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Joker (Batman)

by Brian Azzarello, Lee Bermejo (Illustrator)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 9,796 ratings · 336 reviews

An original hardcover graphic novel that tells the story of one very dark night in Gotham City--from the creative team behind the graphic novel LEX LUTHOR: MAN OF STEEL.

The Joker has been mysteriously released from Arkham Asylum, and he's none to happy about what's happened to his Gotham City rackets while he's been "away." What follows is a harrowing night of revenge, mur...more

Hardcover, 128 pages

Published November 4th 2008 by DC Comics (first published March 30th 2008)

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Feb 16, 2013 Ronyell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, book-series, dc-comics, drama, graphic-novels-comics, horror, modern-age-comics, my-blog-reviews, mystery, read-in-2013, reviewed-books, young-adult-teen-books, brian-azzarello

Introduction:

After reading the classic “Batman” tale, Batman: The Killing Joke I wanted to read more stories about one of Batman’s most infamous villains, the Joker! So, I went ahead and picked up Brian Azzarello’s take on the Joker “Joker” and while it has many slow scenes, it was a truly interesting take on the psychotic mind of the Joker in a more dark and gritty way that I would have never imagined possible!

What is this story about?

This story is being told from the viewpoint of one of th...more

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Nov 05, 2008 Tom Troutman rated it 3 of 5 stars

The whole time I was reading this book my cogitation was overcome by speculations of Olsen twin #2's role in Heath Ledgers early-in-life-cycle transition to another dimension. This unnecessary analysis was brought on by the uncanny resemblance of the artists take on the clown prince to the real life counterpart Heathy played in The Dark Knight. The only logical resolution I could come to is that talks of a Full House reunion must have gone sour after Ledger bowed out of his prior commitment to...more

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Jan 02, 2009 Seizure Romero rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics-graphic-novels, library

I don't understand why so many panties are damp for this (or for the latest Dark Knight movie for that matter, but that's another argument). The art is good but not great. Artistically, the Joker here is obviously modeled after Heath Ledger's. The story is ok. The Joker gets out of Arkham Asylum and goes around killing people? Quelle surprise. I guess it's 'edgy' if you don't get out much, but I really didn't see anything new here. Telling the tale from the viewpoint of the henchman-wannabe-bada...more

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Dec 14, 2008 Bryce Wilson rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

Welcome to the most overhyped Graphic novel of the year. Boring, pointless, and containing nothing interesting to say about The Joker either as an Icon or a Character. Boring, both over and under plotted, and with art that crosses the line from simply ugly to fucking stupid (Gotta Love 2 Fast 2 Furious Riddler).

Those hyping it as the next Killing Joke are kidding themselves.

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Jul 28, 2012 Lina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, graphic-novels

Is it childish to say that the main reason I hated this book was because Harley Quinn didn't utter a single word of dialogue? I mean is just turned into this massive, overly sexualized thing...not even a person, she is treated as a thing. I am sick of it and this might be a projection because I hate how comics/video games have treated the character, but I just can't help be wonder...did people watch B:TAS? You know the show that invented the character? Because by the way that everyone tries to m...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, batman, reviewed

Joker is an original graphic novel written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo. It was published in 2008 by DC Comics.
It is based on characters from DC's Batman series, focusing primarily on the title character.

It is a unique take on the Batman mythos, set in an alternate "more realistic" reality with a noir atmosphere and narrated by one of the Joker's henchmen.

Bermejo's Joker is similar to the character's appearance in The Dark Knight as played by Heath Ledger. Bermejo did the...more Joker is an original graphic novel written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo. It was published in 2008 by DC Comics.
It is based on characters from DC's Batman series, focusing primarily on the title character.

It is a unique take on the Batman mythos, set in an alternate "more realistic" reality with a noir atmosphere and narrated by one of the Joker's henchmen.

Bermejo's Joker is similar to the character's appearance in The Dark Knight as played by Heath Ledger. Bermejo did the same design as a gift for a Batman film site prior to the film's release.

Jonny Frost, a low-level thug, is sent to Arkham Asylum to pick up the Joker. Joker immediately takes a liking to Frost, using him as a chauffeur. Frost drives the Joker to the lair of Killer Croc. The three go to the "Grin and Bare It" strip bar, which was formerly owned by the Joker. With the help of Harley Quinn, the Joker kills the new owner and asks the shocked audience if they are willing to help him take his city back.

