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vicaaaaaaaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
library_jones's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
marieposa02's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
krakow54's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
reaperreads's review against another edition
5.0
The only issue I take with the plot in "The Man Who Laughs" is that the poison is more so a nebulous threat rather than something that is explained through scientific testing. How did the Joker acquire the poison? Why does it do what it does? That is my only issue with the story, but maybe that is just how plots involving the Joker pan out. Other than that, the writing was fantastic, the art dark and gruesome, and I couldn't put it down until I had read through the entire thing. I got more closure from "Made of Wood" because motives and links were resolved well throughout the well-paced plot. Ed Brubaker writes villains in a way that makes one see the world of Gotham from the villain's perspective, and that was quite a refreshing style to read. More than once, I found myself rooting for the bad guys because they were taking down economic powers, albeit for selfish reasons. All in all, this book was a terrific read! I'd highly recommend it to anyone trying to get into Batman, or trying to become acquainted with the DC universe. Keep some references handy, though, because some characters do not have their backgrounds explicitly detailed (e.g. the Oracle).
labunnywtf's review against another edition
3.0
So, this is supposed to be the first time Batman and The Joker meet, right?
Kind of lackluster in that respect. I mean, as far as every day Bats vs Joker goes, it's brilliant and fantastic. I like the "Someone will die at midnight" part. But for an origin story? Meh. ::shrug::
I did enjoy the second story, mostly because it adds a new character to my comic reading list. I've now got a Green Lantern story under my belt, though without further information about him, it's kind of flat.
Not bad at all.
And see, that cover? That's what I think when I see Jared Leto's joker. And I'm okay with that.
Kind of lackluster in that respect. I mean, as far as every day Bats vs Joker goes, it's brilliant and fantastic. I like the "Someone will die at midnight" part. But for an origin story? Meh. ::shrug::
I did enjoy the second story, mostly because it adds a new character to my comic reading list. I've now got a Green Lantern story under my belt, though without further information about him, it's kind of flat.
Not bad at all.
And see, that cover? That's what I think when I see Jared Leto's joker. And I'm okay with that.
fandom4ever's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Batman: The Man Who Laughs Deluxe Edition collects three stories connected by the fact that they were all written by Ed Brubaker.
The first, the title of the collection The Man Who Laughs, is a 2005 update of Batman’s first encounter with the Joker. I think it was a pretty good story, I loved that it even brought in the Red Hood backstory from The Killing Joke storyline. Naturally, as it was a Joker story it had to involve Joker gas and poisoning of the Gotham reservoir. Both of these things have annoyed me in their overuse through the years but I was willing to allow it for this story as it was supposed to be the first time Joker ever did this. And the fact that there was a reason for the use of the gas and how it allowed Bruce to get a better look inside Joker’s head proved interesting. The story involved some great detective work by Batman and a close working relationship with Jim Gordon. It followed really well after Year One, with Gordon now being a captain and there being a new commissioner.
The second story was Gotham: Noir, an Elseworlds story that had never been collected in trade before. I was amazed how much I enjoyed this story! It takes place during 1949 and follows Jim Gordon who got kicked off the police force after a failed investigation. I loved how the use of nightclubs, showgirls, mobsters, and corruption fit so well it Gotham’s natural gothic atmosphere. It was a well-done old-timey mystery.
The third story was titled Made of Wood and had Batman working with the very first Green Lantern, Alan Scott from the 1940s. I really enjoyed the pairing of these two characters and how Batman compares himself to Scott and recognizes that Scott truly enjoys his work as a hero unlike Bruce who is bogged down by his crusade.
These stories really showed the detective side of Batman and I loved seeing that he has a closet of gear, hair, beards, mustaches, etc he can use to go undercover to figure out more clues. If you’re looking for a good Joker origin story with two other solid Batman stories, I would definitely recommend picking up this Deluxe Edition.
shadybanana's review against another edition
4.0
"One by one, they'll hear my call,
Then this wicked town, will follow my fall."
