Batman Books

Batman: The Killing Joke

Alan Moore, Brian Bolland

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 179 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Not a bad comic exactly.... 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

...however I did find it very hard to enjoy. I really like the artwork and I like that Alan Moore tried to take the Joker in a more psychological direction than was popular at the time (though it should be noted that Moore himself admits this wasn't his finest work). I even liked the origin of the Joker himself (a nice nod to Bob Kane's original origin story).

My complaint with the comic is that it's VERY disturbing.... at least for my taste. I don't like that a character is shot, stripped naked, and photographed. That's just not what I LIKE to read about, especially in a superhero story. It made it hard for me to enjoy the rest of the comic.

Also, Batman's out-of-character reaction to the Joker's....well "joke" in the end was kinda hard ta swallow. Especially after what he just put Jim and Barbara through.

Like I said, this is just my taste in comics and not nessessarily a flaw in the comic itself. If you can look past the brutality (or maybe you feel it adds to the story) you'll probably enjoy this comic.

But if your like me and prefer a darker superhero story WITHOUT it sucker-punching you with it's disturbia, probably best to look else-where.

Editorial Review:

One of the most famous Batman stories of all time is offered for the first time in hardcover in this special twentieth-anniversary edition.

This is the unforgettable that forever changed Batman's world, adding a new element of darkness with its unflinching portrayal of The Joker's twisted psyche.

Writer Alan Moore, acclaimed author of WATCHMEN and V FOR VENDETTA, offers his take on the disturbing relationship between The Dark Knight and his greatest foe. The Clown Prince of Crime has never been more ruthless than in this brutal tale.

This special new edition also includes a story written and exquisitely illustrated by Brian Bolland.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 338 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre, then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller--known also for his excellent Sin City series and his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil--is probably the top contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. The great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argued that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, street gangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite

Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)

Grant Morrison

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 73 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Dark Knightmare 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

"I see now the virtue in madness" begins Amadeus Arkham, locked in his own family home which he spent his life converting into a home for the mentally deranged only to later descend into madness himself. "I pity the poor shades confined to the Euclidean prison that is sanity. All things are possible here and I am what madness has made me. Whole. And complete. And free at last..."

"Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth" is a nightmare vision featuring The Batman and some of his most deadly foes as you've never seen them before. Not a typical comic book by any means; this is art, plain and simple. A psychological exploration overflowing with oblique symbolism, jaw-dropping and stylish artwork, imagery meant to terrify, and prose meant to provoke. Some readers may be turned off by the out-of-character situations and reactions of some of their favorite characters or the mind-twirling nature of the story progression and art, but this is the creepiest and most avant-garde comic I've ever read and that alone makes it a must. This is not a superhero story; this is pure unadulterated psychological horror of the highest caliber.

The story is actually two concurrent tales. One is an illustrated reading of the journal of Amadeus Arkham exploring his life, his death, his ambitions, and his succumbing to the very thing he dedicated his life to curing. The other follows the exploits of The Batman, called to the most storied sanitarium in all of fiction to face some of his greatest foes -and greatest fears- alone. The two overlap at times with Arkham's words adding symbolism to the events during Batman's journey into the heart of darkness.

The look of this book is jarring. Outstanding. Amazing. It's like real life bleed into a classic painting to create this surreal abstract art style. I figured Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight would be the one to haunt my nightmares. I was wrong. From his very first frame here he looks positively demonic; not a man at all but a grinning atrocity with frightening eyes and a horrific countenance. The very embodiment of Satan himself: a fitting representation in this context. Clayface is not the shapeshifter we know here, but has become a living symbol of disease and corruption, a pathetic being like many of the other villains residing within Arkham's walls. After successful therapy, Two-Face has been weaned from his coin-flipping habit and now makes decisions based on tarot cards, offering him shelter from the black/white absolutes of his criminal past. The problem: he can no longer even go to the bathroom without relying on his cards to tell him what to do. The end result is messy. Scarecrow makes a brief, but frightening appearance, and The Caped Crusader does battle with Killer Croc as well. The Mad Hatter shows up in true Lewis Carroll form (but with more pedophilic undertones) and offers up the solution to the mystery of this bizarre version of Batman's existence; confirming what I had suspected.

If there is any chink in this book's armor, it's that the symbolism overpowers the story much of the time. Fans of David Lynch, David Cronenburg, and H. P. Lovecraft will eat this up, but anybody looking for a traditional linear good vs. evil story may want to think twice. This is an exploration of the psychology of Batman; his fear that he is the reason Arkham is overflowing with madmen, or worse: that he is no different from those he puts behind it's walls. There are several recurring themes that are shared in the past experiences of both Amadeus Arkham and Bruce Wayne that are pretty fascinating. All of this insanity is held together by the outstanding art. "Arkham Asylum" is a complete package that requires multiple readings and a patient mind to unravel, but it is well worth the effort for those who want to get down to the elemental core of the Batman and gain insight into his thoughts and feelings. At first read, there is a lot that will be very off-putting the the Batman faithful, but once you understand the true nature of the book, it is an amazing work.

