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Batman Damned #1-3
Batman: Damned
New York Times bestselling graphic novel!
The Joker has been murdered. His killer is a mystery. Batman is the World's Greatest Detective. But what happens when the person he is searching for is the man staring back at him in the mirror?
THE JOKER IS DEAD.
There is no doubt about that. But whether Batman finally snapped his scrawny neck or some other sinister force in Gotham City did the deed is still a mystery.
Problem is, Batman can't remember...and the more he digs into this labyrinthine case, the more he starts to doubt everything he's uncovering.
So who better to set him straight than...John Constantine?
The problem with that is as much as John loves a good mystery, he loves messing with people's heads even more. So with John's "help," the pair will delve into the sordid underbelly of Gotham as they race toward the mind-blowing truth of who murdered the Joker.
Batman: Damned is a groundbreaking supernatural horror story told by two of comics' greatest modern creators: Brian Azzarello (Dark Knight III: The Master Race, 100 Bullets) and Lee Bermejo (Hellblazer, Joker).
This hardcover volume collects Batman: Damned #1-3 and features a behind-the-scenes extras gallery with an afterword by Brian Azzarello.
NOTE: Enhanced cover will only be on first printing copies!
The Joker has been murdered. His killer is a mystery. Batman is the World's Greatest Detective. But what happens when the person he is searching for is the man staring back at him in the mirror?
THE JOKER IS DEAD.
There is no doubt about that. But whether Batman finally snapped his scrawny neck or some other sinister force in Gotham City did the deed is still a mystery.
Problem is, Batman can't remember...and the more he digs into this labyrinthine case, the more he starts to doubt everything he's uncovering.
So who better to set him straight than...John Constantine?
The problem with that is as much as John loves a good mystery, he loves messing with people's heads even more. So with John's "help," the pair will delve into the sordid underbelly of Gotham as they race toward the mind-blowing truth of who murdered the Joker.
Batman: Damned is a groundbreaking supernatural horror story told by two of comics' greatest modern creators: Brian Azzarello (Dark Knight III: The Master Race, 100 Bullets) and Lee Bermejo (Hellblazer, Joker).
This hardcover volume collects Batman: Damned #1-3 and features a behind-the-scenes extras gallery with an afterword by Brian Azzarello.
NOTE: Enhanced cover will only be on first printing copies!
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2019
159 people are currently reading
4199 people want to read
About the author
Brian Azzarello
1,288 books1,105 followersBrian 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 ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).
In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.
As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.
information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...
Azzarello has written for Batman ("Broken City", art by Risso; "Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire", art by Lee Bermejo, Tim Bradstreet, & Mick Gray) and Superman ("For Tomorrow", art by Jim Lee).
In 2005, Azzarello began a new creator-owned series, the western Loveless, with artist Marcelo Frusin.
As of 2007, Azzarello is married to fellow comic-book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson.
information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Az...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 845 reviews
July 4, 2021
I thought the 1st issue was a very cool start to some sort of an edgy Batman story.
But I'm a big enough person to admit that I was way off base with that prediction.
This was a nonsensical bullshit comic with (and I can't stress this enough) terrible lettering that made reading it next to impossible.
Here's how little I understood/liked this:
My son asked me what it was about and I ended up looking around online (Wikipedia mostly) for some help, reading that stuff, and then trying to explain the comic I'd just read. Or thought I'd read. I wasn't really sure. And it just made me feel like a dumbass.
Ugh.
Ok, so if you like those metaphorical, choose your own ending, trippy kind of comics that (to me) seemed aimed toward pretentious readers who like to think books should be studied and dissected, instead of enjoyed?
Well.
You know who you are, and this comic is for you.
What the FUCK was Enchantress doing in this?
And no, I'm not asking why was she in Batman's comic, because I like her and enjoy it when authors play mix and match with characters that don't normally seem to fit. I mean that I do not get what the hell she ACTUALLY did to Bruce.
Was she even really there?
Did any of this happen? I know it was some sort of Elseworlds story, but even so, it was too whacked out for me.
I hate...hate...stories like this. I cannot. Between the oddball hallucinations, symbolism that I didn't understand, and straining to make out the letters because someone used a ghost pencil, I ended up with a scrunched up face that looked like a frustrated toddler.
Which is probably what I sound like right now.
Beautiful art, though.
But ohmygod this story was garbage.
Ok. No. That's maybe not fair. It's not garbage, it's just not something that I personally liked.
Also,
But I'm a big enough person to admit that I was way off base with that prediction.
This was a nonsensical bullshit comic with (and I can't stress this enough) terrible lettering that made reading it next to impossible.
Here's how little I understood/liked this:
My son asked me what it was about and I ended up looking around online (Wikipedia mostly) for some help, reading that stuff, and then trying to explain the comic I'd just read. Or thought I'd read. I wasn't really sure. And it just made me feel like a dumbass.
Ugh.
Ok, so if you like those metaphorical, choose your own ending, trippy kind of comics that (to me) seemed aimed toward pretentious readers who like to think books should be studied and dissected, instead of enjoyed?
Well.
You know who you are, and this comic is for you.
What the FUCK was Enchantress doing in this?
And no, I'm not asking why was she in Batman's comic, because I like her and enjoy it when authors play mix and match with characters that don't normally seem to fit. I mean that I do not get what the hell she ACTUALLY did to Bruce.
Was she even really there?
Did any of this happen? I know it was some sort of Elseworlds story, but even so, it was too whacked out for me.
I hate...hate...stories like this. I cannot. Between the oddball hallucinations, symbolism that I didn't understand, and straining to make out the letters because someone used a ghost pencil, I ended up with a scrunched up face that looked like a frustrated toddler.
Which is probably what I sound like right now.
Beautiful art, though.
But ohmygod this story was garbage.
Ok. No. That's maybe not fair. It's not garbage, it's just not something that I personally liked.
Also,
March 23, 2020
This thing was incomprehensible. It seemed more like an excuse to show Bermejo's redesigns for DC's magic characters more than anything else. Like Joker was an excuse to redesign Batman's rogues gallery, this was an exercise for Bermejo to get his hands on Justice League Dark. The art is fantastic, even if he does oversexualize Zatanna. Visually this book is stunning. It just doesn't tell you in more than broad stokes what was going on with Batman at all. The book is semi narrated by John Constantine. You'd think that would work great given that Azzarello wrote Hellblazer for over 5 years, but it's awful. He just spouts page after page of meaningless bullshit. If there hadn't been all the hullabaloo about showing Batman's dick, this book would have already been forgotten.
January 7, 2025
Awesome artwork and a good concept, but that is about it. Batman wakes up in the back of a ambulance the the whole story goes to Wonderland from there.
Batman learns the Joker is dead, the witness is a hobo who is not a hobo, and the Justice League Dark cast in completely different roles. I have no idea why. Also, he is seeing visions that young family life was not as happy as we previously remembered.Constantine is annoying narrator/guide on Batmans journey.
I have to say I have always hated horror stories, I did figure me liking Batman so much, would even the scales. Unfortunately, it did not. I especially hate the ending. As great as the artwork is, I would not recommend this.
Batman learns the Joker is dead, the witness is a hobo who is not a hobo, and the Justice League Dark cast in completely different roles. I have no idea why. Also, he is seeing visions that young family life was not as happy as we previously remembered.Constantine is annoying narrator/guide on Batmans journey.
I have to say I have always hated horror stories, I did figure me liking Batman so much, would even the scales. Unfortunately, it did not. I especially hate the ending. As great as the artwork is, I would not recommend this.
February 29, 2020
The Joker’s dead - pushed off a bridge. Whodunit? Batman. Or did he… ? So begins a hallucinatory voyage through the streets of Gotham and Batman’s memory to find the truth.
In his afterword, Brian Azzarello reveals that Batman: Damned was conceived in the wake of his and Lee Bermejo’s unexpected 2008 bestseller, Joker, as a continuation of that storyline in this more realistic Batman world. But, for one reason or another, the project got shelved - until DC resurrected it a decade later to launch their Black Label line.
This is also one of the most talked-about Batman books of recent years purely because, in the first single issue, you got a full frontal shot of Bruce Wayne’s penus. It’s been blacked out in this collected edition (boo!) and the single issues are still being sold for silly money on eBay, but the jpegs are all over the internet if you really want to see it anyway. So in that sense Batman: Damned was a success because it got people talking and shone a big light on DC Black Label. But, in a more substantive sense, this book is pretty crap.
Azzarello’s original script was an event where Batman was in the Justice League Dark and, though it was later repurposed into what became this book, at any rate all of the JLD appear throughout Damned. Joining Batman on his journey through Gotham’s levels of hell is his very own chain-smoking Virgil, John Constantine, and, because this is set in the same world as 2008’s Joker, Lee Bermejo draws some really interesting “realistic” versions of familiar characters.