Before I started reading the comic, I thought this should probably be full of Joker's insanity but then I made a mental note to myself, this comic cant be as crazy as The Killing Joke. Interestingly I was proven kind of wrong. The context is that the people of Gotham have no idea what's going on. They have a guy in Bat suit who is fighting evil alone and a psychopath who kills people for the lulz. People are not even sure about their existence. The sanest man in Gotham, Commissioner Gordon himself wonders "What the hell is happening in Gotham?" more than once. Rather than spoiling the story which to be honest was the usual super hero comic story of the final triumph of good over evil, I'd list some points worth mentioning. Firstly, the art. That was terrific. In the first pages, where the mutilated corpses are shown, that is very well drawn. There is a certain revulsion that is felt when looking at those corpses, a certain disgust but at the same time they arouse pity and fear. Similarly, Joker's character art was splendid too.
I've read many comics where the story is told from the characters thoughts and perspective. But in this comic, apart from all the madness and action, there were some moments which critically depict and represent the thinking of characters found frequently in Batman comics. Jim Gordon's view point chapters and Batman's view point chapters were cunningly written and I liked that. Developing more on the previous point, there were some pages which summed up the whole character sketch ever beautifully in a couple of lines. Joker's insanity was insidious and yet at peak. Batman's existence was mysterious yet comforting and absolute. These two consecutive pages from the comic are probably going to be one my favorite Batman VS Joker moment:
There was also another vital thing in this comic. It developed on many relationships. It not only showed relatively clearly what Bruce Wayne went through after his parents death but it also hinted out a possibility of how Bruce could have turned into nothing less than The Joker if he had wished to. Though this has been mentioned at many other places too but the sneak peek when Bruce went nuts was a valuable addition to that theory. The comic similarly developed on the relationship of Batman and Jim Gordon. It is perhaps a good preclude to show Barbara Gordon goes on to become the batgirl.
Lastly, I am not giving it a 5-star despite everything because of the lack of proper action. Either the action scenes were lousily planned or they were simply not drawn or conceived well enough but they nevertheless are the one important set back in this comic.
Then this wicked town, will follow my fall."
Before I started reading the comic, I thought this should probably be full of Joker's insanity but then I made a mental note to myself, this comic cant be as crazy as The Killing Joke. Interestingly I was proven kind of wrong. The context is that the people of Gotham have no idea what's going on. They have a guy in Bat suit who is fighting evil alone and a psychopath who kills people for the lulz. People are not even sure about their existence. The sanest man in Gotham, Commissioner Gordon himself wonders "What the hell is happening in Gotham?" more than once. Rather than spoiling the story which to be honest was the usual super hero comic story of the final triumph of good over evil, I'd list some points worth mentioning. Firstly, the art. That was terrific. In the first pages, where the mutilated corpses are shown, that is very well drawn. There is a certain revulsion that is felt when looking at those corpses, a certain disgust but at the same time they arouse pity and fear. Similarly, Joker's character art was splendid too.
I've read many comics where the story is told from the characters thoughts and perspective. But in this comic, apart from all the madness and action, there were some moments which critically depict and represent the thinking of characters found frequently in Batman comics. Jim Gordon's view point chapters and Batman's view point chapters were cunningly written and I liked that. Developing more on the previous point, there were some pages which summed up the whole character sketch ever beautifully in a couple of lines. Joker's insanity was insidious and yet at peak. Batman's existence was mysterious yet comforting and absolute. These two consecutive pages from the comic are probably going to be one my favorite Batman VS Joker moment:
There was also another vital thing in this comic. It developed on many relationships. It not only showed relatively clearly what Bruce Wayne went through after his parents death but it also hinted out a possibility of how Bruce could have turned into nothing less than The Joker if he had wished to. Though this has been mentioned at many other places too but the sneak peek when Bruce went nuts was a valuable addition to that theory. The comic similarly developed on the relationship of Batman and Jim Gordon. It is perhaps a good preclude to show Barbara Gordon goes on to become the batgirl.
Lastly, I am not giving it a 5-star despite everything because of the lack of proper action. Either the action scenes were lousily planned or they were simply not drawn or conceived well enough but they nevertheless are the one important set back in this comic.