Next morning, the Joker robs a bank and coaxes the Penguin (mockingly referred to as "Abner") to invest the stolen money.

The Joker embarks on a killing spree, murdering many thugs who stole his money, turf, and bizarre sense of reputation. Informed by the Penguin that Harvey Dent, a crime boss with a split personality, is evading a talk with him, the Joker trashes a phone, kills a goon, and then sets the "Grin and Bare It" on fire.

Meanwhile, Frost is kidnapped by Dent, who warns Frost the Joker will kill him. Subsequently, Frost is late to the Joker's meeting with the Riddler, a disabled weapons dealer. They exchange a briefcase, and the Joker leaves. Once on the road, the Joker's crew is shot at by off-duty cops hired by Dent, and Frost saves the Joker's life in the scuffle.

Joker embarks on a turf war against Dent, prompting him to meet with Joker. At the meeting, Joker brings the briefcase he got from the Riddler. Joker says he has learned Dent has two wives, and threatens to use the contents of the briefcase as leverage against him. The meeting becomes hostile, and Joker murders all of Dent's men.

After helping Frost get his ex-wife Shelly back from Dent, Joker rapes her. He says this makes them even, since Frost "cheated" on the Joker by not revealing his own meeting with Dent. Later, Harvey paints a bat on a spotlight, and pleads with Batman to stop Joker. When Joker and Frost return to the apartment building they reside in, they find the window shattered and flee to Croc's lair. However, Batman has already subdued Croc and his gang.

In a final attempt to escape, Joker and Frost flee to a nearby bridge. They find Batman in wait, and Joker, being provoked by Batman's tauntings, shoots Frost in the chin. Joker and Batman fight as Frost climbs over the edge of the bridge and falls.

Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo's Joker is a deeply disturbing and completely unnerving work, a literary achievement that takes its place right alongside Alan Moore's The Killing Joke as one of the few successful attempts to scratch beneath the surface of the Joker's impenetrable psyche. The story is compelling, especially the gut-wrenching showdown at the end of the book, and the art is really very good.(less)

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Apr 07, 2009 Chris rated it 1 of 5 stars

I try not to write mean reviews, but Joker was like a mugger at a state trooper convention, and just deserves what it gets.
Ugly, cruel, poorly written and self indulgent. This was not a Joker story; it was a Sin City riff dressed up in joker drag. If you have no respect for a character and want to toss all of their "baggage" out the window, just make up your own character.
It has pretty much been established after many decades, that the Batman defines and completes the Joker, so if you remove the...more I try not to write mean reviews, but Joker was like a mugger at a state trooper convention, and just deserves what it gets.
Ugly, cruel, poorly written and self indulgent. This was not a Joker story; it was a Sin City riff dressed up in joker drag. If you have no respect for a character and want to toss all of their "baggage" out the window, just make up your own character.
It has pretty much been established after many decades, that the Batman defines and completes the Joker, so if you remove the bat from the equation? You get this book.
I know Brian says that the film "the Dark Knight" had no influence on this GN, so you have to wonder why this is the first time the Joker's face has ever been scared in comics. Even if it wasn't based on the Dark Knight's Joker, at lest tell us how his face got mangled.
Based on Brian's Batman and Superman work, one can only assume that Brian Azzarello effing hates superheroes and probably should just write his never ending crime comics. There is a reason this book was shrink wrapped, because if a reader like myself could have read the first three pages, I would have quickly tossed it back on the shelf and shoved my face in a barf bag.
As for his gritty, realistic approach, well if that's what he was going for, then he should have explained why a psychopathic serial killer, with a body count in the hundreds, maybe thousands, was released from an insane asylum. It was like watching Hannibal Lector walk out the mental hospital gates with a new suit and cardboard suitcase and someone forgot to tell Clarice Starling. Hell, he didn't even have to do any time in a halfway house. The Dick Sprang “funny Batman” didn’t have gaps in logic like this “mature” audiences exercise in glossed up slasher comics. The art is fantastic BTW.
For fans of shock as a means of storytelling, just go see the latest installment in the SAW horror franchise. He is called the Joker for a reason; he finds humor or irony in his crimes, he doesn't train serial killers. This book seriously lowers the bar on dreadful mainstream comics, while pretending to not be mainstream at all, even though it features the Batatman, Joker and someone who may be the Penguin, but for some reason is not named Oswald Cobblepot.
The best I can come up with is that this was an unused 100 Bullets script, with not much search and replace used in MS Word.
If you loved the Saw films, then this is the book for you.
If you want to be entertained by a really good, sophisticated serial killer story, add Let the Right one in to your Netflix que.

