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bdhroasted's review against another edition
4.0
It's interesting to think of the Joker as Batman's biggest mistake---and that thought has nothing to do with Batman not being able to kill him/sending him to be offed in the first place. In this version of the story, the Joker is born simply because there is a Batman. Bruce Wayne broke convention, so the Joker broke convention, too. The implications of that act are both intoxicating and terrifying.
I have to say though, I liked cool & level headed Joker more than batshit crazy high on drugs Joker. I feel like he could've played a better game, if only because he would've been able to hide better. Jake-before-the-anti-psychotics was scary cuz he could've been just like you, or me, and he had enough of that background experience in social conventions to really pack a punch in his evil deeds~ sort of like a wolf in sheep's clothing. The idea that Jake could have been any other guy and still do the things he did would have upped the chill factor to 1000x, because if there is one then there is more and how can you tell? (You can't.) Jake after the anti psychotics however? He seems so disconnected--in his own brain even!--that he's in relatable. Easy to scapegoat, throw away as the rule instead of the exception.
Still, the origin story was interesting. And knowing that every kill the joker makes after this will be on batman's conscious is interesting too.
I have to say though, I liked cool & level headed Joker more than batshit crazy high on drugs Joker. I feel like he could've played a better game, if only because he would've been able to hide better. Jake-before-the-anti-psychotics was scary cuz he could've been just like you, or me, and he had enough of that background experience in social conventions to really pack a punch in his evil deeds~ sort of like a wolf in sheep's clothing. The idea that Jake could have been any other guy and still do the things he did would have upped the chill factor to 1000x, because if there is one then there is more and how can you tell? (You can't.) Jake after the anti psychotics however? He seems so disconnected--in his own brain even!--that he's in relatable. Easy to scapegoat, throw away as the rule instead of the exception.
Still, the origin story was interesting. And knowing that every kill the joker makes after this will be on batman's conscious is interesting too.
mboyette252's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t normally car for origin stories, but this was different. A well written story can surpass all judgement by me. I loved this form of Joker’s origin. Joker doing it all just to have purpose. That’s a great story.
jenrkeeling's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
iainkelly_writing's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
3.5
Another iteration of the Batman and Joker story. Testament to the creative team that this oft told tale manages to still hold the interest.
crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
2.0
A few years ago, I made a chronology for how to read modern Batman. I was focused quite a bit on creating the order, as opposed to just reading the books for enjoyment, so now I'm going back to see how the chronology holds up.
When I first started reading to make a Batman canon, I found this superior to [b:Batman: The Man Who Laughs|2182780|Batman The Man Who Laughs|Ed Brubaker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1486038991s/2182780.jpg|2188473] because it delved more into The Joker's origin, and has some fun Easter eggs, even though [a:Denys Cowan|493715|Denys Cowan|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s angular faces and ill-fitting clothes never sat well with me.
I've read much more Batman since the original time I read this, and I'm much happier with [a:Ed Brubaker|37450|Ed Brubaker|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1230612199p2/37450.jpg]'s vague backstory than this specific one. So I'm removing this from what I consider Batman canon.
I recommend it for die-hard Batman fans, and people who simply must know every detail of The Joker's life before he became Batman's nemesis.
When I first started reading to make a Batman canon, I found this superior to [b:Batman: The Man Who Laughs|2182780|Batman The Man Who Laughs|Ed Brubaker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1486038991s/2182780.jpg|2188473] because it delved more into The Joker's origin, and has some fun Easter eggs, even though [a:Denys Cowan|493715|Denys Cowan|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s angular faces and ill-fitting clothes never sat well with me.
I've read much more Batman since the original time I read this, and I'm much happier with [a:Ed Brubaker|37450|Ed Brubaker|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1230612199p2/37450.jpg]'s vague backstory than this specific one. So I'm removing this from what I consider Batman canon.
I recommend it for die-hard Batman fans, and people who simply must know every detail of The Joker's life before he became Batman's nemesis.
pug_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jakekilroy's review against another edition
4.0
Insanity is dangerous because it doesn't function within logic or reason. There is no empathy. There is no consideration of the future. Each man's world is shaped by how he perceives it, and if a man is insane, what's stopping him from treating the whole world by his ability to think he can shape it accordingly?
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