JOKER by Azzarello and Bermejo

[Jack Napier]

I found this pretty disappointing. I thought it was the standard "I'm a guy in the mob" story that just happened to have Batman villains. Change them into regular mobsters and the story wouldn't be all that different to me.

A lot of it stems from the fact that I disagree with Azzarello's interpretation of Joker mainly since I find that he lacks certain qualities that I find unique to the character.
I also didn't care for some of Bermejo's character designs. His best one was Two-Face. Sadly, Azzarello's characterizations were lacking as well, in my opinion.

The story in itself isn't that special either.
If I wanted a good mob story with dangerous psycho criminals in this style, I'd watch Goodfellas.

[Timothy]

Nov 1, 2008 17:26:02 GMT -5 Jack Napier said:

I found this pretty disappointing. I thought it was the standard "I'm a guy in the mob" story that just happened to have Batman villains. Change them into regular mobsters and the story wouldn't be all that different to me.

That's exactly what I thought when I read some preview pages. It felt like a lackluster "100 Bullets" issue masquerading as a great Batman tale. Not only that, but DC has been hyping this like crazy for the past few months.

A lot of it stems from the fact that I disagree with Azzarello's interpretation of Joker mainly since I find that he lacks certain qualities that I find unique to the character.

The whole time I read this book, I felt like I was reading a wannabe Killing Joke rather than a stand alone story.

I also didn't care for some of Bermejo's character designs.

Definitely agree; three words... "Penguin and Riddler."

His best one was Two-Face. Sadly, Azzarello's characterizations were lacking as well, in my opinion.

The story in itself isn't that special either.

My biggest problem with a story like this is that it carries no real weight in the Batman universe; the contents will not dictate any major changes or revelations about any of the characters involved.

If I wanted a good mob story with dangerous psycho criminals in this style, I'd watch Goodfellas.

Indeed! That is my favorite organized crime film, and if you have never checked out the book that it is based off of (Wiseguy) then you can probably pick up a copy at a used book store... Henry Hill's story is a fantastic glimpse into the world of actual crime.