Sic Semper tyrannis

CPR(less)

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Apr 02, 2013 Salvatore Privitera rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-anobii, fumetti, dc-comics

Una storia di cui si faceva tranquillamente a meno
Eccoci all'ennesima reinterpretazione di Batman in salsa noir narrataci da un autore, Brian Azarello, talmente patito del genere che a volte ci si chiede se sappia fare altro.<br />In questo caso poi, non d�� certamente una gran prova di s��, con una storia che si trascina tra clich�� triti e ritriti e personaggi completamente fuori posto, tanto sono stati gratuitamente snaturati. In quelle rare occasioni in cui la storia sembra recuperare...more

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Dec 28, 2008 Fawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the first book about, the joker, i could get my hands on. And it really suked me in. From the first page to the last, my mind was strained with questions. Starting with the question presented at the begining- why was Joker being released from Arkhan Asylum? Many other questions arise though out the book as a consequence to Joker's unpredictable, astonding, and unexplainable actions. Complements to Mr. Lee Bermejo, for his art and depiction of the characters(espesilly Joker- He was able...more

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Nov 20, 2008 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars

I always thought that Alan Moore's 1988 masterpiece Batman: The Killing Joke was the definitive Joker story of all time. Not any more. Brian Azzarello's Joker is a frightening look at what true insanity is. Azzarello and Lee Berjemo (arist)model their Joker off of Heath Leger's Oscar worthy performance in this summer's Dark Knight. That is to say, the Joker has always been portrayed prior to Dark Knight as a goofy, evil clown. In this graphic novel (as well as the Dark Knight movie) he is actual...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Rain Misoa rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Azzarello fans and people who don't mind slow moving plots.

Recommended to Rain by: Library

Shelves: graphic-novels

Ah, comics~ We meet again~ >:3 I cannot stay away from comics. I love them. They have always entertained me and they always will. That being said, I was rather excited to read this comics because it has literally been YEARS since I last read a "Batman" comic. Especially one centered around The Joker. Naturally, I was quite excited for this. Unfortunately, this comic did not meet my expectations. It was slow, uninteresting, and, above all else, just bland. I was bored throughout most of it. It...more Ah, comics~ We meet again~ >:3 I cannot stay away from comics. I love them. They have always entertained me and they always will. That being said, I was rather excited to read this comics because it has literally been YEARS since I last read a "Batman" comic. Especially one centered around The Joker. Naturally, I was quite excited for this. Unfortunately, this comic did not meet my expectations. It was slow, uninteresting, and, above all else, just bland. I was bored throughout most of it. It's a shame because this is the Joker we are talking about! He's such a fun, albeit insane, character to have a story follow! And this one? Well, it did absolutely nothing to keep the reader invested in what was going on.

I have to make it clear that this is the first work of Azzarello that I have ever read so I have nothing to compare this to. However, this wasn't exactly a bad read... it just wasn't good. It was just... okay. The artwork was grotesque and I liked that about it for the most part. For the other part? Not so much. At times, it was close to ugly and wasn't pleasing to the eye. But it was dark and gritty for the majority of the book and for that, it deserves some major props. The story followed one of the Joker's henchmen and, even though I can understand how interesting the concept might have been, it does absolutely nothing when it comes to execution. Jonny Frost was, also, boring. He did nothing. He tried so hard to be a badass but never could quite reach the status. And because of this character not doing anything except what he was told, I feel, made the story seem slow and dull.

As for the Joker himself? Yeah, he was insane as always but, as I've said, the story follows Jonny around most of the time so the Joker kind of gets pushed to the background. There really weren't many characters in this comic. We get little cameos of other villains like The Penguin, Killer Croc, The Riddler, and Harley Quin but you rarely get to see much of them. Harley is there for fanservice purposes (like usual) and doesn't add or take away anything from the story. The Riddler pops up once and... he just threw me for a loop and not in a good way. Penguin was scared most of the time and Killer Croc was all "I kills you now!" ...not exactly interesting. The only villain that did something, at least showed up a bit more, was Two-Face... and even then it was mostly just to have someone to interact with the Joker. (Nothing came out of this confrontation either.)