Zatanna is a punky street performer, Deadman has transparent skin so that his red suit is actually red human muscle, Spectre is a raving homeless junkie, and Jason Blood/Etrigan is a (cringey) rapper. Enchantress has never looked spookier and Bermejo’s vision of her in the final act, perhaps channelling horror artist Richard Corben, is genuinely terrifying.
And Bermejo’s always-incredible painted art is about the only truly great aspect of the book, unfortunately. All the characters look amazing - I can’t say enough good things about every single page here so I won’t even try. It’s wunnerful. I also really liked Jared K. Fletcher’s imaginative lettering that does away with caption boxes and floats disembodied throughout, beautifully complementing the artwork rather than obscuring it.
Azzarello’s dreamlike narrative is boring at best. We know Batman didn’t really kill Joker so there’s no real mystery to solve - we’re just watching as Batman and Constantine ping-pong from one JLD cameo to another. Flashbacks are spliced in between this to Bruce’s childhood, so there’s a slightly different, dreary origin going on - and that’s it. It’s such an unimpressive and forgettable “story” that’s barely coherent and never engaging.
If the most notable thing about your book is a naughty dick pic then you haven’t written anything worth reading - so it goes with Batman: Damned Dull. It’s worth picking up if you’re a fan of Lee Bermejo’s art but don’t expect Azzarello’s writing to come even close to matching it in terms of quality. If you’ve not read this creative team’s previous books, Joker and Luthor, they’re both much more interesting to check out than Damned.
In his afterword, Brian Azzarello reveals that Batman: Damned was conceived in the wake of his and Lee Bermejo’s unexpected 2008 bestseller, Joker, as a continuation of that storyline in this more realistic Batman world. But, for one reason or another, the project got shelved - until DC resurrected it a decade later to launch their Black Label line.
This is also one of the most talked-about Batman books of recent years purely because, in the first single issue, you got a full frontal shot of Bruce Wayne’s penus. It’s been blacked out in this collected edition (boo!) and the single issues are still being sold for silly money on eBay, but the jpegs are all over the internet if you really want to see it anyway. So in that sense Batman: Damned was a success because it got people talking and shone a big light on DC Black Label. But, in a more substantive sense, this book is pretty crap.
Azzarello’s original script was an event where Batman was in the Justice League Dark and, though it was later repurposed into what became this book, at any rate all of the JLD appear throughout Damned. Joining Batman on his journey through Gotham’s levels of hell is his very own chain-smoking Virgil, John Constantine, and, because this is set in the same world as 2008’s Joker, Lee Bermejo draws some really interesting “realistic” versions of familiar characters.
Zatanna is a punky street performer, Deadman has transparent skin so that his red suit is actually red human muscle, Spectre is a raving homeless junkie, and Jason Blood/Etrigan is a (cringey) rapper. Enchantress has never looked spookier and Bermejo’s vision of her in the final act, perhaps channelling horror artist Richard Corben, is genuinely terrifying.
And Bermejo’s always-incredible painted art is about the only truly great aspect of the book, unfortunately. All the characters look amazing - I can’t say enough good things about every single page here so I won’t even try. It’s wunnerful. I also really liked Jared K. Fletcher’s imaginative lettering that does away with caption boxes and floats disembodied throughout, beautifully complementing the artwork rather than obscuring it.
Azzarello’s dreamlike narrative is boring at best. We know Batman didn’t really kill Joker so there’s no real mystery to solve - we’re just watching as Batman and Constantine ping-pong from one JLD cameo to another. Flashbacks are spliced in between this to Bruce’s childhood, so there’s a slightly different, dreary origin going on - and that’s it. It’s such an unimpressive and forgettable “story” that’s barely coherent and never engaging.
If the most notable thing about your book is a naughty dick pic then you haven’t written anything worth reading - so it goes with Batman: Damned Dull. It’s worth picking up if you’re a fan of Lee Bermejo’s art but don’t expect Azzarello’s writing to come even close to matching it in terms of quality. If you’ve not read this creative team’s previous books, Joker and Luthor, they’re both much more interesting to check out than Damned.
January 31, 2020
"The Devil! The Devil is here in Gotham City!" -- scared homeless man
"Amen to that." -- Commissioner Gordon
Batman: Damned ? More like Damn, Yet Another Disappointing Batman Story ! And that's a shame, as I loved reading the superior Batman: White Knight (also from DC's 'Black Label') early in 2019. This book, however, tries too hard for the dark and gritty angle, and ends up being ugly and annoying.
Yet, I also have to say there were actually a few good moments. A cameo appearance by Zatanna was most welcome (although her impact was minimal), and a fierce rooftop fight sequence - thank goodness for the action scenes to pick up the pace in this slow and solemn story - was knowingly peppered with the sound effects that used to blast onto the screen in the 60's live-action TV series.
BIFF! BANG! POW! . . . thanks, but ultimately no thanks.
"Amen to that." -- Commissioner Gordon
Batman: Damned ? More like Damn, Yet Another Disappointing Batman Story ! And that's a shame, as I loved reading the superior Batman: White Knight (also from DC's 'Black Label') early in 2019. This book, however, tries too hard for the dark and gritty angle, and ends up being ugly and annoying.
Yet, I also have to say there were actually a few good moments. A cameo appearance by Zatanna was most welcome (although her impact was minimal), and a fierce rooftop fight sequence - thank goodness for the action scenes to pick up the pace in this slow and solemn story - was knowingly peppered with the sound effects that used to blast onto the screen in the 60's live-action TV series.
BIFF! BANG! POW! . . . thanks, but ultimately no thanks.
June 28, 2019
Oh boy, what a mess. Batman: Damned is a very clumsy attempt at creating an 'adult' Batman comic, and I'm not just talking about the whole Batwang controversy, or the fact that it daringly uses words like 'shit' and 'fuck'. Azzarello's writing is pretentious, the story is nearly incomprehensible, trying to pass for being deep and meaningful yet not really saying anything profound or interesting about Batman or his world. This book felt like it was written by an angsty teenager who thinks his edgy poetry is groundbreaking (and hey, I used to be that teenager, too — I really hope I won't be when I'm 56 like Brian Azzarello, though). Lee Bermejo's art is mostly great, though his laughably thick and muscly Batman and over-sexualised Zatanna and Harley do nothing to sway away that hormonal-teenager-is-making-this-book feeling. Overall?
:Damned.
(sorry, couldn't resist)
:Damned.
(sorry, couldn't resist)
November 7, 2020
Well, it’s unpopular opinion time again. I much preferred this to the ‘Joker’ graphic novel it’s a (sort of) sequel to. For starters, Bermejo’s artwork is much better in this one. He’s clearly been busy honing his art in the decade since ‘Joker’ was published. As for the story, while I do agree with a lot of this book’s critics that the dialogue could be better and the plot was a bit messy, I did like the overall horror movie tone and I absolutely loved the final twist*, leading to a much more enjoyable reading experience for me.
Story: 3 stars
Artwork: 5 stars
Overall: 4 stars
* A final twist that most of the negative reviewers clearly either didn’t understand or just missed completely, in my opinion. Sorry folks but, in this case, you did ‘read it wrong’.
Story: 3 stars
Artwork: 5 stars
Overall: 4 stars
* A final twist that most of the negative reviewers clearly either didn’t understand or just missed completely, in my opinion. Sorry folks but, in this case, you did ‘read it wrong’.
September 11, 2019
Perfect. Everything Batman has needed to be for decades. Gone are the days of hokey daytime crime fighting and PG puzzle solving. Finally, Batman is written and illustrated with the grit, intrigue, and substance suitable for mature audiences.
The story is challenging, which is to say it requires the reader to think. The dialogue is from an unknown and (perhaps?) unreliable narrator. The narration examines the core attributes of Batman from unique angles. The depiction of familiar characters in new lights is unsettling and expertly executed. And the focus on Batman—not Bruce Wayne, but Batman—shines a spotlight on the myth, not the man. Even when Batman is out of the batsuit, he is still operating as Batman throughout. I've never read a comic that so completely dedicates itself to examining who Batman is.
There are also slight supernatural and horrific elements to the story were excellent additions. It gave the story additional novelty and edge without over doing it.
Finally, enough cannot be said about how well executed the art and story are. The feel of the comic is consistently dark. Every page is filled with some of the best art I have seen in a comic.
One of my favorite books. I really hope this is indicative of the direction Batman is heading.
The story is challenging, which is to say it requires the reader to think. The dialogue is from an unknown and (perhaps?) unreliable narrator. The narration examines the core attributes of Batman from unique angles. The depiction of familiar characters in new lights is unsettling and expertly executed. And the focus on Batman—not Bruce Wayne, but Batman—shines a spotlight on the myth, not the man. Even when Batman is out of the batsuit, he is still operating as Batman throughout. I've never read a comic that so completely dedicates itself to examining who Batman is.
