Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Batman: Arkham Asylum New Edition by Grant Morrison

7 reviews

sebastiandabookreader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Death, Child death, Child abuse, Cursing, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Medical content, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Gore, Abandonment, Ableism, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Grief, Blood, Violence, Pedophilia, Self harm, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism

Moderate: Rape, Vomit, and Incest

Minor: Miscarriage

It's pretty crazy

jordans_not_here's review against another edition

4.75

"Myself to myself. I must see my reflection to prove I still exist. Desperately, I peel the tape from the mirror, breaking my fingernails, strip by strip. Until I stand revealed in the glass. And I stare into old familiar eyes."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Self harm, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Pedophilia and Sexual assault

thechocolatefinger's review

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is the one where Joker slaps Batman’s butt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm

Moderate: Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia

Minor: Transphobia, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Excrement

The transphobia is how the Joker’s cross-dressing is treated. The homophobia is implied from the AIDS portrayal of Clayface.

moosaysmoo's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Blood, Self harm, Death of parent, Violence, Sexual violence, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Torture and Pedophilia

ermw0's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

3.75

I enjoyed this in one sitting. The artwork is complex and stunning, deserving of long and thoughtful examination. The story itself is haunting and grotesque. I will say that at points the artwork is a bit hard to decipher, so I was confused at what was happening during certain moments. Also, the Joker’s dialogue in that red font is a bold style choice but also equally hard to read. I enjoyed the full text included in the back, because a lot of the references and symbology went over my head. So on its own it was a disturbing story but I missed out on a lot of the deeper stuff until I read the end. That’s why I gave it the rating I did! Some of it just seems a bit ridiculous- Batman just shows up, does his thing, and then leaves? No problem? Arkham the video game really fleshes out what’s in here in a unique way. Also getting a little tired of the “wife and child brutally murdered as a plot device for the man” though this time it’s used to be the breaking point for the man’s embrace of madness. I know this was originally published in the 80’s but still. Felt a bit rushed overall, like I was digging into the middle and then all of the sudden it was over? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Violence

michael_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Hard to read, I mean literary the font can be hard to read, especially the red Joker font. The images are haunting. The plot is razor-thin at best.  This comic feels like Morrison just finished a few college courses in the humanities and social sciences.  The end result being a “weird-ass comic” that references- Alice in Wonderland, Carl Jung, Aleister Crowley, and James Frazer. This is a trippy gothic comic- that all in all isn’t my cup of tea.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, Violence, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Child death, Self harm, and Suicide

lu_carmenrd's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

such a devilish and grotesque comic. the theatricality of the artwork combined with the storyline gave me a thrilling but morbid experience.

what i loved the most was the dramatic dark art and the chaos it creates. the artstyle is mind-blowing, and i think it fully describes the asylum, giving a feeling of being swallowed into its depths. i also found interesting the constant shifting between rough artwork and more delicate, detailed illustrations, as well as the inclusion of realistic photography. the dynamics of the fight scenes should also be noted. overall, the artwork was a constant source of inspiration while reading the comic.

the plotline was quite interesting. i mainly enjoyed the flashbacks, and the alternations and parallels between timelines. combined with the artwork, it perfectly transmits the loneliness, the desperation and sadness, the struggles and the pain inside the asylum, not to mention that i was being reminded of norman bates from psycho the entire time. i also loved the use of symbolism, and inclusion of religious and occultist meanings.

bottomline: it's a must buy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts