in the movies and comic books, without showing how the henchmen, gofers, and assassins come and go from his army. "The Joker" paints a picture of the psychotic crimes and whimsical planning from an outsider's perspective with sinful, yet beautiful artwork to boot.

If you like the more edgy, current Batman style as seen in the new movies you will probably enjoy this (similar but different...). Great art work and interesting stories. My only complaint is I want more, which is actually a good thing in many ways.

I'll put this in the category of one of the greats, along with The Killing Joke and A Death In The Family and even The Dark Knight Returns. The art is second to none, the story is well written, the only thing I can say is that you need to stop reading my review and order it already!

Even though Im a new comic book collector, I bought this one with no preview reference and found it breathtaking. The Joker depicted is evil, but you can see him cry in some point of the story, without telling each and every detail of his actions, you see a powerful and twisted joker that I haven't seen in other comic books.
The drawings are supreme, in a 1-10 scale I'll give it a 12, againg drawings that gladly surprised me.
In general a great comic, a must have to all Batman/Joker fans.

I was very excited to start reading the Joker, and honestly, it wasn't half-bad. It was actually really good, but as another reviewer stated...it lacked cleverness, and it was also unfullfilling in the end, where you just wished there was more. I mean the plot is barely there...just a Joker moving around talking to other criminals...not exactly what I had in mind.

This product is worth the purchase if you are a Joker fan or a collecter of Batman/Joker graphic novels/comics...but if you are not interested, save your money

Is the story short? Yes, it is...but it is not slight. The "Taking back what's mine" simplicity of the plot is merely a framework to hang a psychologically insightful look at one of comic's greatest villains, who is now greater. Please ignore the childish insistance of some "Geeks", who cannot fathom anything but their own myopic opinion, such as the villains remaining faithful to the last 40 or 50 years of "cannon". They are still the same great villains, but with a little modern "Twist" and I do mean twist. Some also condemn the fact that the Joker has-Gasp!-Sex! Leave it to the Americans to be OK with skinning a guy, but uptight that a psychopath may get sexual urges. This book shows the Joker to be more than a monster...he's also a man, a very disturbed man. I haven't enjoyed getting to know a twisted character so much since Patrick Bateman, or Hannibal Lecter. If you have an open mind, if you enjoy a macabre story, and if you have the cajones...spend some time with Joker.

I thought the art was fantastic. However as Image Comics proved in the mid 90's, fantastic art does not replace a good story. Some of the other reviews panned the interpretation of Harley Quinn as a drugged up stripper. I didn't mind that (actually I thought it was hot), but to have the Joker mimic Harvey Keitel's character from the "Bad Lieutenant" was pathetic. No offense to Mr. Keitel's brilliant performance in that film, but Joker's multilayered character was reduced to a simple pill-popping thug that could have easily been Joe Chill with a Glasgow Smile. The only semblance to Joker's personality was when he slapped a dollar bill on Monty's freshly skinned hide in the strip club. The final straw that did it for me was having Joker rape Jonny's wife... Really? There's a million ways to exploit Joker's shattered psyche and you have him rape someone to make his point? His insane brilliance is the reason why he's Batman's #1 archenemy. I had to re-read Killing Joke and watch the Dark Knight just to get this lame excuse of a story out of my head.

I spend a lot of time with my free time in comic books and graphic novels. When I heard about The Joker I was excited finally I might get a chance to get closer to my favorite villian of all time, however, when I read this I was dispointed. First off I am someone who if I am going to spend money on something I want to take me a couple of days to finish a novel but when I read this it only took me an hour and a half. Second it doesn't even scrath the surface of what the Joker really is it only shows him from a distance and calls his kind an ancient sickness. I will say it does give a good cameo of all of the Batman villians. I might of come at this with high expectations but with a novel about The Joker I would think it would answer a big question obviously it cannot give the answer to the Jokers true past and who he really is since thats part of the magic of the Joker but it could have at least answered the question as to what made the Joker tick. Over all highly dissapointing.

I very much enjoyed this book. As far as Joker stories go, this one is pretty top notch and ranks high above others. But after reading something like "Killing Joke" or even "Mad Love" your standards are set pretty high. Don't get me wrong this is a really good read, but it's just not a classic. If you want to read a really good Joker story, then you should pick up this book. Especially if you like the version of the Joker in the "Dark Knight" movie.
P.S. if you haven't bought it yet get "Arkham Asylum" Scariest Joker ever.

Did any of you other reviewers actually read this? As an aspiring comic writer and artist I went into this very critically and I was not rewarded. It is riddled with word errors and looks as if it has not been edited, and the art style was mediocre and generic. The comic looked good in the painted segments but any other time it looked like a dime a dozen comic made after 2001. The story is incredibly shallow, told by an uninteresting and undeveloped character about the joker, who resembles no joker I have ever seen before. Originality is obviously not a bad thing, but this joker is just a bipolar mob boss who doesn't like to be questioned. Putting in drug use takes away from his character like other people have said, the book tries to make you relate and sympathize with him and yet also tries to push this idea that he is chaotic and wild. The supporting characters are as shallow as "Jonny Jonny Frost", especially Harley Quinn who I believe has no lines. Maybe its just me, but this book feels like a halfhearted attempt to cash in on the current joker hype but fails to see anything in the character in the same way that Heath Ledger, Christopher Nolan, or any other writer has done.

Brian Azzarello was not able to portrait joker in this comic. Joker was crying. He was actually crying. The CLOWN PRINCE OF CRIME. There is nothing in this world that would make Joker do that kind of pathetic thing. Even after he was sprayed with Fear Gas his smile stayed on his face.
I regretted at buying as soon as read it, even though, Joker is my all time favorite villain.

I enjoyed reading this graphic novel. I have not read any comics in years, but this is definitely worth buying. The illustrations are awesome, and the story is interesting and as good as watching one of the movies. It makes me want to start reading comics again. The Joker does not dissappoint, he really comes off as a dark sadistic killer in this.

The art in this book is beyond amazing. I think the most noticeable change in character was Harley Quinn, whos usually energetic and sassy and loud and obnoxious(still my favorite character, regardless), no is quiet and just in the background. I love Harley the way she has always been but for this story, I think its good they took her out of focus. And I loved how they made references to Batman but hes taken out of focus also until the very end. But when I read this I feel that same pull that Jonny does to Joker its all and all an excellent book.

Although I did love Heath ledger in the latest Batman movie I didnt feel he properly captured the creepiness and sheer insanity of the Joker. This book takes the joker to a whole new level. Joker has always been my favorite character and Brian Azzerelo really gets his psyche. This Joker is slightly more soft-spoken than the one in the movie. He is much more violent in this though. If you can handle some graphic violence this is the best Joker book on the market. I found it more compelling than the Killing Joke. Oh and by the way this book is a very short read. Maybe like 45 minutes max, but its still outstanding

"The Joker" is the most realistic Gotham in comics ever. It looks like a spin-off of The Dark Knight film, with new takes on a few of Batman's enemies. Sometimes it's good - as the new Killer Croc - sometimes it's bad - The Joker, crying? - but a fresh take anyway. Very beautiful art. So-so - even if very gritty - story.

I get that the Joker is a dog chasing cars, but there was literally no point to anything he did in this book. No explanation as to why he was deemed sane and released, and no real vengeance as the description suggests. A better synopsis would be "Henchman watches joker do some stuff, catches him cry at one point, then stand around until batman shows up to fist fight him (bonus, the comic ends abruptly during the fight)."
No dimension, no mayhem, no conclusion worth seeking. I wonder if anyone bothered to so much as scribble an outline on a napkin.

If you are a fan of the Joker (especially Heath Ledgers Joker) you would be a fool to let this one pass you by.. The story is good and follows the Joker every step of the way delving head first into, "His World". The appearance of Batman is brief.

