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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
*2.5
I thought the story had a lot of potential, and the part about Amadeus Arkham truly was pretty good. But Batman just did not feel like Batman, and I really, really did not like the art. It made the pages messy, made it difficult to grasp what exactly was going on, and give me a bit of a headache.
I thought the story had a lot of potential, and the part about Amadeus Arkham truly was pretty good. But Batman just did not feel like Batman, and I really, really did not like the art. It made the pages messy, made it difficult to grasp what exactly was going on, and give me a bit of a headache.
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was visually very interesting, but extremely hard to follow. I couldn't tell which order I was supposed to read some of the pages in. I suppose for a comic that is meant to be about insanity, I definitely felt insane trying to understand it.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If my rating system was only based on art, this would be five stars all the way. Beautiful art and great story but the words were really hard to read and distracting.
I have never read another comic like it. I'm not sure it's one I will ever go back to as it is not a fun or easy read. It is spellbinding though. I read it in one sitting very late at night.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Morrison at his most morrison? I wasn't sure what to expect but I'm glad I went in open minded because I really enjoyed this.
I'd actually argue the storytelling part isn't that insane. It's pretty easy to tell what's happening. I especially liked the focus on trying to help mentally ill people try to get better. The fact Joker is thought of as a lost cause by both Batman and the people of Arkham was a bit hysterical though. I also have to say the back and forth between the present and the one who had built AA was great, a slow decent into Madness really captured the feel of an Asylum before it even was one. The ending? Perfect as well.
Now where the book loses me a bit is the art. Don't get me wrong, some of it is amazing. The gritty close up of the teeth when Batman is angry/struggling, Joker's insane, disgusting, twisted look, the dialogue choice with the coloring boxes. All that was great. But at times I had a very hard time telling what was happening. Sometimes SO dark all I could do was kind of make out what the scene was going for, but also, questioned myself if I was seeing things.
I feel like this book might improve on multiple reads. What I liked is it was short enough to warrant a few re-reads down the line in my life. As it stands now though, a 4 out of 5.
I'd actually argue the storytelling part isn't that insane. It's pretty easy to tell what's happening. I especially liked the focus on trying to help mentally ill people try to get better. The fact Joker is thought of as a lost cause by both Batman and the people of Arkham was a bit hysterical though. I also have to say the back and forth between the present and the one who had built AA was great, a slow decent into Madness really captured the feel of an Asylum before it even was one. The ending? Perfect as well.
Now where the book loses me a bit is the art. Don't get me wrong, some of it is amazing. The gritty close up of the teeth when Batman is angry/struggling, Joker's insane, disgusting, twisted look, the dialogue choice with the coloring boxes. All that was great. But at times I had a very hard time telling what was happening. Sometimes SO dark all I could do was kind of make out what the scene was going for, but also, questioned myself if I was seeing things.
I feel like this book might improve on multiple reads. What I liked is it was short enough to warrant a few re-reads down the line in my life. As it stands now though, a 4 out of 5.
Lots of potential here, but it didn't go anywhere. Yes, the art is amazing in itself, and some of the psychological theories are interesting. But it's all rather...empty.