I would go more into detail but the comic is so short that there really isn't much to talk about. It was just a very slow read that eventually leads to nowhere. I still liked the artwork, for the most part, and it was interesting to see this from a henchman's point of view but I wish they took a little time more to develop the characters and to not just have one boring line of dialogue after the other. If you're a fan of Azzarello or just like graphic novels, than give this a try. Maybe you'll like it a lot better than I did.(less)

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Dec 10, 2012 Boots rated it 2 of 5 stars

azzarello and bermejo deserve each other on this book, which is to say: it's kind of equally a mess in both the story and the art. from an improbable (and totally inexplicable) plot to scattershot half-wit dialogue with a befuddling narrative, there's not a lot about this that makes sense, has any finesse, or fits into the batman universe as anybody would recognize it. points if that's what they were going for, but who can say?

interestingly, i laud this team for making the character of the joker...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Kevin Rubin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brian Azzarello's "Joker" is very dark, scary graphic novel. Focusing on the Joker, newly released from Arkham Asylum after having been declared sane by his doctors, he's ready to regain his former criminal empire.

Drawn from Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in "The Dark Knight" this is one mean, nasty Joker, a hardcore criminal who drinks too much, gobbles pills by the score and kills for the sheer pleasure.

Told from the perspective of Jonny Frost, a small time Gotham crook who volunteers t...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Eric Klee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Usually when comic book stories are chosen to be placed in graphic novels rather than in a regular comic book, they're meant to be epic. Take, for example, The Killing Joke. Unfortunately, that's where THE JOKER fails. While the storyline was semi-interesting, some of the recent "Joker's Asylum" comic book stories have been much better. They're better written, and have better artwork.

And, speaking of, most of the illustrations appear like rough sketches rather than completed artwork. The charact...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Ramesh Menon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: batman, comics, graphic-novel

I have read the previous 2 Joker oriented graphic novels The Man Who Laughs and The Killing Joke. Both were pretty good and revealed something that helped in moving the story forward. If you are expecting something similar to happen, Then I am sorry to tell ya it ain't the same. Brian Azzarello's Joker is more like a Road trip with Joker in his journey of Brutal, Gruesome and Vile acts that he commits along the way in order to bring back what he had lost during his caged years in Arkham - The Go...more

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May 04, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

This graphic (and graphically violent) novel takes you along for the ride from the point of view of a newly hired goon of the Joker's. The beginning and the end of the story aren't really important (Joker gets out of the asylum and eventually Batman catches up to him, same old story). The compelling part is the journey in between. It's written in a realistic, gangster noir kind of way. This Joker is portrayed similarly to Heath Ledger's portrayal only with more insanity, drugs, murder, and impli...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Bruce rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of the Heath Ledger Batman flick

Brian Azzarello, acclaimed for the pulpy 100 Bullets, serves up a superficial Joker. The comic is probably best described as a mood piece fit for television. It relies heavily on familiarity with the Batman canon -- a veritable rogues gallery that includes Two Face, Killer Croc, the Penguin, Harley Quinn, and others who fill out the supporting cast... even the Riddler puts in a guest appearance -- without bothering to offer context for any of them. If you’re a regular reader, you know who they a...more Brian Azzarello, acclaimed for the pulpy 100 Bullets, serves up a superficial Joker. The comic is probably best described as a mood piece fit for television. It relies heavily on familiarity with the Batman canon -- a veritable rogues gallery that includes Two Face, Killer Croc, the Penguin, Harley Quinn, and others who fill out the supporting cast... even the Riddler puts in a guest appearance -- without bothering to offer context for any of them. If you’re a regular reader, you know who they are, and if not... well, foreshadowing and dramatic reveals signify to their intrinsic importance.

Only in this story, no one but Two Face matters much, so we have the classic small world problem of luminaries all crowding the same space and being diminshed thereby. The plot ostensibly revolves around a standoff between the Joker and Two Face for criminal control of Gotham’s urban rot (itself to be inferred from a sample of about three street corners of action). It’s narrated by what I presume is meant as another insider homage, minor hoodlum/driver Jonny Frost. Or maybe it was Winter. Or Storm. Or Snow. Or something. Anyway, as an eponymic riff on the gunman Joe Chill (?), Jonny’s only real purpose is to serve as exposition and visual point of view.