There are also slight supernatural and horrific elements to the story were excellent additions. It gave the story additional novelty and edge without over doing it.
Finally, enough cannot be said about how well executed the art and story are. The feel of the comic is consistently dark. Every page is filled with some of the best art I have seen in a comic.
One of my favorite books. I really hope this is indicative of the direction Batman is heading.
September 12, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
The DC Black Label imprint allows world-class authors and artists to write stand-alone stories featuring classic DC characters. To inaugurate this imprint, the first story to embrace the logo features two exciting creators who have accomplished incredible stories on their own and now look to stun the world with a dark and horrifying tale centered around Batman. Unfortunately, a controversy surges from this story and it is nothing more irrelevant as the open portrayal of Bruce Wayne’s penis. While it almost sounds like a joke, this issue has led the company to act quickly, considering this content too mature for its audience. DC thus decided to quickly act upon this revelation and to censor it from any future edition, including this edition. This news has unfortunately tainted the graphic novel and gave this story the burden to try and overcome this obstacle despite the tough start. While fans will hope that the story will speak for itself, it isn’t one that will unanimously please everyone.
What is Batman: Damned about? Gravely injured, Batman looks for help as he crawls his way through Gotham until an unexpected helping hand reaches for him and pulls him out of his despair. It’s none other than John Constantine and he isn’t here to make Batman’s life any easier. Having no memory of the night before, Bruce Wayne now discovers that a man was murdered, one who was considered a monster who has brought terror to Gotham and took so many lives out of pure pleasure: the Joker. As the World’s Greatest Detective, Batman looks to find out who killed the Clown Prince of Gotham but runs into more trouble along the way as he embarks on an internal psychological battle where his purpose is questioned. As they both delve into the sordid underbelly of Gotham, they also encounter a couple of allies who could either lead them in the right direction or right into a truth that Batman is not ready to confront.
This stand-alone story missed its mark and to dissect it would be to overthink it when the final product should’ve had a better foundation and a clearer direction in the first place. While it could easily be seen as a sequel to Brian Azzarello’s Joker, it still remains the first original story arc to launch the DC Black Label imprint, one that is as dark and supernatural as it could ever get in Gotham. Split into three issues, this miniseries allows writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo to utilize characters often associated with the Justice League Dark while mooring them around Batman. Sadly, none of the characters that are shoehorned into the story know any form of character development and solely relish from an elegant artistic portrayal by Lee Bermejo.
Throughout the story, readers are subjugated to Batman’s inner turmoil as he plunges into madness and loses control on reality—which leads the reader to often wonder if they’re in front of hallucinations or not. While it is a treat to watch supernatural elements being infused into Batman’s existence, it struggles to find relevance as it dissolves with the dreams, hallucinations and abstract imagery that is intended to bring him to reflect on his purpose as the Dark Knight. In fact, the whole story tries to help him ponder on his control over fear by thus looking at his lack of control on it. While the idea is interesting, the execution is lackluster.
It is indeed fascinating to watch Bruce Wayne go through some of the strongest emotions he has had to suppress throughout his legacy, especially fear. However, we’re also confronted with tangent issues within the plot where hypersexualized female characters make brief appearances with no real purpose, where heroes that delve in magical and mythical lore appear and disappear to only remind us of their existence and nothing more, and where a narrator (John Constantine) who speaks in puns and disorienting maxims steers the reader away from any possibility of understanding what is going on.
Fortunately, the artwork is the driving force of this graphic novel and it is no surprise. Artist Lee Bermejo is one of the best at what he does as he draws an astonishingly realistic and grim Gotham, drenched in a colour scheme that is beyond impressive, as well as some of the best character designs in the industry—although the hypersexualization is unnecessary. How he successfully blends the supernatural with Gotham’s landscape is stunning. One conveys the natural menace of criminals while the other illustrates the intangible oddity from the realm of magic. There’s a compact colouring that occurs for either Batman’s shadow or blood that feels like a juxtaposition on the general art, seeming a bit too radical of a contrast. Some of the lettering done is also questionable, especially when directly integrated with the art, making it a bit less appealing. However, the tone throughout the volume remains constant and marvelous.
Batman: Damned is a visually-dazzling supernatural horror story that attempts to grope its way to some form of cohesion without any guideline as it delves deeps into the mind of the Dark Knight.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
_______________________
Damn...
September 25, 2019
Every once in a while you get to read something groundbreaking. Something that redefines an entire medium of literature. Or an entire genre. Or something that forever changes our perspective. Batman: Damned is one of those books. It changes comic books forever.
The story, very briefly, revolves around Joker being murdered and Batman trying to find out if he killed him and, if he didn't, who did. The story is supernatural, involving Hell and demons and Constantine. The story is very dark, and wonderfully portrays the gritty, crumbling, hopeless nature of Gotham. You really feel the gravity of what Batman is eternally up against, and I thought that was great.
Some online sources indicate this is "kind of" a sequel to Joker, but after reading it I can tell you it is definitely a sequel, even including some scenes from Joker in flashbacks and directly tying into its story. This was done in a brilliant way, and it made me love this book even more.
The art in this book has also been taken to another level. In Joker, the art was also great, but I noticed the quality varied a lot. There'd be a full-page scene that was extremely detailed and bordering on museum art, and then entire pages of panels with far less detail. In Batman: Damned, every single panel and page in the entire book, with maybe a handful of exceptions out of hundreds of panels, is extremely detailed. Even very tiny panels meant to show something like a close up of an eye or a mouth with gritting teeth.
It's all meticulously detailed, and incredibly dark, and unbelievably vibrant. The art in this book is simply alive; that's the only way I can describe it. It comes out at you. In many cases it's so good it's almost indistinguishable from a photograph. Lee Bermejo has raised the bar for comic book art here, to staggering, fine art proportions.
The ending of the book is also completely mindblowing. It's absolutely brilliant, and thought-provoking, and it leaves you thinking about this book, and Batman, and the nature of his reality long after you turn the last page. The bonus material in my edition, which includes additional art, notes on what was envisioned for specific scenes, and an insightful afterword from Brian Azzarello were also tremendous and added a lot to the overall experience.
Abandon hope, all ye who enter here and expect the same old generic comic book they've been reading for years. This book isn't for you. This book redefines comic books, it redefines comic book art, and it will change the way you think about Batman forever. This book is for the brave. For the bold. For those who have ever looked at the comic book medium and wished it could be something more. Because now it can be something more. Now it is.
A masterpiece in every sense of the word, Batman: Damned will, hopefully, someday take its rightful place among the greatest Batman comics of all time. Highly, highly recommended.
The story, very briefly, revolves around Joker being murdered and Batman trying to find out if he killed him and, if he didn't, who did. The story is supernatural, involving Hell and demons and Constantine. The story is very dark, and wonderfully portrays the gritty, crumbling, hopeless nature of Gotham. You really feel the gravity of what Batman is eternally up against, and I thought that was great.
Some online sources indicate this is "kind of" a sequel to Joker, but after reading it I can tell you it is definitely a sequel, even including some scenes from Joker in flashbacks and directly tying into its story. This was done in a brilliant way, and it made me love this book even more.
The art in this book has also been taken to another level. In Joker, the art was also great, but I noticed the quality varied a lot. There'd be a full-page scene that was extremely detailed and bordering on museum art, and then entire pages of panels with far less detail. In Batman: Damned, every single panel and page in the entire book, with maybe a handful of exceptions out of hundreds of panels, is extremely detailed. Even very tiny panels meant to show something like a close up of an eye or a mouth with gritting teeth.
It's all meticulously detailed, and incredibly dark, and unbelievably vibrant. The art in this book is simply alive; that's the only way I can describe it. It comes out at you. In many cases it's so good it's almost indistinguishable from a photograph. Lee Bermejo has raised the bar for comic book art here, to staggering, fine art proportions.
The ending of the book is also completely mindblowing. It's absolutely brilliant, and thought-provoking, and it leaves you thinking about this book, and Batman, and the nature of his reality long after you turn the last page. The bonus material in my edition, which includes additional art, notes on what was envisioned for specific scenes, and an insightful afterword from Brian Azzarello were also tremendous and added a lot to the overall experience.
Abandon hope, all ye who enter here and expect the same old generic comic book they've been reading for years. This book isn't for you. This book redefines comic books, it redefines comic book art, and it will change the way you think about Batman forever. This book is for the brave. For the bold. For those who have ever looked at the comic book medium and wished it could be something more. Because now it can be something more. Now it is.
