Product Description

A dark tale of madness and obsession with The Joker, one of Batman's oldest and deadliest adversaries.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101346 in Books
• Published on: 1988-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Customer Reviews

A perfect synopsis of the Batman/Joker relationship
I'm not sure where this story is supposed to fit in the greater Batman legend, but it pretty well sums up the relationship between Batman and the Joker, as well as providing some insights into their origins.

As usual, the Joker has escaped and gone on the rampage, but this time he has decided to take revenge on all the key characters that he believes have caused his suffering - the Gordons and Batman.

His scheme is diabolical - this is one of the ugliest Batman stories I have ever read - and violent. His method of revenge is really sickening and will probably leave you hoping for some severe punishment to be delivered by the end of the book.

And it is - Batman is at his most savage when he catches up with Joker. But the flashbacks to the Joker's past, beautifully rendered, may in turn have you feeling some sympathy for a man who just wanted to take care of his family and ended up disfigured and insane.

This book is about twisted fate and redemption. Both Batman and the Joker are victims of events beyond their control and now must live with the consequences.

Buy this for great art and one of the most thought-provoking stories in comics.

A rewarding read
As someone rediscovering comics after some 20 years out, this book is something of a revelation. A literate script and beautifully illustrated, this is a rewarding, sophistocated read. Batman seems to be the only 'golden age' superhero who lends himself to tales as dark as this - my other favourite is Year One by Frank Miller. But this is the better book, and I'd recommend it to anyone curious about graphic novels but wary of their relative (to paperback novels) high price. Of course, this is reasonably priced, and fairly short - but it's actually all the better for it. Give me a taught, tense story over the flab that fills many of the longer graphic novels every time!

Return of a classic
This was the first comic i ever bought,twenty or so years ago and it is still one of my favourites.The story is probably the best Joker tale and the art is un-paralled.This edition is if anything an improvement on the original having Brian Bolland's own colours which are a delight in themselves.This book might be the definitive version of this seminal graphic novel.