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Batman: The Man Who Laughs (Batman)
A mysterious maniac is murdering prominent citizens of Gotham City, each time leaving a ghastly grin on the victims' faces. Batman soon tracks down the killer: the Joker!
This volume gives readers new insight into the early encounters between Batman and The Joker that led the Clown Prince of Crime down the path to insanity. Guest-starring the original Green Lant...more
This volume gives readers new insight into the early encounters between Batman and The Joker that led the Clown Prince of Crime down the path to insanity. Guest-starring the original Green Lant...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
February 3rd 2009
by DC Comics
(first published 2005)
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Two stories that illustrate some key pieces of the Batman universe: the origin of The Joker and overlap in history between Batman and the old Green Lantern.
The first is an interpretation that I haven't heard/seen before (Joker's possible connection to the Red Hood and a look at his "practicing") plus some interactions with Captain Gordon and some great Batman detective work which is always fun to read.
I don't know much about the original Green Lantern (from the '40...more
The first is an interpretation that I haven't heard/seen before (Joker's possible connection to the Red Hood and a look at his "practicing") plus some interactions with Captain Gordon and some great Batman detective work which is always fun to read.
I don't know much about the original Green Lantern (from the '40...more
Crime-noir comix writer Ed Brubaker breathes rare life into the hoary Joker in the first story here, which seems to be set in either the thirties, nineties, or fifties (lots of great Miller's Crossing style interiors). Suitably gruesome artwork from Doug Mahnke and Patrick Zircher adds some menace to the world's most tedious trickster. Keep your eye on Commissioner Gordon's odd but perfect changing hair color, from orange to mauve and back.
Second story's even weirder, a superhero te...more
Second story's even weirder, a superhero te...more
This is actually two stories in one volume, and they're both outstanding.
The first, "The Man Who Laughs", tells the story of Batman's first encounter with the Joker. In fact, it would make a lot of sense to read this right after Batman: Year One. This is where Batman first realizes the danger of the "supervillain".
The second, "Made of Wood", takes place at the opposite end of Batman's career. Commissioner Gordon has retired, Batman is still worki...more
The first, "The Man Who Laughs", tells the story of Batman's first encounter with the Joker. In fact, it would make a lot of sense to read this right after Batman: Year One. This is where Batman first realizes the danger of the "supervillain".
The second, "Made of Wood", takes place at the opposite end of Batman's career. Commissioner Gordon has retired, Batman is still worki...more
An Unbalanced Collection of Two Batman Stories
I still cannot imagine for the life of me why DC Comics published these two Batman stories together in one volume, let alone why the volume was name The Man Who Laughs (other than the title story sharing the same name). I can only wager a guess that when it was published The Dark Knight (the movie) was looming on the horizon and DC Comics wanted to get as much Joker/Batman as they could on the shelves. The two stories contained in this gr...more
I still cannot imagine for the life of me why DC Comics published these two Batman stories together in one volume, let alone why the volume was name The Man Who Laughs (other than the title story sharing the same name). I can only wager a guess that when it was published The Dark Knight (the movie) was looming on the horizon and DC Comics wanted to get as much Joker/Batman as they could on the shelves. The two stories contained in this gr...more
BATMAN: THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (3/5)
Every Batman fan who is a Batman fan has read Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke". Thus, all readers are familiar with the Joker's origin story offered in that book. What writer Ed Brubaker is attempting here is to present the Joker's first assault against Gotham city in the form of a modern tale for new readers. Set in the classic "Year One" era, it seems to be picking up shortly after the events of Frank Miller's pivotal storyline.
...more
Every Batman fan who is a Batman fan has read Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke". Thus, all readers are familiar with the Joker's origin story offered in that book. What writer Ed Brubaker is attempting here is to present the Joker's first assault against Gotham city in the form of a modern tale for new readers. Set in the classic "Year One" era, it seems to be picking up shortly after the events of Frank Miller's pivotal storyline.
...more
Pointless. The first story tries really hard to create continuity between "The Killing Joke" and "Year One" and accomplishes little else. I mean, this is supposed to be the first meeting of Batman and the Joker? What happened again? I already forgot, and I read it five hours ago. The second story has something to do with a serial killer and the original Green Lantern and a baseball bat or something.