A masterpiece in every sense of the word, Batman: Damned will, hopefully, someday take its rightful place among the greatest Batman comics of all time. Highly, highly recommended.
June 29, 2019
Well...just about what I expect from Azzarello on anything other than Wonder Woman.
Batman starts off hurt and of course the rest of the story just jumps around. The timeline on this story actually is really confusing. Batman is hurt, then rescued by a friend, but then random cameos that are oversexulized and a rapper version of a real big villain in the DC Lore and...you know what? This story sucks. I wasn't a fan of Joker, but this is in the same vain, with more cursing, and not all that interesting.
Overall, besides some amazing art, this isn't worth reading. A 2 out of 5.
Batman starts off hurt and of course the rest of the story just jumps around. The timeline on this story actually is really confusing. Batman is hurt, then rescued by a friend, but then random cameos that are oversexulized and a rapper version of a real big villain in the DC Lore and...you know what? This story sucks. I wasn't a fan of Joker, but this is in the same vain, with more cursing, and not all that interesting.
Overall, besides some amazing art, this isn't worth reading. A 2 out of 5.
May 15, 2020
The complete review with pictures showing off the art can be found at https://amanjareads.com/2020/05/15/ba...
Batman: Damned is a 3 book limited run that kicks off the DC Black Label. DC's answer to even darker and even more brooding.
Batman: Damned is one of those incredibly frustrating books that is all flash with no substance.
The art is gorgeous. Let's get nothing wrong about that. It's stunning, creepy, detailed, and shocking. It's everything I want to look at with a darker comic book.
And this one certainly aims to be dark. It's violent, edgy, brooding, and well, Batman. Add Constantine into the mix and you have Batman with a sarcastic devil in hell on earth. And somehow, it's still boring.
The reader kind of glides along in a fugue state trying to follow the ethereal art and gothic poetry lines scattered along the pages. It's pretty, it's dream like, but it's meaningless.
Throughout all three books not much of anything actually happens. We get some flashbacks that may or may not be real depending on how much hallucinating is going on and we get some guilt trip dreams but nothing much actually occurs.
By the end of the story we see that any deaths that have been portrayed will not stay permanent and therefore have no meaning. Additionally, any lessons that were learned will be negated.
The book might work for a younger audience who is trying to step out of the mainstream and feel edgy without actually being dangerous but it didn't really work for me.
It's got some creepy monsters and Constantine doesn't follow your rules baby! So you know, teenager stuff. But if you're looking for substance you'll have to search elsewhere.
As much as I loved the art I didn't care much for Harley Quinn's design.
Too zombie Marilyn Monroe for my taste, but that's just my opinion.
But the reason that you're all here is that you may have heard that this is the run of Batman in which his penis is out. That is true.
I am lucky enough to have gotten a hold of the early print of the run before the censors got crazy and took out the only remarkable thing this book had going for it. Batman, totally naked.
Let's not get crazy, I'm not going to show it here because I don't want to get labeled as not suitable for work. Also, makes me feel special if I've seen it and other people haven't. Not gonna lie.
But I will say that it is tastefully done. Batman is in the solitary shadows of the Batcave, stripped of his armor. He's pure muscle and battle wounds and looks both powerful and vulnerable at the same time. It's honestly quite well done.
And I'm always for equal opportunity nudity! Which is good since Harley and Zatana show quite a bit of skin in this one but we actually see more of Bruce Wayne and that's nice for a change.
Unfortunately, seeing The Dark Knight's long arm of the law is not enough to make this book worth more than just flipping through the pages to see all the pretty pictures.
Batman: Damned is a 3 book limited run that kicks off the DC Black Label. DC's answer to even darker and even more brooding.
Batman: Damned is one of those incredibly frustrating books that is all flash with no substance.
The art is gorgeous. Let's get nothing wrong about that. It's stunning, creepy, detailed, and shocking. It's everything I want to look at with a darker comic book.
And this one certainly aims to be dark. It's violent, edgy, brooding, and well, Batman. Add Constantine into the mix and you have Batman with a sarcastic devil in hell on earth. And somehow, it's still boring.
The reader kind of glides along in a fugue state trying to follow the ethereal art and gothic poetry lines scattered along the pages. It's pretty, it's dream like, but it's meaningless.
Throughout all three books not much of anything actually happens. We get some flashbacks that may or may not be real depending on how much hallucinating is going on and we get some guilt trip dreams but nothing much actually occurs.
By the end of the story we see that any deaths that have been portrayed will not stay permanent and therefore have no meaning. Additionally, any lessons that were learned will be negated.
The book might work for a younger audience who is trying to step out of the mainstream and feel edgy without actually being dangerous but it didn't really work for me.
It's got some creepy monsters and Constantine doesn't follow your rules baby! So you know, teenager stuff. But if you're looking for substance you'll have to search elsewhere.
As much as I loved the art I didn't care much for Harley Quinn's design.
Too zombie Marilyn Monroe for my taste, but that's just my opinion.
But the reason that you're all here is that you may have heard that this is the run of Batman in which his penis is out. That is true.
I am lucky enough to have gotten a hold of the early print of the run before the censors got crazy and took out the only remarkable thing this book had going for it. Batman, totally naked.
Let's not get crazy, I'm not going to show it here because I don't want to get labeled as not suitable for work. Also, makes me feel special if I've seen it and other people haven't. Not gonna lie.
But I will say that it is tastefully done. Batman is in the solitary shadows of the Batcave, stripped of his armor. He's pure muscle and battle wounds and looks both powerful and vulnerable at the same time. It's honestly quite well done.
And I'm always for equal opportunity nudity! Which is good since Harley and Zatana show quite a bit of skin in this one but we actually see more of Bruce Wayne and that's nice for a change.
Unfortunately, seeing The Dark Knight's long arm of the law is not enough to make this book worth more than just flipping through the pages to see all the pretty pictures.
April 15, 2022
La primera obra que inauguró el "nuevo Vértigo", la ya extinta línea adulta de DC Cómics que tantos éxitos le dio a la editorial y a los lectores. Ahora con la etiqueta de DC Black Label, está línea también enfocada para lectores adultos tiene una gran diferencia al menos para mí a Vértigo, para empezar la calidad no es la misma, y lo digo sin haber leído el resto de obras. Pero es que Vértigo es mucho Vértigo. La otra es que parece que está más enfocada en el universo DC como tal, puesto que la anterior tenía fama de publicar obras más independientes del propio universo. Sólo con decir que casi la mitad del catálogo actual de Black Label son obras de Batman...
Y además que ya es famoso por la censura, puesto que en este mismo cómic ya tuvieron que eliminar el pene de Bruce Wayne que aparecía fugazmente en un momento del cómic. Es triste sobre todo cuando te venden una línea "para adultos", tampoco me sorprende viendo como es de puritana está nueva generación.
Pues todo empezó aquí, con el fantástico dúo Azzarello y Bermejo que tantas alegrías nos trajo en el pasado con obras como Joker o Luthor.
En esta ocasión nos trae Condenado, una miniserie en tres partes que nos cuenta las consecuencias de la supuesta muerte del Joker y como Batman debe buscar respuestas a su asesinato. Pero esto es solo el comienzo de un viaje lisérgico, un paseo por una Gotham City paranormal, un sendero hacia el Pandemónium. Pues por algún motivo Batman está desorientado y está siendo aconsejado por todo el mundo paranormal de DC, en estas páginas desfilarán personajes como John Constantine, Zatanna, la Cosa del Pantano, Etrigan, Deadman... En ese aspecto quien le encante el mundo sobrenatural de DC lo va a gozar.
El dibujo de Bermejo es bestial, para mí está en el top de dibujantes del hombre murciélago. Un dibujo hiperrealista, y que en este caso juega mucho con un mundo extrasensorial, detrás de los mugrientos muros de Gotham se esconde un mundo aún peor, infernal. Donde fuerzas más poderosas que los mortales juegan sus juegos de poderes oscuros.
La obra que ha sido fuertemente criticada por su ilegible lectura, muchos lectores que se han perdido en sus alegorías, juegos visuales, etc. Y aunque a mí tampoco me parece un imprescindible, tampoco me ha parecido para tanto. Leído del tirón se entiende mejor el concepto y está justificado cuando llegas al final y descubres que está es una secuela de una de las anteriores obras de Azzarrello. La obra deja la puerta abierta a una tercera entrega que por ahora no ha llegado. El futuro dirá si Azzarello y Bermejo vuelven a unirse para la ocasión. Por mi parte, ya solo por gozar sus lápices, me vale.
Y no digo más. Adentraros en este purgatorio llamado Gotham y acompañar al Caballero Oscuro a encontrar respuestas que quizás no quiera descubrir.