This 15th anniversary edition features a real treat. The back pages are full of commentary by the creator of this beautiful mess who shares a ton of insight in entertaining fashion. But the real gem is the original script for the comic, which reads a lot like a screenplay for a film. Anyone still in the dark about writer Grant Morrison's intentions with this story would do well to give it a hard read. It really lays out the symbolism and references that would otherwise fly over most anybody's head and answers any remaining questions the reader may have about any given scene. A brilliant addition. Here's one little factoid for you: The Joker's mouth was originally to be drawn as a reference to the fabled vagina dentata. The concept never made it onto the page, but you're welcome for that mental image. Thanks, Mr. Morrison!

So there it is. If you've ever questioned Batman's (or your own) sanity then this is the book for you. It's a nightmare of ink on paper and a deep, thoughtful look at the mind of one of the most iconic heroes of all time. It's dark, brutal, chilling, and downright gorgeous in the most disturbing possible way. It will change the way you look at the denizens of Gotham City, I can tell you that.

4 1/2 stars, rounded up for treating comics as an adult medium.

Editorial Review:

In this groundbreaking, painted graphic novel, the inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over Gothams detention center for the criminally insane on April Fools Day, demanding Batman in exchange for their hostages.Accepting their demented challenge, Batman is forced to live and endure the personal hells of the Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Two-Face and many other sworn enemies in order to save the innocents and retake the prison.During his run through this absurd gauntlet, the Dark Knights own sanity is placed in jeopardy.This special anniversary edition trade paperback also reproduces the original script with annotations by Morrison and editor Karen Berger.

Batman: Year One

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 102 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good, But Not as Good as Expected 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you ever hear about Batman: Year One, it's most likely the praise of the story's origins and reinvention. I read it pretty fast, in a day or so, and it was pretty entertaining, but not as good as I'd hoped. I think Frank Miller is a pretty good storyteller, but maybe it's just not my thing. Regardless, it was a good read and it gave me a little bit of insight towards Batman's origins.

I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but I'm leaning more towards 3 on this one. Pick it up if you're a Batman fan though, definitely.

Masterpiece 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Frank Miller hits the nail on the head with Year One. This is the way Batman is supposed to be...this is the true Dark Knight...Kudos to Miller for his intriguing tale.

Editorial Review:

A new deluxe trade paperback edition of one of the most important and critically acclaimed Batman adventures ever, written by Frank Miller, author of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS!

In addition to telling the entire dramatic story of Batman's first year fighting crime, this collection includes reproductions of original pencils, promotional art, script pages, unseen David Mazzucchelli Batman art and more.

Batman: The Long Halloween

Jeph Loeb, Bob Kane

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 133 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

It's refreshing when you find a Batman story that both is epic and successfully explores the core of a resolutely explored character. Taking as its catalyst a sub-plot from the seminal Batman: Year One, the story revolves around murders occurring on national holidays, the victims connected to Mob boss "The Roman." Dubbed "Holiday," the killer uses an untraceable handgun and leaves small trinkets at the scene. Plenty of suspects are available, but the truth is something the Dark Knight never suspected. This series scores two major coups: it brilliantly portrays the transfer of Gotham rule to the supervillains and charts the horrific transformation of Harvey Dent from hardened D.A. to the psychotic Two-Face. Both orbit around the sharply portrayed relationship between Dent, Commissioner Gordon, and Batman: a triumvirate of radically different perceptions of Justice. It is always great to see the formative incarnation of Batman, drenched in noir here.Jeph Loeb's writing is keenly aware that Batman is a detective, and Tim Sale portrays a Gotham that is a fertile breeding ground for corruption and madness. Here, Batman is coming to terms with the potent image he projects and the madness it attracts. There are many fine Batman stories, but the ones that capture the spirit with extreme clarity are few. On this alone, The Long Halloween comes highly recommended. Masterfully executed, this is an excellent chance to revisit the world of Batman as fresh as in the summer of 1939. --Danny Graydon

Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan

Chip Kidd

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The two hottest genres in comics gleefully collide head-on, as the most beloved American superhero gets the coolest Japanese manga makeover ever.

In 1966, during the height of the first Batman craze, a weekly Japanese manga anthology for boys, Shonen King, licensed the rights to commission its own Batman and Robin stories. A year later, the stories stopped. They were never collected in Japan, and never translated into English. Now, in this gorgeously produced book, hundreds of pages of Batman-manga comics more than four decades old are translated for the first time, appearing alongside stunning photographs of the world’s most comprehensive collection of vintage Japanese Batman toys.

This is The Dynamic Duo as you’ve never seen them: with a distinctly Japanese, atomic-age twist as they battle aliens, mutated dinosaurs, and villains who won’t stay dead. And as a bonus: Jiro Kuwata, the manga master who originally wrote and drew this material, has given an exclusive interview for our book.