There’s little law here, and excepting a few outbursts by or around the Joker, very little action. There’s plenty of gruesomeness, though the majority of the violence occurs off the page with strewn carcasses and debris left to attest to the various horrific acts. This is just as well, though one wonders whether there was much thematic selectivity in the editing. I came away with the sense that the omissions had less to do with style than with the bare fact that the authors could find no credible way to show, say, Harley Quinn taking a guy behind a curtain and then pushing him out completely skinned less than 10 seconds later. By a smallish hunting knife. Onto the stage of his own strip club. Soundlessly. Despite being surrounded by thugs presumably in his employ.

This finessing of plot detail is endemic to the comic, and set up right from the first page. Joker’s been released from Arkham Asylum. How did he manage that? Oh, never mind, it’s not important. This is a mood piece after all (and the authors tell us so explicitly about halfway in). As drawn by Lee Bermejo, the Joker is Heath Ledger’s characterization (right down to the scarred-cheek licking twitch) , and all other characters are exaggerated rather than superhuman (that’s a good thing). They are inked in an angular, cracked style which tends to obscure faces behind webs of wrinkles and seams; the coloring is mostly flattened sepias and grays, painterly only on the splashes.

Sigh.(less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Gene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

The real asset of this book are its speeches. It contains some really canny psychologizing, and Joker comes off every bit as touching as its Killing Joke correspondent, delivering an amazing performance. In terms of gore, this is quite above the classic Batman tales. But then, of course, one can see enough violence in series like Arkham Asylum and modern Batman villain-centered stories, so it isn't that insane. Still, some creepy acts are included. The main character, Jonny Frost, is the prototy...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Yasdong rated it 5 of 5 stars

Komik ini mengisahkan siapa lagi kalau bukan musuh abadi Batman: The Joker. Diawali dengan keluarnya Joker dari penjara Arkham Asylum karena dia dianggap telah sadar. Di luar penjara Joker dijemput oleh seorang begundal bernama Johny Frost. Nah orang inilah yang jadi sudut pandang pencerita di komik setebal 120an halaman ini.

Joker adalah Joker. Orang ini tidak punya obat untuk kejahatannya. Dia mulai meneror Gotham setelah mengumpulkan serdadu untuk menebar teror. Berbagai geng penjahat yang "di...more
Komik ini mengisahkan siapa lagi kalau bukan musuh abadi Batman: The Joker. Diawali dengan keluarnya Joker dari penjara Arkham Asylum karena dia dianggap telah sadar. Di luar penjara Joker dijemput oleh seorang begundal bernama Johny Frost. Nah orang inilah yang jadi sudut pandang pencerita di komik setebal 120an halaman ini.

Joker adalah Joker. Orang ini tidak punya obat untuk kejahatannya. Dia mulai meneror Gotham setelah mengumpulkan serdadu untuk menebar teror. Berbagai geng penjahat yang "dititipi kekuasaan" selama Joker ditahan kini mulai dibabat habis secara sadis. Orang tak bersalah pun turut kehilangan nyawa. Lihat saja bagian dimana pasangan kakek nenek dibunuh dengan pisau pencukur jenggot, lalu Joker tidur di atas mayat mereka.

Api kejahatan ini merambat dan dia perlu Two Face untuk membuat api tersebut semakin membara. Johny menyaksikan ini semua dan merasa kagum. Johny Frost yakin pilihannya mengikut Joker adalah benar. Baginya mengikut Joker adalah melihat dunia dari atas sebuah tahta, meski dia tetap tidak mengerti jalan pikiran Joker.

Johny semakin jumawa karena suatu hari berhasil menyelamatkan nyawa Joker dari berondongan peluru. Tapi beberapa waktu kemudian dia mulai menyadari siapa Joker dan apa penawar bagi kejahatan si bibir sobek.

***

Komik ini kereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennn!! Artwork, coloring, panel-panel, dan ceritanya bener-bener juara! Seperti rotoskop dalam film "A Scanner Darkly". Bagusnya kebangetan!

Ceritanya super sadis. Darah muncrat, kepala bolong, daging sobek, leher dipelintir, muka dicolok beling, dan banyak lagi. Sungguh jelas bukan untuk anak-anak di bawah 21 tahun. Huahahaha..