Y además que ya es famoso por la censura, puesto que en este mismo cómic ya tuvieron que eliminar el pene de Bruce Wayne que aparecía fugazmente en un momento del cómic. Es triste sobre todo cuando te venden una línea "para adultos", tampoco me sorprende viendo como es de puritana está nueva generación.
Pues todo empezó aquí, con el fantástico dúo Azzarello y Bermejo que tantas alegrías nos trajo en el pasado con obras como Joker o Luthor.
En esta ocasión nos trae Condenado, una miniserie en tres partes que nos cuenta las consecuencias de la supuesta muerte del Joker y como Batman debe buscar respuestas a su asesinato. Pero esto es solo el comienzo de un viaje lisérgico, un paseo por una Gotham City paranormal, un sendero hacia el Pandemónium. Pues por algún motivo Batman está desorientado y está siendo aconsejado por todo el mundo paranormal de DC, en estas páginas desfilarán personajes como John Constantine, Zatanna, la Cosa del Pantano, Etrigan, Deadman... En ese aspecto quien le encante el mundo sobrenatural de DC lo va a gozar.
El dibujo de Bermejo es bestial, para mí está en el top de dibujantes del hombre murciélago. Un dibujo hiperrealista, y que en este caso juega mucho con un mundo extrasensorial, detrás de los mugrientos muros de Gotham se esconde un mundo aún peor, infernal. Donde fuerzas más poderosas que los mortales juegan sus juegos de poderes oscuros.
La obra que ha sido fuertemente criticada por su ilegible lectura, muchos lectores que se han perdido en sus alegorías, juegos visuales, etc. Y aunque a mí tampoco me parece un imprescindible, tampoco me ha parecido para tanto. Leído del tirón se entiende mejor el concepto y está justificado cuando llegas al final y descubres que está es una secuela de una de las anteriores obras de Azzarrello. La obra deja la puerta abierta a una tercera entrega que por ahora no ha llegado. El futuro dirá si Azzarello y Bermejo vuelven a unirse para la ocasión. Por mi parte, ya solo por gozar sus lápices, me vale.
Y no digo más. Adentraros en este purgatorio llamado Gotham y acompañar al Caballero Oscuro a encontrar respuestas que quizás no quiera descubrir.
July 1, 2019
The Batman book that almost crippled DC Black Label, sent Vertigo to its death, all over a guys p****! So despite the controversy, I was a little excited to read this as I did enjoy Joker and Batman: Noel, for their darker look on Gotham and it's characters. So what did I think of this book?
I will say the best part of this book is Lee Bermejo's artwork, which is just as fantastic as it was in Batman: Noel and Joker! I love Bermejo's gritty and realistic design of the world and characters. I love his costume design of Batman, as it looks like what you would see in a movie as opposed to classic tights. He also draws new characters he hasn't before which I won't spoil who they are, but he did it very well! From an artwork standpoint, this book overall did not disappoint and gave me exactly what I wanted out of this comic! The story... is another thing...
The story basically is the Joker is dead and Batman murdered him or at least thinks he did. Then Constantine shows up and the two heroes go off on a dark, twisted adventure! Sounds simple when I explain it but really this comic is just all over the place! Batman, for the most part, does nothing in this comic and Constantine does all the detective work; the book reimagines characters from Batman's history, in a nihilistic and overall uninteresting way. Especially Harley Quinn, who was, for the most part, was silent in Joker, but when she does appear she seems to have a lot to say! The ending was vague in that 'open to interpretation' kind of way, but thing is, I just didn't get the point of this book or its story. It's basically a story about why Batman shouldn't use guns and kill, but this book handles it in such an uninteresting way!
Overall, I am sadly disappointed in this one aside for its artwork. I'd say skip it unless you just want to see Lee Bermejo's art.
I will say the best part of this book is Lee Bermejo's artwork, which is just as fantastic as it was in Batman: Noel and Joker! I love Bermejo's gritty and realistic design of the world and characters. I love his costume design of Batman, as it looks like what you would see in a movie as opposed to classic tights. He also draws new characters he hasn't before which I won't spoil who they are, but he did it very well! From an artwork standpoint, this book overall did not disappoint and gave me exactly what I wanted out of this comic! The story... is another thing...
The story basically is the Joker is dead and Batman murdered him or at least thinks he did. Then Constantine shows up and the two heroes go off on a dark, twisted adventure! Sounds simple when I explain it but really this comic is just all over the place! Batman, for the most part, does nothing in this comic and Constantine does all the detective work; the book reimagines characters from Batman's history, in a nihilistic and overall uninteresting way. Especially Harley Quinn, who was, for the most part, was silent in Joker, but when she does appear she seems to have a lot to say! The ending was vague in that 'open to interpretation' kind of way, but thing is, I just didn't get the point of this book or its story. It's basically a story about why Batman shouldn't use guns and kill, but this book handles it in such an uninteresting way!
Overall, I am sadly disappointed in this one aside for its artwork. I'd say skip it unless you just want to see Lee Bermejo's art.
October 10, 2019
Did you know Bruce's parents died? Want to experience it again for the millionth time, only this time it's the worst version and it spits on the Wayne family? Eh? EH?
Bermejo's art is phenomenal, but this story is an unbearable, incomprehensible disaster.
I find it ironic that they removed the penis from the art, but still allowed the script to suck one.
Bermejo's art is phenomenal, but this story is an unbearable, incomprehensible disaster.
I find it ironic that they removed the penis from the art, but still allowed the script to suck one.
March 28, 2022
Also das hat meinen Geschmack ja mal so gar nicht getroffen ^^'
October 12, 2019
No Bat-wang in this digital edition.
The art, however, is very much the strong suit (birthday or otherwise) for this collection as the story is (mostly) hand wavy magic stuff and cameos from the usual Justice League Dark gang like the insufferable Constantine and Deadman, etc.
So in this story the Joker is found dead (or is he...?) and Batman is in rough shape himself, he starts to doubt himself and thinks maaaaaybe he did it? which leads to introspective reminiscing about his parents' failing marriage (an interesting take on Thomas and Martha) as well as an new perspective on little Brucie's aversion to using guns. These were the better bits, plus the introduction of a character well known in DC lore for his rhyming ways as an underground rap battler.
Harley Quinn attempting to, ehm, grief-rape Batman, on the other hand? Yeah, not a choice that was easy to stomach. I thought the DC gang learned their lesson after the Batman: Bad Blood movie that saw Damian Wayne conceived via roofies? Jeesh...
The art, however, is very much the strong suit (birthday or otherwise) for this collection as the story is (mostly) hand wavy magic stuff and cameos from the usual Justice League Dark gang like the insufferable Constantine and Deadman, etc.
So in this story the Joker is found dead (or is he...?) and Batman is in rough shape himself, he starts to doubt himself and thinks maaaaaybe he did it? which leads to introspective reminiscing about his parents' failing marriage (an interesting take on Thomas and Martha) as well as an new perspective on little Brucie's aversion to using guns. These were the better bits, plus the introduction of a character well known in DC lore for his rhyming ways as an underground rap battler.
Harley Quinn attempting to, ehm, grief-rape Batman, on the other hand? Yeah, not a choice that was easy to stomach. I thought the DC gang learned their lesson after the Batman: Bad Blood movie that saw Damian Wayne conceived via roofies? Jeesh...
December 25, 2019
An unpleasant Elseworlds story with yet another revamp of Batman's origin tucked in between roll call of cameos by DC's major supernatural characters. The art is eye-catching, but story is a mess of wouldn't-it-be-cool scenes and annoying-as-hell voiceover narration.
I had no idea until the end matter than the goth girl haunting Batman throughout the book was supposed to be Enchantress. I still have no idea why she was even in the book at all.
I had no idea until the end matter than the goth girl haunting Batman throughout the book was supposed to be Enchantress. I still have no idea why she was even in the book at all.
July 19, 2019
Without a doubt the most interesting part of Batman: Damned 3-part over sized comic series is the 'Batwang' seen in Book 1. Yep, I was stoked (and still love, regardless of the controversy) that we finally saw a man with no clothes on in the Batman universe. And boy is he yummy. Add in the hot sexual version of Harley Quinn we get in book 2 and I can't help but be a huge fan of the art and lack of clothing in all genders. In fact all the stars I give this series are for sexy, gritty art.
DC Black Label
Intended to be a line of comics that are intentionally put together for adults, DC's Black Label started off strong with White Knight. These books are marketed as very dark, gory, sexual and meant to show-off the real grit of the DC Universe. It gives the opportunity for DC to explore all sorts of themes that can't be looked at in their monthly lines (more geared at teens).
