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jexjthomas's review against another edition
3.0
The actual Batman/Joker plot isn't so great, but the subplot with Amadeus Arkham is fantastic, and this is some of the most beautiful, intense artwork in any comic ever.
upsidedown10's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This one was interesting. I mostly liked it. I thought it was a work of art. It wasn't exactly a Batman comic, but it sure was something. I think that if you go into this thinking that the asylum is just full of Scarecrow's Fear Toxin, everything makes sense and it's great. I loved that we don't ever really get to see Batman; he's always a silhouette or an extreme closeup. He's nebulous and ethereal, which fits for the dreamlike quality of this story.
eddie_9009's review against another edition
4.0
Do I like the plot? no, am I too in love with this type of art to give a shit? Yes
librarycobwebs's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Love to see Dave McKeans art in a narrative and not just a cover image. Combined with Grant Morrison's ability to reexamine classic Batman tropes this made for a fun, eerie read.
amaliaiaia's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
enderchilde's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mjthomas43's review against another edition
4.0
March 14, 2012: A little too 'crazy' for me. Too hard to follow. Did not read the draft.
March 31, 2015: Actually read the full script this time and the entire story made much more sense. In fact, it made me a little disappointed with the illustrator, Dave McKean, in that key parts of the story as written by Grant Morrison are either not included or represented in a way that is unclear. Don't get me wrong, visually, the work is fascinating but the story just doesn't come through for me without reading the author's descriptions.
In this story, Batman enters Arkham Asylum to rescue some hostages after it's been taken over by some of the inmates. We learn about the history of the Asylum and of Arkham's family and madness and death and see Batman's rebirth through experiencing the madness that seems to be almost physically present in the place itself. We see interesting interpretations of the Joker, Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Two Face, and Maxie Zeus, as well as a much more human and broken Batman (until the end).
The first half of this work is the graphic novel as released in 1989, while the second half is the final draft by Morrison, along with more recent annotations. There's also a basic original plot synopsis and character list, storyboards, and several related images.
This is certainly not for kids. I would say that you should probably be a pretty diehard fan of Batman to enjoy this work. But anyone interested in representations of madness might get a kick out of it too.
March 31, 2015: Actually read the full script this time and the entire story made much more sense. In fact, it made me a little disappointed with the illustrator, Dave McKean, in that key parts of the story as written by Grant Morrison are either not included or represented in a way that is unclear. Don't get me wrong, visually, the work is fascinating but the story just doesn't come through for me without reading the author's descriptions.
In this story, Batman enters Arkham Asylum to rescue some hostages after it's been taken over by some of the inmates. We learn about the history of the Asylum and of Arkham's family and madness and death and see Batman's rebirth through experiencing the madness that seems to be almost physically present in the place itself. We see interesting interpretations of the Joker, Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Two Face, and Maxie Zeus, as well as a much more human and broken Batman (until the end).
The first half of this work is the graphic novel as released in 1989, while the second half is the final draft by Morrison, along with more recent annotations. There's also a basic original plot synopsis and character list, storyboards, and several related images.
This is certainly not for kids. I would say that you should probably be a pretty diehard fan of Batman to enjoy this work. But anyone interested in representations of madness might get a kick out of it too.
thebookofdanny's review against another edition
5.0
A piece of work so spectacular it's as close to orgasmic as you can get without removing any layers.
lcush98's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
breeisreading_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5