Melalui komik ini, saya semakin tahu sosok Joker. Dia itu murni jahat. Joker benci semuanya. Menurut saya, Joker pintar dan waras. Dia penuh perhitungan namun punya sifat kekanakan yang tidak berpikir panjang juga. Seperti dua sisi koin.

Selain itu, dia benci sekaligus kagum kepada Batman. Menurut Joker Batman itu bodoh karena terikat norma dan Batman palsu karena menutupi dirinya dengan topeng supaya ditakuti oleh para lawan. Tindakan Batman seringkali gegabah dan pantas ditertawakan. Tapi apa kata Batman kepada Joker, "I mock you!" Hihihi.. Semacam romansa aneh antara jagoan dan penjahat yang telah bertarung sekian lama.

Penutup cerita ini pun menjadi klimaks yang menyenangkan karena membiarkan pembaca berpikir bebas tentang segala hal yang telah terserak liar di dalam komik, sekaligus melepaskan fantasi tentang nasib Johny, Batman, dan Joker. Edan! \m/(less)

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Nov 07, 2011 Marcus rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Joker is mysteriously released from Arkham Asylum and is picked up by an unknowing henchmen named Jonny, who gets to spend the next several weeks driving the Joker around as he paints a swath of destruction and mayhem throughout Gotham City.

The writing is excellent, Azzarello nails the pointlessness of the Joker's actions and psyche with equal amounts of humorous banter and horrific violence. This is not the Joker of the 60's or even the 80's & 90's. This is a volatile maniac as seen th...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Christian González rated it 5 of 5 stars

Del escritor de 100 bullets y el dibujante de... otros comics, llega Joker una novela gráfica con una dosis de violencia adecuada para las masas pusilánimes aunque no para los verdaderos enfermos mentales que terminamos comprando este tipo de cosas, pero en fin, no siempre se puede tener la cantidad adecuada de descuartizamientos que uno quisiera en sus comics, claro esta, sin llegar a que sea eroguro.

Entrando al review de la novela gráfica en si, El Joker es liberado de Arkham por estar complet...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you are going to a first printing of a comic story and, off-the-bat, go for the hardcover treatment and ask people to pony up $20, you better be coming with the goods.

Thankfully, Brian Azzerello does just that.

"Joker" is a brilliant bit of goodness that, as has been noted repeatedly, seems to draw much more heavily from Heath Ledger's portrayal in "The Dark Knight" than from the Joker's appearances in the established Batman canon. Even so, it's a great read that gives you a ringside seat for...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Back in the olden days, Joker was a comic villain in the Batman comics, with cartoony looks to match his cartoony outlandish antics. Well, this is not your momma's comic book Joker any more. For one thing, the quality of the drawings has improved dramatically, and I find that one understands the story much more completely if time is taken to absorb the details of the illustrations. In fact, I firmly believe that if all the reader had was the written script, the perceived plot of the story would...more Back in the olden days, Joker was a comic villain in the Batman comics, with cartoony looks to match his cartoony outlandish antics. Well, this is not your momma's comic book Joker any more. For one thing, the quality of the drawings has improved dramatically, and I find that one understands the story much more completely if time is taken to absorb the details of the illustrations. In fact, I firmly believe that if all the reader had was the written script, the perceived plot of the story would be far different from what the author intends.

The second thing is that the story is all about Joker. The tone of the story is far darker, seedier, and more ominous than back in the day, and of course, in the hands of Azzarello and Bermejo, Joker takes criminal insanity to a whole new level!!

The story is narrated by a small time criminal, currently a free man after having served 5 different times in prison. He offers to pick up Joker from the gates of Arkham Asylum, after he is mysteriously and abruptly released from the term he is serving there. Jonny Frost is intrigued by Joker, whose confidence and unpredictability are traits that Jonny comes to admire.

There are a host of characters who recur in the Batman villain stories and I've got to admit I'm not familiar with back stories on several of them. Harvey Dent I know, the Penguin I know, but the Croc and Harley Quinn are new to me. I think I may have missed some nuances as a result, but Alberto and Phil will help me clear away my question marks, I know. And please tell me if I understand correctly that Jonny's wife is also married to Harvey Dent.