On the heels of the superbly done White Knight Black Label; I was super excited about Damned. Too bad the art is by far the best part. Oh, and the Batwang I mentioned earlier is just icing on the cake really. It's perhaps interesting to note that in White Knight we see naked, nipple pointing Harley Quinn and no readers or fans protested; but put naked Batman's naked mushroom cap and suddenly the world has ended. *eye roll*
As a bi-sexual woman I would love to see comics get a little more fair when it comes to the sexualization of each gender. I don't want the women in more clothing; but instead let's remove some of the clothing on the men. It's worth noting here, the Batwang page is darkened in this compilation edition and so you won't get the full art like in the original first print issue of the comic. (side note: this fact just proves how sexist the comic industry is. And reinforces that the fanboys, a.k.a. a bunch of wussy men, whined enough that DC pulled the glorious nakedness of Batman).
Format & Font
I read a lot of comics and so the size of the standard modern day comic is very comfortable to me. Damned is printed in a much wider page that felt awkward. I also don't like how much floppier the pages are (even though they are a good heavy stock). I just see more opportunity to damage or hurt the artwork/pages in any format (besides electronic) that this is printed in.
And what is up with the font at times? It's hard to read, awkward and just annoying. I know it's Batman's thoughts or inner dialogue to himself but it's really obnoxious in the way it's presented. It's not necessary to put the words in some crazy hard to read font in order to get the feel of the deepness or darkness of the narrative. I'd much prefer being able to easily read the narrative and have the words be portray the ambiance than have it be difficult to read. I realize the font is meant to match the illustration style of this series; but for me it's just trying too hard.
Overall
Given the hype and controversy surrounding this series, it's a real let down. While I love the moment in Book 2 when Harley bears her heart out to Batman over Joker's demise and how much she misses him; there's really nothing else here. We have little to no new character development, are given annoying Constantine who just confuses the story more (as he tends to), and Zatanna shows for no apparent reason I can tell. And don't even start me on how the angel statues in Book 3 are a poor rip-off of Doctor Who's Weeping Angels. I would speculate on the Enchantress looking character that is unnamed in book 3 but I literally have no clue (and don't really care that much) given her small role in the story.
While I'll certainly keep this series in my collection as it features Harley AND a bat-penis; I just can't imagine coming back to it very often to really read it. Unless of course the next Black Label comic builds on this. Although I really hope it doesn't because I'm not loving the end (which felt so anti-climatic to me) and was just typical annoying DC being incapable of leaving anyone dead in their universe. Given the grit and adult content I feel like the least we could get is some continuity in keeping dead characters dead. But then they'd have to come up with amazing new characters and the reality is that we all just read about our faves.
My overall recommendation is flip through this one at the library or your local shop to see the art and then move onto something else. Or go read (or re-read) Batman: White Knight; the best mini-series DC has put out in the past couple years.
DC Black Label
Intended to be a line of comics that are intentionally put together for adults, DC's Black Label started off strong with White Knight. These books are marketed as very dark, gory, sexual and meant to show-off the real grit of the DC Universe. It gives the opportunity for DC to explore all sorts of themes that can't be looked at in their monthly lines (more geared at teens).
On the heels of the superbly done White Knight Black Label; I was super excited about Damned. Too bad the art is by far the best part. Oh, and the Batwang I mentioned earlier is just icing on the cake really. It's perhaps interesting to note that in White Knight we see naked, nipple pointing Harley Quinn and no readers or fans protested; but put naked Batman's naked mushroom cap and suddenly the world has ended. *eye roll*
As a bi-sexual woman I would love to see comics get a little more fair when it comes to the sexualization of each gender. I don't want the women in more clothing; but instead let's remove some of the clothing on the men. It's worth noting here, the Batwang page is darkened in this compilation edition and so you won't get the full art like in the original first print issue of the comic. (side note: this fact just proves how sexist the comic industry is. And reinforces that the fanboys, a.k.a. a bunch of wussy men, whined enough that DC pulled the glorious nakedness of Batman).
Format & Font
I read a lot of comics and so the size of the standard modern day comic is very comfortable to me. Damned is printed in a much wider page that felt awkward. I also don't like how much floppier the pages are (even though they are a good heavy stock). I just see more opportunity to damage or hurt the artwork/pages in any format (besides electronic) that this is printed in.
And what is up with the font at times? It's hard to read, awkward and just annoying. I know it's Batman's thoughts or inner dialogue to himself but it's really obnoxious in the way it's presented. It's not necessary to put the words in some crazy hard to read font in order to get the feel of the deepness or darkness of the narrative. I'd much prefer being able to easily read the narrative and have the words be portray the ambiance than have it be difficult to read. I realize the font is meant to match the illustration style of this series; but for me it's just trying too hard.
Overall
Given the hype and controversy surrounding this series, it's a real let down. While I love the moment in Book 2 when Harley bears her heart out to Batman over Joker's demise and how much she misses him; there's really nothing else here. We have little to no new character development, are given annoying Constantine who just confuses the story more (as he tends to), and Zatanna shows for no apparent reason I can tell. And don't even start me on how the angel statues in Book 3 are a poor rip-off of Doctor Who's Weeping Angels. I would speculate on the Enchantress looking character that is unnamed in book 3 but I literally have no clue (and don't really care that much) given her small role in the story.
While I'll certainly keep this series in my collection as it features Harley AND a bat-penis; I just can't imagine coming back to it very often to really read it. Unless of course the next Black Label comic builds on this. Although I really hope it doesn't because I'm not loving the end (which felt so anti-climatic to me) and was just typical annoying DC being incapable of leaving anyone dead in their universe. Given the grit and adult content I feel like the least we could get is some continuity in keeping dead characters dead. But then they'd have to come up with amazing new characters and the reality is that we all just read about our faves.
My overall recommendation is flip through this one at the library or your local shop to see the art and then move onto something else. Or go read (or re-read) Batman: White Knight; the best mini-series DC has put out in the past couple years.
December 11, 2019
Having recently finished Azzarello's excellent "Joker" comic, I heard that this was the sequel to that story. So I went and picked it up. There are certainly similarities with the "Joker" story, but this may have been a case of trying to hard.
The Joker story worked due to the psychotic nature of the Joker, in this story Azzarello has to juggle some of the continuity by making Thomas Wayne some kind of adulterous ass, his wife a whiny rich bitch and Bruce as a spoiled and soft kid. Not a great look, but rather essential to setup this counter-factual story where the entire incident becomes Bruces fault, Batman's not using guns is a by-product of him point a cap gun at his mother and being berated for it....I understand how that works to promote the story, but it also undermines the character of Batman since you change important aspects of his background, to suit the needs of this one story.
That being said- there is a lot to like about this story. First and foremost is the artwork. It is excellent. The addition of John Constantine, Etrigan and Swamp Thing- give this a rather "Justice League Dark" feeling. In essense, someone or something is trying to convince Batman, that he killed Joker (and perhaps he did) and now there is a battle for Batman's soul.
Batman is aided by members of the JLD fro Zatanna to Boston Brand. The story itself is good, though not great, and the ending? It was ok at best. Also why on earth is Etrigan a black rapper? WTF happened to Jason Blood? Is this not cultural appropriation as liberal imbeciles would call it?
So a supernatural story of sorts, using members of the JLD to help Batman fight for his soul. Good art, but the rest of it is a rather banal story. It seems like wanting to expand (that means "make more money") on the excellent Joker comic, Azzarello wrote this follow-up. The problem? This type of story works well for Jokers insanity, but Batman's equally deep scars don't hold up under the aspect of a supernatural judgement for his actions.
So great art, good enough story and some random members of JLD coming to help make this a good, 3 star comic. Not nearly as good as the "Joker" comic.
The Joker story worked due to the psychotic nature of the Joker, in this story Azzarello has to juggle some of the continuity by making Thomas Wayne some kind of adulterous ass, his wife a whiny rich bitch and Bruce as a spoiled and soft kid. Not a great look, but rather essential to setup this counter-factual story where the entire incident becomes Bruces fault, Batman's not using guns is a by-product of him point a cap gun at his mother and being berated for it....I understand how that works to promote the story, but it also undermines the character of Batman since you change important aspects of his background, to suit the needs of this one story.
That being said- there is a lot to like about this story. First and foremost is the artwork. It is excellent. The addition of John Constantine, Etrigan and Swamp Thing- give this a rather "Justice League Dark" feeling. In essense, someone or something is trying to convince Batman, that he killed Joker (and perhaps he did) and now there is a battle for Batman's soul.
Batman is aided by members of the JLD fro Zatanna to Boston Brand. The story itself is good, though not great, and the ending? It was ok at best. Also why on earth is Etrigan a black rapper? WTF happened to Jason Blood? Is this not cultural appropriation as liberal imbeciles would call it?