The only thing I didn't really get off on was the artwork.

I was really excited when I found out this book was coming out. The joker has always been one of my favorite villains and to have an entire book about him, was just exciting. I loved Ledger's darker version of the joker, and it's something I've loved about the character. This is a great book that fans of the joker, fans of Batman, and fans of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight will all enjoy.

Brian arzarello is brilliant the story is great and the graphics are awesome. I love everything. I'm a huge joker enthusiast and this definitely captured his essence though some characters were not capture to my like exact likeing it was great

I thought the book's duel story line made it hard to put down. The artist depiction of the joker was twisted and dark, especially the close up's of his eyes. It showed the joker's psychotic personality without having him do or say a thing. Its a quick read with a well drawn out ending.

I was expecting a lot more in terms of story but having read the book I can't see this as much more than a vehicle for DC to try and cash in off the success of DK and Ledger's performance. That in mind, this book didn't even come close to capturing the spirit or tone of the previous incarnations of the Joker much less the film version. Joker seemed to straddle both sides and was portrayed rather weak and without a true identity.

Joker getting out of Arkham and having a gangsteresque party complete with booze swilling and strippers? Hanging out with Gotham's underworld like he's one of the gang? Since when? What character is being portrayed here? Joker seemed cruel rather than insane, a calculated street thug rather than a malevolent force of chaos.

I just didn't get much out of the story aside from the feeling of impending doom in the form of the Batman whose presence loomed over each panel; I expected him to come swooping out of the darkness any minute.Regarding that aspect of storytelling I I will give Azzarello due credit but as a whole, this story is rather pointless and never seemed to find a connection with the established identity of the players.

Disappointing considering the team.

The artistry in this graphic novel is very well done! I loved how they made the Joker look a little bit more like Heath Ledger in this one. Although this novel did disappoint me a bit, I did love how it gave you more of a look into the Joker's true character!It revealed so much about him that I couldn't stop reading until I finished it!The Joker is my favorite villain of all and this book does him justice! A must read for any Joker fan!

I bought this book mainly because of the artwork, coloring and inking. I expected the story to be violent, because it is a graphic novel. I did like the story, and I will share this book with as many people as I can.

I don't read graphic novels personally, but I bought this for my boyfriend who recently got back into them. When I gave it to him he was extremely pleased and read it the same night. Again, I'm not a graphic novel reader, but if you're looking to get a present for someone (preferably late teens, the artwork/content seemed quite explicit) this is perfect.

Although a beautifully put together book, the story will likely find a lot of Joker fans wanting. Despite the fact that Joker is in nearly every panel in the book, I never felt like I was reading a book about him. It felt more like a book about a crime boss who gets out of jail and takes revenge on his old city. This Joker doesn't seem to have a lot of flair. He just comes across as a grumpy crime boss. If you felt the Joker in The Dark Knight film was a bit too grim for you, this Joker is even less of a thrill.

On the other hand, if you can forget you'd ever heard of the the Joker, this book does a great job telling the story of a young criminal who works his way to be the right hand man of the city's most feared boss. There is plenty of gritty detail, and cinematic panels that really bring you into the story.

On the whole, I feel this book has more to do with Scarface than with Joker.

As far as I have read this is most violent portrayal of Joe in any medium. Moore's The Killing Joke is a near equal in this regard, but better crafted story wise. There was one revelation, which The Killing Joke left to imagination, of what would've Joe done to Barbara back then. That makes him very inconvenient to behold.

It is a fine story nonetheless. Another crown for the Clown Prince, a bleeding one at that; however, very appropriate.

I admit, I was very very excited when this book was announced and I was practically salivating when I saw the images exactly one year ago. As the months came closer, I decided that I would get the duo's previous collaboration Lex Luthor: Man of Steel. I know I should stick to this book only so I shall keep the report brief. I am doing this to make a point. What I liked about the other book was that we got inside the head of Lex and the creative team gave us something new. Luthor was darkly charming and brilliantly captured. The phrases such as changing one's perception about the color green and 'truth' perfectly sum him up and I was getting chills about this upcoming project, and mind you, I am a big Batman/JOKER fan and I do not even read nor am I crazy about Supes/Metropolis.

Imagine my disappointment when I read this book twice in one day. It has its saving graces, sure, but overall, it lacked meat. It reminded me of a meal I once had at Acapulco where all I tasted was the sauce but not the content.

For starters, I think adding a secondary character to tell the story was detrimental. He was boring, pure fat, and took away from the main character. What Joker did to him after the showdown at the zoo clearly demonstrated, to me at least, that he was a mere sympathy plot device, a way to show you that joining the Joker's gang will result in nothing good. As I moved on into the storyline, I kind of more or less forgot about him, but there were other things I found wrong with the book.

My largest problem with the book was that there was no story period. Remember what I said earlier about the story lacking 'meat'? Basically it weaves in and out of scenes without any real development. Yes, I understand that we are trying to get into the world of Chaos Incarnate but that didn't mean that the creators could get lazy. Arkham Asylum demonstrated that while Joker is a force of chaos (I would argue that him pinching Bats was a way to remind him that he was 'human' and not a spirit in this dreamlike world)he still had a motivation, even if it was as simple as `laugh and the world laughs with you!' Joker had a role.

I understand that we are not supposed to analyze or over think the J-man's motivations, I understand that he 'just does things' but would it hurt to at least give it some substance? I am not asking for every detail to be explained to me but I would have at least like to have had a bridge here and there.

For example, we do not see Joker taking back his territory. It was all described second hand. What a rip off. No doubt most of it was done by the hands of Harley Quinn/Killer Croc/Johnny Frost but it took away any emotional intimacy and impact. The bank heist where Joker asks Harley to drop him off and the book gives way to a personal part of Johnny's life. WTF? I understand that this was supposed to be realistic and in doing so take away from more 'colorful' elements that you see in kid's cartoons or comics but this was asking for too much suspension of disbelief.

I admit, there were times when I was more offended with the book insulting my intelligence than the actual content itself. No, I am not looking for Dostoyevsky or Shakespeare for that matter but if you are going to ask me to believe that Joker can do all these nasty things and be human, then I am sorry, which brings me to my next point.

I knew that this was going to be a more 'gritty' and thus, uglier take on the characters, which believe it or not heightened the excitement factor for me. I knew it was going to be different and I was expecting a whole new world. Look, I wouldn't call myself pig headed. I knew what I was getting into when I intended on buying the book.

I can forgive that there were no traditional Joker gimmicks

I can forgive that there was no Joker cards

I can forgive that Joker lacked his worldly, sophisticated nature a la Batman/Spiderman: Disordered Minds. I knew that this Joker was going to be a brute and nothing more.

I can forgive that the Joker was a tad OOC

I can forgive that Joker does blow (which is a blatant rip off of Morrison's `no real personality' theory and given a realistic take)

There were some reviews that mentioned that the book was written as violent for the sake of violence and I would have to agree. Yes, Joker is not Ronald McDonald and no, I was not hoping to see any joy buzzers but what makes Joker `Joker' is his theatricality. This character could have been replaced with any thug and it would have had the same impact and that in turn hurts the characters impact because it makes him PREDICTABLE which was perhaps the worse crime of all. It's called being desensitized. I really wanted to LOVE the book (I like it in its own unique and stand alone way) but I just could not because there was nothing that separated the Joker from any two bit criminal. I was expecting another LL: MoS. Lex was treated as a brilliant, charming philanthropist. He was portrayed as a cunning and highly intelligent being. The Joker is the same, but no, I am supposed to believe that everything Joker does here is because he is 'insane' and 'disorderd' and 'broken'. All of that was an umbrella that was used to justify Joker's actions and if you ask me, I had to bite me tongue when I saw a brilliant criminal mastermind get reduced to a one note crazy.