Actually two stories compiled into one volume. The second story, Made of Wood, is not bad, but it's the title tale that is the gem of this graphic novel. A direct sequel to the Joker's backstory (the black and white flashbacks that largely inspired Tim Burton's Joker storyline) in Alan Moore's '80's Bat-masterpiece The Killing Joke, this is ostensibly Batman's first encounter with The Joker (having been accidentally transformed into said villain by the Bat himself in Killing Joke), and it's a ...more
I had to read this book for class and it was one of the hardest things I had to read. I am absolutely, positively terrified of clowns. That being said, the pictures were so amazingly realistic and well done that, during certain scenes with a lot of clowns, my friend had to read it to me so I wouldn't freak out and hide under the bed. Anyway, some of the pictures were so wonderfully done that I couldn't help but look at them. For instance, when Bruce Wayne goes into the poison induced flashback, ...more
I really got this book for the back up story that focuses on Batman and Green Lantern Alan Scott teaming up to solve a decades old crime.
The first story, the Joker one was... okay. It's certainly not my favorite story, but then any story focusing on the Joker is unlikely to be. Still, it was an interesting look at Batman's early days in Gotham, so I would have given it 3 stars.
As I said, I really got the book for the back up story, which was beautiful. There should be mo...more
The first story, the Joker one was... okay. It's certainly not my favorite story, but then any story focusing on the Joker is unlikely to be. Still, it was an interesting look at Batman's early days in Gotham, so I would have given it 3 stars.
As I said, I really got the book for the back up story, which was beautiful. There should be mo...more
This volume contains two unrelated stories, one an early Batman vs. Joker scenario that is more remarkable for the emotional texture between Gordon and Wayne than for any intriguing plot (or revelation about Mr. J). The other is about The Green Lantern, and it feels odd to pair it in this book, especially since it has nothing to do with The Joker.
Both stories are worth reading, but I wouldn't recommend that anyone rush out and get this book. Brubaker is a very hit-and-miss writer, and ...more
Both stories are worth reading, but I wouldn't recommend that anyone rush out and get this book. Brubaker is a very hit-and-miss writer, and ...more
I had a few people suggesting this book, so I went ahead and looked it up. Even though I see some geeks dislike it or nitpick at it, I thought it was pretty good. You get two stories here. One is a Joker origin story, and a second story that features the Golden Age Green Lantern. This does serve as a bit of a sequel to Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke" (which I learned Moore disavowed saying he did not intend for his story to become canonical). Still, these were some pretty good stories ...more
I enjoyed this comic most out of the ones I've read. It tells the story of the first encounter between Batman and the Joker as the latter tries to take his revenge in the usual crazy and seemingly random methods of his. The true character of the Joker emerges quite clearly in this comic with all his crazy and wacky ways of doing things. I loved the idea of going inside the mind of both Batman/Bruce and Commissioner Gordon and narrating their train of thoughts on how to capture this new menace. T...more
I got this book in November 2006. I was doing some research for a story I was writing and I wanted this one so badly. There had been so many retellings of Joker's first encounters with the Batman and I guess the big cheeses at DC decided to update it (from the then popular Legends of the Dark Knight 50 with a stunning Brian Bolland cover). It was the best $$I ever spent. Though Doug Mankhe's art makes me question whether or not he is an Iron Maiden fan I found this book to be a real gem. It had ...more
Any reader of my graphic novel reviews will know by now that I just about cream my pants whenever Brubaker puts his ballpoint to paper. Which explains why I picked this collection up as it come hot off the press in hardback just recently. [Oddly enough, I was relatively sedate in my admiration of Brubaker compared to all the man-love going around during his panel discussion two weeks back at the San Diego Comic-Con. Which speaks volumes about why he has been named Best Writer for several years i...more
Sometime last year, the price of the one shot Batman: The Man Who Laughs started going through the roof, almost over night. It’s hard to say if it had anything to do with the forthcoming Dark Knight, or the rise of it’s writer Ed Brubaker, or if somebody just finally got the word out that it was a fantastic Joker story.
D.C. made no attempts to go back to press on a one off that had been out to mild success in 2005, instead earlier this year the book was given a prestige hard cover format. ...more
D.C. made no attempts to go back to press on a one off that had been out to mild success in 2005, instead earlier this year the book was given a prestige hard cover format. ...more
Fantastic work. The writing, the artwork, it was all so cool. It was really fresh to see Batman work with a "new" character in Gotham's old protector the Green Lantern. The Lantern Bat was awesome as was a lot of the imagery. And that's just the second part. The entire first section with the Joker was brillant and really made you appreciate just what a crazy villian he is. Overall, fantastic stories, and great artwork. The art for the second story particulary was excellent!