So a supernatural story of sorts, using members of the JLD to help Batman fight for his soul. Good art, but the rest of it is a rather banal story. It seems like wanting to expand (that means "make more money") on the excellent Joker comic, Azzarello wrote this follow-up. The problem? This type of story works well for Jokers insanity, but Batman's equally deep scars don't hold up under the aspect of a supernatural judgement for his actions.
So great art, good enough story and some random members of JLD coming to help make this a good, 3 star comic. Not nearly as good as the "Joker" comic.
September 11, 2019
Admission: this is the first comic I have ever read. Or "graphic novel" as some call these collections. And I must say, I had no idea that a comic could be written with this level of depth. This book is incredible. The art entranced me, and the writing challenged me. Parsing out the story from the narration, and multiple characters was rewarding. I look forward to more of this.
June 23, 2020
They had me at “THE JOKER IS DEAD!”
Say, what?
I’m going with two stars and that���s only because I liked (most of) the art. Ouch.
This is one I was saving for one of those nights I just needed a good escape. Pfft. I should have looked in to it further because had I known I was going down the spiritual journey hole from hell... I might have picked up something else.
Some of the art was downright haunting, which I sincerely appreciate in a graphic novel. But the storyline didn’t do it for me. I interpret this as Batman in some hell of his own making following Joker’s death, buuut... don’t drag me down too. Aside from various cameos (Constantine did make me LOL at one point) I probably won’t remember this in a weeks time. Yeahhh... ouch (again).
I believe Damned is going to be loved or hated and there isn’t going to be a lot of middle ground. Unfortunately, I fall in TBR ‘it just wasn’t for me category’.
Say, what?
I’m going with two stars and that���s only because I liked (most of) the art. Ouch.
This is one I was saving for one of those nights I just needed a good escape. Pfft. I should have looked in to it further because had I known I was going down the spiritual journey hole from hell... I might have picked up something else.
Some of the art was downright haunting, which I sincerely appreciate in a graphic novel. But the storyline didn’t do it for me. I interpret this as Batman in some hell of his own making following Joker’s death, buuut... don’t drag me down too. Aside from various cameos (Constantine did make me LOL at one point) I probably won’t remember this in a weeks time. Yeahhh... ouch (again).
I believe Damned is going to be loved or hated and there isn’t going to be a lot of middle ground. Unfortunately, I fall in TBR ‘it just wasn’t for me category’.
August 11, 2024
Я не знаю, як це оцінити 🥲 Тому наведу об'єктивні факти:
історія уламкова, коротка
і/але гарно намальова
сюжет доволі прямолінійний
є звернення до триґерів минулого
Суб'єктивно, комікс слабкий, але є такі цікаві деталі, через які мені не хочеться його позбуватись.
І атмосфера Ґотема тут теж хороша. Так.
Ну і наведу повний список слів звуконаслідування, які робили читання ще й смішним (не включає звуки, вимовлені людьми):
Шмяк х4
Жбах
Чак
Бумх
Храк
Паф х4
Гуп
Хрясь х3
Бдзень
Буум х7
Хрісь
Хрусь х3
Краш
Братататататат х3
Бракакакакака
Шпик х4
Жух х2
Крак
Бух
Херак
Трах-бабах
Піф
Хвать
Тиць
Лясь
Шпинь
Крииип
Харусь
Гурркхраш
Шмааак
Бумх
Трісь
Хряц
Бам х3
Бах
історія уламкова, коротка
і/але гарно намальова
сюжет доволі прямолінійний
є звернення до триґерів минулого
Суб'єктивно, комікс слабкий, але є такі цікаві деталі, через які мені не хочеться його позбуватись.
І атмосфера Ґотема тут теж хороша. Так.
Ну і наведу повний список слів звуконаслідування, які робили читання ще й смішним (не включає звуки, вимовлені людьми):
Шмяк х4
Жбах
Чак
Бумх
Храк
Паф х4
Гуп
Хрясь х3
Бдзень
Буум х7
Хрісь
Хрусь х3
Краш
Братататататат х3
Бракакакакака
Шпик х4
Жух х2
Крак
Бух
Херак
Трах-бабах
Піф
Хвать
Тиць
Лясь
Шпинь
Крииип
Харусь
Гурркхраш
Шмааак
Бумх
Трісь
Хряц
Бам х3
Бах
November 29, 2019
Too much hype for a mediocre book with no plot and too much effort into building a lyrical script with no success. Oh, and Batman's dick. I mean, what did you manage when the highlight of your "deep" batman story is that you showed his willy? No merit at all. And this comes from the duo that made "Joker" ten years ago? lol.
It was a complete mess, from start to finish. Thank god i didn't fall for all the bullshit and buy it when it first came out.
It was a complete mess, from start to finish. Thank god i didn't fall for all the bullshit and buy it when it first came out.
July 3, 2019
I'm going to get a couple of items out of the way early in this review. The hullabaloo over Batman's penis is way overblown. Big deal, he's not a eunuch (oh wow bet I offended a Comicsgate person there). Maybe we raised our daughter weirdly, but she knew at a young age that people have body parts. some should not be shown in public, in our view, and its nothing to be ashamed of. I do agree that there is a discussion that the scene was done more for shock/titillation value, but then I'm really getting in a digression.
And, geez one panel.
The other item is people have strong feelings about Azzarello. Before I petered out on 100 Bullets I really enjoyed the title (and will probably go back and finish it someday-it felt like it was going on too long). I enjoyed his Hellblazer run, and thought his Superman was meh.
The middle part of this three issue mini is definitely meh. The redeeming feature is the final issue which pulls pretty much everything into a nice tight tale that, if nothing else, explains why Batman hasn't....
An, but that would be a BIG spoiler. Which I will not do.
And, geez one panel.
The other item is people have strong feelings about Azzarello. Before I petered out on 100 Bullets I really enjoyed the title (and will probably go back and finish it someday-it felt like it was going on too long). I enjoyed his Hellblazer run, and thought his Superman was meh.
The middle part of this three issue mini is definitely meh. The redeeming feature is the final issue which pulls pretty much everything into a nice tight tale that, if nothing else, explains why Batman hasn't....
An, but that would be a BIG spoiler. Which I will not do.
Read
July 31, 2020Dinner dinner dinner dinner BATWANG. The knob that launched a thousand editorial notes. You won't see it in the collection, of course - only in first printings of the first issue was Little Bruce visible. But that was enough to draw the lidless eye of Corporate, put the once-mighty Vertigo out of its misery, and hobble the imprint this book inaugurated, Black Label, from birth. Adult tales of DC's heroes...but you know, not too adult. So, that's pretty much the same dark, pseudo-gritty mope most of their line has been stuck in for a decade or more, except with naughtier swears. Woo. And you have to wonder why this seemed like a good launch book anyway. Azzarello has written Batman before, but not well, and he still doesn't seem right here; even as someone who pretty much hates the modern version of the character anyway, the opening scene where he fucks up a largely blameless paramedic was completely wrong. Co-lead and narrator John Constantine, though...it was divisive, but I was of the faction which really enjoyed Azzarello's Hellblazer run, the way it shut us out of John's thinking a little more again, turned him back into the nasty piece of work in the shadows. Hell, it even had him making a thinly-veiled Bruce Wayne his bitch! So how come this time we get him doing a sing-song, excessively expository yet deeply unhelpful voiceover, which massively overdoes the accent to the extent he might as well be Dark Dick van Dyke? They're surrounded by lightly reworked versions of various other spooky DC mainstays, from Deadman (quite nicely done) to Etrigan (reimagined as the sort of modern rapper I only hear of once they die, and yet somehow even worse than that sounds). Even Harley, whose brief appearance should in theory tick a number of my boxes, falls flat. The plot? Oh, the Joker is dead, it's unclear why, and Batman is too much of an idiot to welcome this as something he should himself have done a long time ago. Also, maybe Bruce Wayne's parents didn't actually get on that well! Move over James Ellroy! Then there's a resolution which, in so far as I could make out at all what was going on, was just Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader? in a Slipknot mask. I suppose Bermejo makes it all look suitably shiny and solid and dark, though as artists go he increasingly feels like a one-trick pony. That's pretty much it. And for this we lost Vertigo?
July 24, 2020
Азарелло, в принципі, непоганий автор, якщо пригадати того ж таки «Джокера» чи «100 куль». Чи згадати чудесний його ран на Гелблейзері! Але не в цьому випадку. Спроба передати психологічні, темні відтінки душі й сутності Бетмена виявилась настільки незв’язною, незрозумілою і непослідовною, що усі старання компанії зробити цей комікс чи на основним у минулому році (і заодно відкрити дорослу лінійку історій у новому імпринті Black Label) виявились марними.