To call this book GROUNDBREAKING is an insult to the true majesty of the Killing Joke. As an `Elseworld' I can buy it and enjoy it for that but there was nothing new here. There was nothing that made me think that Joker could do this or that. There was nothing that made me rethink Joker as a complex character. At best he was a rabid dog that needed to be shot.

Finally, let me touch upon Harley Quinn. She is my favorite character so naturally I was excited for her being here. Her first pictures didn't really surprise or upset me. Hell, I wasn't even offended when I saw what Azzarello said about her role in the novel. This was supposed to be an UGLY book and by that I mean taking away what we know about the characters and strip them away from what we are familiar with, in this case, Harley's lovable bubbly personality. Fine. This was supposed to be a crime noir-like book but even then it fell short of the goal.

As I mentioned before, I have no problem with change or new ideas. What I do have a problem with is lackluster writing and poor character development. This was demonstrated when Johnny caught Joker on his knees crying his eyes out in front of Harley. I can buy that Harley is obsessed with her Joker and would do anything for him, but I couldn't buy it the other way around. I never have and I never will as was demonstrated in her comic Batman: Harley Quinn when Joker is waxing poetic about how much he cares for her before he bursts up laughing like he was reciting a cheap line for a soap opera.

Canonically, Joker has been shown to mistreat Harley and ignore her, only using her when she is to his advantage. Okay, we got that. What Azzarello did here was, in a nutshell, a lazy way of telling us that Joker cares for her.

It's like the book was saying that Joker can do all these nasty things to all these people but look, he has a soft side! AWWW! Isn't that cute?! It was as if the book was asking me to forget that Joker treats her like a dog and that I should forget it for one simple moment that has no real value because Joker was probably under the influence. Later in the book we see that he easily disposes of her when a certain someone starts tracking him down. As a manic depressive episode I can buy it, but I can't buy Joker crying for Harley because he harbors any feelings for her as a legitimate when Joker has made a career of not giving a ****about her. It contradicts his canon (I know, I know it is out of canon) mistreatment of her. Also, if Joker wasn't high more than half the time I might have given it some credence. We already know that a humanized Joker cannot work as seen in Killing Joke and Going Sane. There is a big difference between being human and being a whimpering puppy. The scene with Joker crying on a cold Harley's lap was a poor echo of what Moore did in Killing Joke when Joker was crying with his wife after he momentarily snapped at her. At least that was believable, this one not so much.

All in all, I did not get anything very special out of this Harley. Yes, she had some nice costumes and a cool look but I felt as though the character could have been replaced by any girl and it still would have had the same effect. Her role I felt was dissonant and unoriginal as her purpose could have been fulfilled by any of Joker's goons.

The best parts for me where the nonJoker parts. I totally dug the Riddler's new look, I loved what Croc had to offer (he hasn't been this interesting since....oh, Knightfall IMHO). Best of all, I loved Two Face's part. Okay, so maybe Joker had some interesting bits, my favorites being when he knocks at a door and the guys answers 'who's there? Joker responds, the guy asks, 'Joe who?' before he notices the shark-like grin staring back at him. I also kind of laughed at the 'feel my muscle. Not that one' part too with the Penguin. These were the best moments but like roses in winter, it didn't make an impact. After a third reading, I have decided to be a little generous and award it half a star. It wasn't exactly original as Azzarello borrowed ideas already established by Moore and Morrison but as a stand alone and ugly tale, I kind of like it but I wouldn't pull it off the shelf as often as Killing Joke, Arkham Asylum, Going Sane, The Man Who Laughs, Joker: The Greatest Stories Ever Told, The Dark Knight Returns.

Overall, an interesting ride. I wouldn't compare it to the next Killing Joke EVER. It was a unique take on the characters but there was a lot left to be desired. There were a lot of loose ends and some fat that needed to be trimmed. I would get it for the art and some of the Easter eggs but overall, it was pretty `meh' for me.