This story connects Batman Year One with the origin of the Joker from the Killing Joke. This sounds like it would be a good idea but it just didn't seem to flow as well as Year One or Killing Joke. This is also supposed to be the first meeting between Batman and the Joker but there really is not much interaction between the two. I liked the first meeting as presented in the Batman Confidential story Lovers and Madmen more.
I was not in love with this one, though it was worth the read.
I'm never a fan of Joker origin stories. I think the mystery is what makes him all the more sinister. However, this only supposes an origin. While this also echoes of the first Tim Burton Batman film, it was still interesting and eerie at the same time. I didn't think that it covered radically new ground, but it was a fine Joker story.
"Made of Wood," the second story collected here, is a Green Lantern...more
I'm never a fan of Joker origin stories. I think the mystery is what makes him all the more sinister. However, this only supposes an origin. While this also echoes of the first Tim Burton Batman film, it was still interesting and eerie at the same time. I didn't think that it covered radically new ground, but it was a fine Joker story.
"Made of Wood," the second story collected here, is a Green Lantern...more
Absolutely fantastic sequel to "Batman: Year One" and "The Killing Joke." There aren't many writers out there competent enough to follow up both Alan Moore AND Frank Miller, but Brubaker is one of the best writer's in the industry and follows the masters beautifully.
Personally, I enjoyed the second story in this collection, "Made of Wood," even more than "The Man Who Laughs." Great book.
Personally, I enjoyed the second story in this collection, "Made of Wood," even more than "The Man Who Laughs." Great book.
Sofia
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People interested in Batman backstories
Shelves:
graphic-novels
I wasn't very impressed by this book. The artwork is good but the stories left me a bit cold. The first one felt like an almost superficial look into the Joker's reasons and story. The second one, well, I have to admit that I don't know much about the Green Lantern beyond the basics, so while it was OK to read it didn't really captivate me. Overall, this is an OK book but not a great one.
I think I should start a Batman shelf. This one takes us back, yes, again, to the near beginning with a "first" appearance of the Joker. A very dark and vile Joker, but I do not favor the purple-suit, pointy white chinned style. I think the Nolan movie got it perfect.
The second story takes place later and is a solid detective murder mystery with the Green Lantern thrown in.
The second story takes place later and is a solid detective murder mystery with the Green Lantern thrown in.
The world's greatest detective meets a mass killer with no motive - the Clown Prince of Crime himself, The Joker. The Batman is stumped for the first time ever and it explorers the lengths he go to in order to stop The Joker. Batman and everyone in Gotham City is never the same again.
Features on this list: The 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels & in Goodreads as Batman Best 25 Graphic Novels.
It's funny that I should choose to read this after "The Killing Joke" as both stories deal with the origin of The Joker. While I believe "The Killing Joke" to be a brilliant piece of writing, I can not say the same for "The Man Who Laughs". Although, I wonder if two of my fellow Goodreaders would like "The Man Who Laughs" more or less than "The Killing Joke".
This volume also continues and separate story written by Ed Brubaker that I ...more
This volume also continues and separate story written by Ed Brubaker that I ...more
The "sequel" to Year One, this was pretty awesome. The first encounter between Batman and the person who becomes the Joker. It's nice because it's very much about Batman's past coming back to haunt him and the start of something terrible for Gotham City.
Decent first story including the first crimes of the Joker.
As for the second one, I have never been a fan of other "superheros" mixing into Batman lore... (except when Superman got his face kicked in in the Dark Knight Returns!)
As for the second one, I have never been a fan of other "superheros" mixing into Batman lore... (except when Superman got his face kicked in in the Dark Knight Returns!)
This is a very solid read, with one story involving the Joker, the other the Green Lantern. Pacing and artwork was fine and while this work may not go down in history as anything ground-breaking in the Batman or Joker history, it was alright.
The first half is a very well told Joker story that will be somewhat familiar to fans. The second half is a good-not-great story involving the original Green Lantern, set much later in Batman's career, which makes for a strange pairing.
Two stories in here, one is a dynamite Batman meets the Joker story, and the second is a team up with Bats and a 1940's Green Lantern, which is interesting...but not as good as the first story.
Normally I really enjoy Ed Brubaker's stories, but this trade really didn't do much for me. Rather mediocre and forgetful. Don't see myself ever rereading anything from this book.
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Ed Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central, Sleeper, Uncanny X-Men and X-Men: Deadly Genesis, and The Authority, and ...more
More about Ed Brubaker...
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central, Sleeper, Uncanny X-Men and X-Men: Deadly Genesis, and The Authority, and ...more
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