«Проклятий» — це сукупність епізодів, моментів, накиданих у якомусь напівсвідомому й неадекватному стані. Зробити сюрреалістичний комікс теж не просто, так само як і послідовну історію (не знаю, вдалим прикладом може бути творчість Чарлза Бернса). Проте Азарелло ще умудряється таке придумувати, що просто хочеться закрити рукою обличчя чи сказати «Whaaaat?» (типу демон, який читає реп або Гарлі Квін, яка фактично ґвалтує Вейна; або ж дивна розмова на даху із Костянтином; чи незрозуміла поява Болотяної Почвари, канонічного персонажа для дорослої аудиторії). Уся це велика претензія на серйозність і глибину виглядає як тінейджерська спроба видатись мачо для своїх однокласниць завдяки лайливій лексиці чи агресивній, гормонально наелектризованій поведінці.
З іншого боку, атмосфера тут непогана, оповита містикою і таємницею, чим завдячуємо малюнку Бермехо. До речі, його манера тут теж не на висоті, бо маємо проблеми з композиціями кадрів, лініями й навіть кольорами. Однак як тільки намагаєшся трішки все пов’язати до купи — стає спочатку смішно, а потім печально. Сподіваюсь, що Азарелло все ж зрозуміє, що псевдофілософськими монологами й туманній містичній атмосфері історію не напишеш. І тим більше не врятуєш завдяки такому талановитому художнику як Бермехо. Голий король, одним словом. Чи голий Бетмен.
«Проклятий» — це сукупність епізодів, моментів, накиданих у якомусь напівсвідомому й неадекватному стані. Зробити сюрреалістичний комікс теж не просто, так само як і послідовну історію (не знаю, вдалим прикладом може бути творчість Чарлза Бернса). Проте Азарелло ще умудряється таке придумувати, що просто хочеться закрити рукою обличчя чи сказати «Whaaaat?» (типу демон, який читає реп або Гарлі Квін, яка фактично ґвалтує Вейна; або ж дивна розмова на даху із Костянтином; чи незрозуміла поява Болотяної Почвари, канонічного персонажа для дорослої аудиторії). Уся це велика претензія на серйозність і глибину виглядає як тінейджерська спроба видатись мачо для своїх однокласниць завдяки лайливій лексиці чи агресивній, гормонально наелектризованій поведінці.
З іншого боку, атмосфера тут непогана, оповита містикою і таємницею, чим завдячуємо малюнку Бермехо. До речі, його манера тут теж не на висоті, бо маємо проблеми з композиціями кадрів, лініями й навіть кольорами. Однак як тільки намагаєшся трішки все пов’язати до купи — стає спочатку смішно, а потім печально. Сподіваюсь, що Азарелло все ж зрозуміє, що псевдофілософськими монологами й туманній містичній атмосфері історію не напишеш. І тим більше не врятуєш завдяки такому талановитому художнику як Бермехо. Голий король, одним словом. Чи голий Бетмен.
November 8, 2020
این کمیک از نظر تم و فضای دارکش با کمیک بتمنی که میخندد قابل مقایسه است و خب بیشتر از اون شکل رمان به خودش میگیره و از داستان ها و روایت های معمول کمیک ها فاصله میگیره؛ هر چه قدر اون داستان بر رها کردن اصول و قوانین اخلاقی بتمن تاکید میشه اینجا بر پایبندی به اونها و عواقب تخطی ازشون تاکید میشه.
مفاهیم اصلی داستان اینجا به عذاب وجدان، جهانبینی و نیروهای ماورایی خیر و شر، مجازات و قضاوت و الهی و ... می پردازه و در کمیک بتمنی که می خندد، به جنون، سلطه طلبی و آزادی از قید و بندها و تسلیم غرایز شدن پرداخته میشه.
این داستان شروع شوکه کننده ای داره و شما از طراحی کارکترها و فضاها میتونید به تم اساسی داستان پی ببرید؛ و ما آسیب پذیری کارکترهای گاتهام رو میبینیم؛ علی رغم همه فردین بازیاشون همه کارهای شگفت آورشون، می بینیم که ریز و درشت، چه از لحاظ جسمی یا فیزیکی، همه آسیب پذیر هستند.
همچنین این داستان به گونه ای منحصر به فرد به یک سوال اساسی درباره ماجراهای بتمن و جوکر پاسخ میده؛ سوالی که مطمئنم همه ما وقتی حداقل دو سه بار فیلم، کارتون، کمیک یا رمانی از تقابل این دو شخصیت دیدیم یا خوندیم، از خودمون پرسیدیم؛ "که پایان این دو کارکتر کجاست؟ وقتی زمان آخرین مبارزه برسه کدومشون خون دیگری رو میریزه؟ و بعدش چه خواهد شد؟!"
در کنار همه ایناها؛ هر چند صحنه ها و حوادث تقریبا بی اهمیت و گاهی گمراه کننده در داستان بود که بهتر بود که نمیبود، از کنار یکی دو باگ منطقی هم که بگذریم این داستان میتونست داستان خیلی خوبی باشه ولی متاسفانه برای درک کاملش خواننده باید شناخت زیادی از دنیای دی سی و شخصیت های اون داشته باشه حداقل اونایی که خیلی شخصیت های سیاهی دارن و همین محدودیت هایی برای داستان ایجاد میکنه که باعث میشه بهش پنج ستاره ندم.
مفاهیم اصلی داستان اینجا به عذاب وجدان، جهانبینی و نیروهای ماورایی خیر و شر، مجازات و قضاوت و الهی و ... می پردازه و در کمیک بتمنی که می خندد، به جنون، سلطه طلبی و آزادی از قید و بندها و تسلیم غرایز شدن پرداخته میشه.
این داستان شروع شوکه کننده ای داره و شما از طراحی کارکترها و فضاها میتونید به تم اساسی داستان پی ببرید؛ و ما آسیب پذیری کارکترهای گاتهام رو میبینیم؛ علی رغم همه فردین بازیاشون همه کارهای شگفت آورشون، می بینیم که ریز و درشت، چه از لحاظ جسمی یا فیزیکی، همه آسیب پذیر هستند.
همچنین این داستان به گونه ای منحصر به فرد به یک سوال اساسی درباره ماجراهای بتمن و جوکر پاسخ میده؛ سوالی که مطمئنم همه ما وقتی حداقل دو سه بار فیلم، کارتون، کمیک یا رمانی از تقابل این دو شخصیت دیدیم یا خوندیم، از خودمون پرسیدیم؛ "که پایان این دو کارکتر کجاست؟ وقتی زمان آخرین مبارزه برسه کدومشون خون دیگری رو میریزه؟ و بعدش چه خواهد شد؟!"
در کنار همه ایناها؛ هر چند صحنه ها و حوادث تقریبا بی اهمیت و گاهی گمراه کننده در داستان بود که بهتر بود که نمیبود، از کنار یکی دو باگ منطقی هم که بگذریم این داستان میتونست داستان خیلی خوبی باشه ولی متاسفانه برای درک کاملش خواننده باید شناخت زیادی از دنیای دی سی و شخصیت های اون داشته باشه حداقل اونایی که خیلی شخصیت های سیاهی دارن و همین محدودیت هایی برای داستان ایجاد میکنه که باعث میشه بهش پنج ستاره ندم.
January 1, 2020
Fuck this book!
Brian Azzarello, you wound me. I thought I loved you! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS?!
What is this book even about? It’s completely incoherent. It’s one of those books that thinks it’s being clever by making you question what’s real and what isn’t. The story is narrated by Constantine, and the whole time, he’s speaking in snarky poetry. It’s pseudo intellectual as fuck. So pretentious.
I guess there’s symbolism here... but I couldn’t tell what it meant. I’m not sure Azzerello even knows what he was trying to say.
Oh look, Martha and Thomas Wayne dying. That’s never been done. And the meta humor!! We get it, you’ve seen the movies. That’s funny... NOT!
Lee Bermejo is one of the best artists in comics, and his work here is nothing short of phenomenal. He alone earned this two stars. That’s the only good thing that can be said about this stupid piece of shit.
Brian Azzarello, you wound me. I thought I loved you! WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS?!
What is this book even about? It’s completely incoherent. It’s one of those books that thinks it’s being clever by making you question what’s real and what isn’t. The story is narrated by Constantine, and the whole time, he’s speaking in snarky poetry. It’s pseudo intellectual as fuck. So pretentious.
I guess there’s symbolism here... but I couldn’t tell what it meant. I’m not sure Azzerello even knows what he was trying to say.
Oh look, Martha and Thomas Wayne dying. That’s never been done. And the meta humor!! We get it, you’ve seen the movies. That’s funny... NOT!
Lee Bermejo is one of the best artists in comics, and his work here is nothing short of phenomenal. He alone earned this two stars. That’s the only good thing that can be said about this stupid piece of shit.
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