JOKER, the original Graphic Novel by Writer Brian Azzarello and Artist Lee Bermejo (With Mick Gray and Patricia Mulvihil Inking and Coloring, respectively), is pretty much what I was expecting, based on past work by Azzarello: A dirty, grimy street-level story with a lot of twists and turns that take us nowhere, adding up to a story that certainly has interesting points, but didn't really need to be told.

When The Joker is released from Arkham Asylum, low-level thug Jonny Frost volunteers to be his ride home, inadvertently setting himself up to become The Joker's right-hand man in an insane quest to regain everything he lost during his latest incarceration. Along the way, they run into many familiar Gotham City faces, including The Penguin, Harley Quinn, Batman, The Riddler, Killer Croc, and Two-Face.

The physical presentation of the Graphic Novel is stunning....The dust jacket is made of some dry, awful-to-the-touch paper that actually goes a long way towards establishing the sense of dread and discomfort Azzarello seems to be going for, and the book cover is beautifully embossed, and needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. Lee Bermejo's art is beautifully detailed, and very well-suited to this type of street-level tale, and it's perfectly complimented by the inking and coloring.

My main complaints with the book were with Azzarello, and the liberties he takes with established characters. His Killer Croc is a throwback to the original concept of a big-thug-with-a-bad-skin-condition, which I like much better than Jim Lee's walking-talking-crocodile depiction, which seems to be gaining acceptance as the new norm for the character, but his weird, revisionist take on The Riddler as a young punk twisted into a question-mark shape by some kind of Hip/Spine deformity is just strange and out-of-place....It might work in a third BATMAN film, but in an already-established comic-book universe, it was just weird for the sake of weirdness. Also, is Azzarello laboring under the misconception that The Penguin is named "Abner"....?

It was a mildly enjoyable ride, but it ultimately went nowhere before coming to a stop exactly where any Batman fan knew it would. I'm not going to spoil the end, but there's really not an end to spoil.....This could have been a contender, had Azzarello actually had a story to tell, instead of compiling random vignettes and hoping for the best.

Not worth the money or the time. It gets by on the recent popularity of the Joker, but it has no story to speak of. It shows new incarnations of several Gotham villians, but really has nothing new to add. I can't recommend this.

Many people complain that this book does a great disservice to the Joker character, and if you're committed to the concept of the classic Joker, yes, you'll be appalled. However, I'm not that rigid. I thought it was great fun.

Was shipped fast came in 3day in perfect condition, looked like I got it right off the shipment truck not a single spot of damage on any part of the book. Over a great buy for any Joker fan will be buying from again.

Joker (the book) goes overboard when it comes to gritty realism. Clearly the Joker is of the Heath Ledger flavor only without the traits that made his portrayl so interesting to so many people. The Joker is toned down, he's basically become scarface or a run of the mill crime boss who is trying to settle some beefs. Sure if you want a realistic depiction of comic book villains, this is it but it made me rethink if that is actually a good idea. Obnoxiously tries to reinvent the riddler and the whole story is told from the perspective of Joker's new friend, an up and coming criminal. Nothing is done very cleverly, simply transplanting several batman villains in a realer than reality setting with little inspiration. The Joker may pique your interest, but the book itself is bland and very un-batman.

This story just did not work for me. I understand the concept of "re-imagining" a character, but when it's taken this far, you might as well be writing about a different character all together. This is not the Joker. A sleazy kingpin of crime? Perhaps the writer thought he was writing a Daredevil book...All of the villains are a disappointment. Harley Quinn, the Riddler, Killer Croc are reduced to uninteresting, pathetic versions of themselves in order to make the Joker look like a commanding presence throughout the plot. Well, it doesn't work. I don't know what Azzarello was trying to do with the character, but the result is a muddled mess. So, the Joker is crazy..but he's really not? The small amount of character development we get is that he "hates everything"? How original. And now he's a rapist? Ugh. He's feared throughout the crime community because...he kills people? How creative! The plot is so shallow and meaningless. Apparently we're supposed to buy into the fact that this character is such a bad ass after he "takes back his city" (a ridiculous characterization), yet for some reason he fails to anticipate the arrival of Batman? This book is a mess. The art is good, but the likeness to Heath Ledger is such a cheap attempt to cash in on The Dark Knight. It's like DC was like, "Hey, we need to write a dark story involving the Joker so we can make money off of the movie hype." The result is not "dark" at all, it's just stupid. Go read The Killing Joke or The Man Who Laughs for a real Joker story.