The deluxe, expanded, and limited hardcover edition has a distinctly different cover, full-color printed endpapers, and an amazing extra adventure written by Jiro Kuwata (not included in the paperback), about a band of rogue alien robot art thieves at large in Gotham City. Guess who gets called in to save the day....

More than just a dazzling novelty, Bat-Manga! is an invaluable, long-lost chapter in the history of one of the most beloved and timeless figures in comics.

Batman: Dark Victory

Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 58 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Robin Origin 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I enjoy this book more than The Long Halloween which where this book picks off. It is really not a continuation per-se but another murder mystery very similar to Holiday killer in The Long Halloween but just picks up the story where it left off. What made this book more interesting was the origin of Robin which is a lot more interesting than Harvey Dent's backstory and arguably more interesting than Bruce Wayne's history! In this book, Robin actually makes himself useful as he would have to in order to convince Batman to take him in as a partner. There are some new, refreshing villains in this book such as Penguin and Mr Freeze! A better read than the previous book in my opinion.

A Worthy Long Halloween Followup 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Dark Victory expands upon The Long Halloween, and has a story interesting enough to please fans of Loeb's original Batman-mob story. Robin isn't played heavily, which is a good thing for me, but any Batman fans should pick this up.

Wonderful Seller! In perfect condition! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It was just what my husband wanted, in perfect condition and half the price of the trendy comic stores! I am extremely happy!

Batman: Hush, Vol. 1

Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 57 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

batman hush 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

HUSH is a profoundly compelling & intricate crime story. Jeph Loeb has created an exceptional suspense thriller, which becomes deeper & more mysterious as it unfolds. A true page-turner which I could not put down once I started reading it.
Loeb's exceptional writing has been combined with the extraordinary talents of Jim Lee, one of the most influential pencillers ever, and inker Scott Williams, whose ability to embellish produces images that are nothing short of stunning. Colorist Alex Sinclair's contribution makes every page a great work of art in itself.
Combined, these three have created images that are so detailed and captivating that after one finishes reading the books, you have to go back & dwell on every panel in order to fully absorb the remarkable amount of detail in the artwork.
BATMAN HUSH is a fantastic work on every level.

Beautiful Story 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As a old fan of the Batman series of comics, I was a little suspicious of "Hush" when I first saw it in a books store.

Let me say that my fears were unfounded.

I found myself, almost an hour later, still in the book store, closing the cover and searching for volume 2. The romance and action are all perfectly balanced, not to mention the masterful art of Jim Lee only adds to this masterpiece.

Even if you don't know everything about the history of Batman and Robin, all pertinent information is explained and elaborated on.

Even if you don't like Batman, this is the comic series for you.

Batman: The Black Glove

Grant Morrison

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Fun story, building to something big 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The first half of this book is a fantastic murder mystery where Batman and the International Club of Heroes (a group of Batman imitators from around the world) are trapped on an island and killed one-by-one.

The second half continues the build up to Morrison's Batman RIP storyline.

The first half is a lot of fun and interesting, the second half is hard to judge since it leads into Batman RIP and that storyline is ongoing.

Undoubtably a work of art 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Let's start with the first part of this book, which takes place on the island of a certain "John Mayhew". What initially starts as a whodunnit type of mystery murder involving gimmicky heroes soon turns into something more. You really gotta love how Grant Morrison handles all the quirky subjects of the Batman of long ago. The writing here really shows off Batman's skill and the influence he's had. And let's not forget about J.H. Williams III. It's hard to find a word to describe this, but I think I'd have to go with "theatrical" which is a word that also describes Batman quite well. You really have to see it to believe it.

The second part of the book, which involves three fake Batmen running amok, is different from the first, but not in a bad way. It really takes a look into the psychology of Batman, and how he has had to train his mind in order to fight the psychiatric villains that make up his rogue's gallery. A special character also returns after being absent for a while, and he certainly plays his part well.

Overall, great book. I highly recommend.

Batman: Hush, Vol. 2

Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

art: good, story: bad. 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Jim Lee's art is fantastic. The only reason I've cracked this book open again after my first and only read is to look at the art, and the art alone.
Jeph Loeb's storytelling is the same as it's always been. Bits are genuinely cool, good characterization here and there- which keeps you reading. But then the guy starts randomly shoving in cheap twist after twist- until the whole thing is reduced to an unintelligible pile.
He ends with little to no resolution on important plot points.
That sort of thing leaves some people wanting more.
I only wonder why I bought the damn thing.

volume two 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Volume two concludes a great story from Loeb (Superman for All Seasons, Batman: The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, Catwoman: When in Rome, and Superman/Batman: Absolute Power).

A great story an excellent art 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book presents a new part of Bruce Wayne's life that nobody remembers, the story involve all the greatest villians and friends in Batman universe, but has an open ending that leaves you with more answer and wanting for more.