The story follows the Joker, driven around by Jonny, who returns to Gotham City to retake all the underworld businesses that have continued very successfully in his forced absence. Jonny admires Joker, even as the blood spills all over town and starts out wanting to be like him. In the end we see that Jonny is delusional too if he thinks that Joker wants or needs him as a team member,,,Joker has a great plan to repossess his criminal enterprises, but the keyword to a Joker description is insane, not loyal, not dependable, but insane...oh, yeah, criminally insane...but certainly very well depicted with quick wit, clever dialog and great artwork!

But I've still got some questions about what exactly was going on in parts of the book...I admit, it's just me and my graphic gap, but I did enjoy the process! (less)

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May 26, 2011 Kayla Gough rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: The Dark knight fans, Batman fans, villain lovers, the criminally insane, Heath ledger fans

Shelves: reviewed, comicbooks

Rating: 3.5

This was my 1st graphic novel experience, and i do not regret that this was what i read 1st. The art is appropriately dirty looking, almost like it is bloated with filth. The dull, muted color splashes and scheme is very much creepy and chill-inducing. it also made the characters and atmosphere come to life by reflecting their slummy settings and corrupted souls. the story is all around strange, told in an extremely unexpected, painfully random and yet completely intriguing point of v...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Cherish added it

Synopsis: This is a graphic novel telling the story of Joker. It tells a story of how Joker try's to re-gain his city after getting out of like a mental place. He finds a guy named Jonny Frost (Main Character) that he uses as a sidekick. Jonny frost tells the story of what he and Joker do.

Classification: This graphic novel would be more for an audience of teenage boys or younger boys. This graphic novel was written more for enjoyment, there's really no real information. The setting of genre is...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Aldo added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When I choose this graphic novel i felt a little nervous. I usally only pick comics that somebody I know has recomended it. But as I read on, i found it to be a compelling and sycotic journey into one of the most memorbile comic book villians ever to created.

The book starts out with the mystrious relase of the Joker from the infamous Arkham Asylum. Narorated by his naive henchmen Jonny Frost. Who I guess could be considered as the protaginist. The Joker has been demoted from the King Of Gotham...more

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Jan 03, 2010 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Have been trying my darnedest to not get sucked back into the superhero genre. When I do randomly pick them up, I like to keep it a self-contained story arc that's not too caught up in the whole continuity thing - that's of course how they drag you back in. This one was given as a holiday gift.

I'm a big fan of writer Brian Azzarello. Loved his work in 100 Bullets. His gritty hard boiled crime style meshes really well with the world of Batman.

This story didn't feature much of Batman, rather it fo...more

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Oct 15, 2009 J.C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads, graphic-novels

The Joker?! Released from Arkham?! Talk about Instanity!

The premise of Joker is nearly unbelievable; however, given that premise, the story is believable beyond a shadow of doubt. Joker, in Joker, is in prime form, after being released from Arkham Asylum (for reasons never told, much like the vague and contradicting answers given in The Dark Knight about Joker's scars) and is starting from scratch, with nothing; no money, no help, and he considers "his city" in the toilet due to the negligence a...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-like, graphic-novels

While I must say I was a little disappointed after buying this, as it was hyped up to be absolutely amazing, I did enjoy it. Although the story itself was weak, there were some interesting moments. One piece of artwork I found fascinating was the part where Joker is on his knees, weeping, clutching Harley. There was no explanation to this, and I think it was this moment shows there was a lot more to the story than I originally thought, and what many people on here seem to have evaluated - I don'...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Randall Padilla rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I pick up a comic I pay attention to the art, if the art looks good, I hope the story will be as good (don't try this technique at home if you can't handle disappointing).

I started reading Joker because the art was clearly based on Hedge's Joker, and let's face it, who doesn't want to see more of this guy? Regardless, I was not ready for the tour of violence and madness that Azzarello had waiting for me. The Joker is out of Arkham -we never know why, although that is not important, even th...more

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About Brian Azzarello

Brian Azzarello (born in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. He and Argentine artist Eduardo Risso, with whom Azzarello first worked on Jonny Double, won the 2001 Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story for 100 Bullets #15–18: "Hang Up on the Hang Low".

Azzarello has written for Batman ("B...more

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Books by Brian Azzarello

100 Bullets, Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call (100 Bullets, #1)

100 Bullets, Vol. 2: Split Second Chance (100 Bullets, #2)

100 Bullets, Vol. 3: Hang Up on the Hang Low

100 Bullets, Vol. 4: A Foregone Tomorrow

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