I was really eager to get this book when I ordered it, the synopsis said that I should expect the Joker wreaking havoc on Gotham along with Harley Quinn, Two Face, Killer Croc and the Penguin. And that's what I got, essentially, but it was delivered in a manner that I was not expecting. While the art was beautiful and plot not horrible- albeit lacking some of the complexity I was expecting from an 100+ page book- I was taken aback by the complete butchering of certain characters, specifically Harley Quinn. I don't even need to describe how she was in the book, the artist's own words puts it perfectly.

"Visually, I threw her in a vinyl outfit and made her look as much like a junkie as possible. Harley Quinn is like a stripper to me. I don't want to know her name, I don't want to hear about her life, and I sure as hell don't want her to talk. Just dance, baby..."

Personally, had I read this before buying the book, I would have thought twice about getting it. In addition to the usually energetic Harley being turned into a stoic crack whore, Killer Croc is a gangster with a penchant for hanging out in a slaughter house, the Penguin is a total pushover and the Riddler is a sixties dope head that shows up for no more than three to five pages. If that's not how you want to see some of your favorite characters, then this comic is not for you.

Also, if you're not interested in reading this story from the perspective of Jonny Frost, the uninteresting one dimensional lowlife who is more annoying than Holden Caufield, then don't pick this thing up. He's really what ruined the comic for me. I was so distracted by his rather irritating commentary, explaining things that I can deduct for myself. While I suppose he was tolerable in the first read over, it really sunk in that this comic should have been called Jonny Frost, not Joker.

The Joker may have been the catalyst for all of the events that happened in the comic, but Jonny Frost was the main focal point and we are completely tied to his back, limited only to what he experiences and to what he feels. (Dang it.) I was expecting to be able to explore the Joker's mind, to see things from behind his eyes and go on a joyride of insanity. Instead Brian Azzarello gave me a story that forgot some of my favorite character's personalities and failed to live up to the expectations that a title as bold as Joker must have brought with it.

If none of the above issues bother you, then by all means get the book. The art really is lovely and the story is somewhat enjoyable. It's just hard to stomach if giving up your idealized vision of Gotham is much too hard.

Once more let us pop our well-worn (and trademarked) villains into the microwave and prep them for YET ANOTHER "take"...it sure beats having to create something new. Yet another character beaten into a pulp by constant "re-imagining".

If you thought the Dark Knight movie was better than anything in the comics and the Heath Ledger Joker was the definative Joker then this is for you.

If not, then avoid this like the plague.

Don't get me wrong, the movies are good. But trying to put that back into a comic doesn't make much sense. Leave it on the screen.

This book was not good at all. It was OVERBOARD on realism. I don't read comic books because I want to read about real life. It's like they tried to emulate The Dark Knights Joker, which was also overrated. They throw in useless characters and butcher them. Especially Harley Quinn and the Riddler. This was just a gaint disapointment to me.

Is this a joke? Read Brian's work elsewhere, reread Killing Joke or Death in the Family. This comic sucks and you are not a bad person for thinking this is so. Your a bad person for laughing at "the disappearing pencil" trick.

This book about the Joker is definitely NOT what you want to buy if you loved the movie The Dark Knight. The Joker in this book is neither scary or interesting. The drawings are stupid. Hate it. Absolutely hate it. I threw it in the garbadge. Thanks for nothing.