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mikethekid122's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
peeeebs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
It’s one of the most important graphic novels of all time for a reason. The story is dark and macabre, the art is nightmarish and at times terrifying to look at. It’s a different take on Batman but it’s one that works perfect for this story, he is a shadow in the dark, less man more monster. A creature of pain and destruction. He belongs in the asylum. I loved it
roboxa's review against another edition
4.0
I am very glad that I finally got around to reading this graphic novel. I wasn't even planning on buying it (I was going to rent it from the library) but when I picked it up at Powell's I just had to have it. Even if just for the art alone. When I opened the book to flip through the pages, I was blown away at how awesome the artwork was. I am a sucker for some beautiful art, so there was no way I was leaving the store without this book.It's hauntingly beautiful!
The artwork was actually a major reason this book even worked. While the story itself is creepy, the art just helped accentuate the insanity within Arkham Asylum and its inhabitants. It also does a great job of depicting the troubled mind that Batman works so hard to hide.
While Batman is often portrayed as someone with at least of modicum control over his emotions this novel reveals just how troubled Batman really is and how the Joker has known the whole time, even if Batman denies it. This is a story about another plot created by the Joker to get Batman, but rather than trying to kill him/get him killed, he wants Batman to reveal the insanity the lies within him, always threatening to come to the surface.
Running alongside Batman's struggle to keep his sanity is the parallel story of Amadeus Arkham, the founder of Arkham Asylum, and his descent into madness after years of surrounding himself with those who have lost all contact with reality. In fact, Amadeus shows some similarities to Batman in that for years he had attempted to control the madness that was inside him while it slowly consumed him. In this graphic novel, we get to see how Batman shares this with Amadeus as he struggles to keep his shaky grasp on sanity in a place filled with insane people and at times, almost loses.
The only issue I had with this novel was that I felt the ending was little rushed. I thought there was more that could be done with it. This is not saying the ending was bad. I still enjoyed what they did with it. I just think I could have been a little better.
In the end, this was a great Batman graphic novel with amazing art and a thought provoking and intense story. It's not your average action packed Batman novel but is instead a psychological thriller that will send chills down your spine. I highly recommend it for those more interested in looking into the depths of Batman and his inner turmoils, which let's face it, is why we love Batman.
The artwork was actually a major reason this book even worked. While the story itself is creepy, the art just helped accentuate the insanity within Arkham Asylum and its inhabitants. It also does a great job of depicting the troubled mind that Batman works so hard to hide.
While Batman is often portrayed as someone with at least of modicum control over his emotions this novel reveals just how troubled Batman really is and how the Joker has known the whole time, even if Batman denies it. This is a story about another plot created by the Joker to get Batman, but rather than trying to kill him/get him killed, he wants Batman to reveal the insanity the lies within him, always threatening to come to the surface.
Running alongside Batman's struggle to keep his sanity is the parallel story of Amadeus Arkham, the founder of Arkham Asylum, and his descent into madness after years of surrounding himself with those who have lost all contact with reality. In fact, Amadeus shows some similarities to Batman in that for years he had attempted to control the madness that was inside him while it slowly consumed him. In this graphic novel, we get to see how Batman shares this with Amadeus as he struggles to keep his shaky grasp on sanity in a place filled with insane people and at times, almost loses.
The only issue I had with this novel was that I felt the ending was little rushed. I thought there was more that could be done with it. This is not saying the ending was bad. I still enjoyed what they did with it. I just think I could have been a little better.
In the end, this was a great Batman graphic novel with amazing art and a thought provoking and intense story. It's not your average action packed Batman novel but is instead a psychological thriller that will send chills down your spine. I highly recommend it for those more interested in looking into the depths of Batman and his inner turmoils, which let's face it, is why we love Batman.
tawfek's review against another edition
5.0
between reading the comic and reading the script i skipped almost 10 months not reading this but its because last year was my worst reading year to date and i don't really have anyone to talk about great comics like this one, everyone i know either hates comics or doesn't believe they are worth reading.
its a dangerous thing seeking motivation from others about things you like.
i mean Quentin Tarantino is a comic fan for christ sake.
so to begin out review this was not at all what i expected, the art is the best in the world, the writing is the best as well because this for me wins the best graphic novel i ever read award hands down.
i wasn't expecting much because i already had a run in with grant morrison in action comics 2011 and they were terrible but then fast forward arkham asylum and i am blown away.
i remember the first time i realized the narrative was dual after i finished 25% of the book and i was disappointed in myself that i realized so late and that i read that at a time i wasn't really looking for anything sublime to read.
its not batman and amadeus speaking but amadeus only speaking his crazy mind and his vision works for the scenes we are seeing on the batman side there is no narrative whatsoever for the batman/killer croc fight but its what amadeus writes in his journal that works very well to describe the scene and i got tricked by it.
this for me eclipsed both the killing joke and the dark knight returns by leaps and bounds.
Grant morrison earns my utmost respect as one of the best to ever do it.
Dave McKean blows me away with his beautiful art.
thanks both of you for a job well done and a masterpiece for the ages.
its a dangerous thing seeking motivation from others about things you like.
i mean Quentin Tarantino is a comic fan for christ sake.
so to begin out review this was not at all what i expected, the art is the best in the world, the writing is the best as well because this for me wins the best graphic novel i ever read award hands down.
i wasn't expecting much because i already had a run in with grant morrison in action comics 2011 and they were terrible but then fast forward arkham asylum and i am blown away.
i remember the first time i realized the narrative was dual after i finished 25% of the book and i was disappointed in myself that i realized so late and that i read that at a time i wasn't really looking for anything sublime to read.
its not batman and amadeus speaking but amadeus only speaking his crazy mind and his vision works for the scenes we are seeing on the batman side there is no narrative whatsoever for the batman/killer croc fight but its what amadeus writes in his journal that works very well to describe the scene and i got tricked by it.
this for me eclipsed both the killing joke and the dark knight returns by leaps and bounds.
Grant morrison earns my utmost respect as one of the best to ever do it.
Dave McKean blows me away with his beautiful art.
thanks both of you for a job well done and a masterpiece for the ages.
capincus's review against another edition
3.0
Great artwork and some interesting concepts but the layout and overall plot leaves something to be desired. This is clearly supposed to be a weird and edgy graphic novel (and at the time it was released it probably was) but that seems to me to have detracted a bit from the quality of the reading experience. The Joker's text for instance is written in an odd font that goes along well with his character but can be difficult to read. The way certain pages are laid out it can be kind of confusing whether you're supposed to read onto the next page or down to the next line. And probably worst of all is the plot is pretty abrupt without enough detail fully flushed out and made up entirely of a few ambiguous events.
lisa13omodei's review against another edition
4.0
The art alone deserves a 5. The whole book almost looks like a wild oil painting and it's stunning. This book was a slice of insanity and it was really cool. It was a bit nonsensical, however that did add to the strange "Lewis Carroll-esq" vibe. Like a nightmarish Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
afbrown's review against another edition
2.0
Quick read. Awesome art. Okay story, seemed too brief. Each villain wasn't dedicated enough time, and the storyline with Batman and the Joker didn't seem in any way important, just a tag-along to the Amadeus Arkham back-story.
Visually it is amazing however.
Visually it is amazing however.
bjcmusic's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
5.0
christie_esau's review against another edition
3.0
I'm willing to bet I would have enjoyed this more if a) I had a greater background with the Batman canon, and b) if I could actually read more than half of the text. Granted, I was reading in relatively dim lighting, but I couldn't decipher half of the Joker's red text dialogue. For how popular this graphic novel is, a real publication annoyance.