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Brian Azzarello

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Joker: The 10th Anniversary Edition (DC Black Label Edition) (Joker (2008)) Kindle & comiXology

by Brian Azzarello (Author), Lee Bermejo (Illustrator, Artist) Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 3,410 ratings

Part of: Joker (2008)

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From writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo, the team behind the best-selling BATMAN: DAMNED, JOKER tells the story of one very dark night in Gotham City—a harrowing night of revenge, murder and crime as only The Joker can deliver it, as he brutally takes back his stolen assets from the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, Killer Croc and others.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Building on Heath Ledgers performance in The Dark Knight (although long before the movies debut), Azzarello creates a memorably cringe-worthy story. Rather than a natty Clown Prince of Crime, this Joker looks like a glam rocker gone to toxic seed. Newly released from Arkham Asylum, he begins disorganizing the criminal establishment of Gotham City. Although he claims to want power and money when he confronts Two Face and his peers, he really seems just to enjoy playing with people—shooting them, setting them on fire or skinning them alive. Accompanying him is Jonny Frost, a young thug who takes a long time to recognize the drawbacks of seeing a vicious sociopath as a role model. Like Jonny, however, readers may find that, horrifying as the Joker is, they cant take their eyes off him. Even Batman, when he inevitably enters the action, functions largely as the Jokers partner in a dance of death. Azzarello has learned how to create a menacing, morally ambivalent atmosphere in his years of scripting 100 Bullets, and Bermejos jagged, shadow-saturated art sustains the mood. The result is fascinating but extremely dark. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Batman’s preeminent foe comes to the fore, and the Caped Crusader makes only a fleeting appearance at the end in this graphic novel scripted by hard-boiled crime-comics author Azzarello that sees the Crime Clown, newly released from Arkham Asylum, attempting to take Gotham City back from the underworld figures who have carved it up in his absence. The story is told from the perspective of a small-time hood who stumbles into being the Joker’s henchman. Azzarello’s Joker hews closely to Heath Ledger’s portrayal in the film The Dark Knight. He’s a genuine psychopath, whose unpredictability is his strongest weapon. Chillingly cruel and criminally insane, he still isn’t so outré that he couldn’t conceivably exist in a non-comic-book world. Two-Face, the Penguin, and the Riddler are here, too, similarly muted compared to their usual comic-book personae and active in the most squalid version of Gotham City ever put on paper or celluloid, a sleazy milieu that Lee Bermejo’s deliberately ugly artwork, aided by a muddily muted color scheme, well realizes. --Gordon Flagg

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07TWY2JNY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ DC; Illustrated edition (July 16, 2019)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 16, 2019
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 404864 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 144 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #548,232 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #5,486 in Superhero Graphic Novels
- #10,046 in Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels

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4.7 3,410 ratings

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Brian Azzarello

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Brian Azzarello has achieved both huge sales and acclaim with his comic 100 Bullets, and has also recently completed a run on Hellblazer, and Marvel's Cage. Lee Bermejo is the illustrator of Superman/Gen 13, and has contributed pin-ups to 100 Bullets and WildC.A.T.S.

Photo by Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons.

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3,410 global ratings

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Sam Green

On some levels, the most disturbing Joker story you will ever read

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2019

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The re-making of the Joker into the ultimate dark villian is fairly recent and is mostly due, I think, to the grand performances of the late Heath Ledger and the upcoming one by Joaquin Phoenix. Which is very much unlike how the character was portrayed by Jack Nicholson or the very campy 1960's show. It seems that as comics become a mega-industry they grow less and less playful and much more, well dark, as in Dark Knight.

The comic is unusual as it explores the relationship between the Joker and the OTHER Batman villains, building up his uniqueness as the Clown Prince of Gotham while also being 'loyal' to the truthfulness of the other characters. If you read and re-read the work you begin to notice just how smart it is in the way the art and dialog combine to direct the flow of the story. This comic is epic, the art is superb and the world it describes is 'complete' - and it'll stick with you long after you finish reading it.

11 people found this helpful

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Sam

The Dark Knight, continued.

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2013

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This story is unique to most of the Joker stories out there in that it builds off of Heath Ledger's performance of the Joker in Nolan's "The Dark Knight." The art style is very suggestive of Ledger, and as such it is very easy to imagine "Joker" as a continuation of the Joker's story after the events that took place at the end of "The Dark Knight." Although many complain that the story's being told from the point of view of one of the Joker's henchmen detracts from the Joker's story, I disagree - I actually enjoyed this unique and novel perspective on such a legendary character; it allows us to see a side of the Joker that is fun and at times, even vulnerable (gasp!).

The art here is beautiful. Period. It took me a surprisingly long time to get through this book because the artwork was so intricate that I wanted to make sure that I hadn't missed a single detail. Bravo.

Though the ending seemed a bit abrupt and many of the characters could have been further developed - mainly Harley Quinn, who is portrayed as a stripper in this book - I would highly suggest "Joker" to any fan of the character - it offers an incredibly unique perspective and, in my opinion, belongs right between "The Man Who Laughs" and "The Killing Joke" in anyone's Joker-story collection.

Hope I helped. :)

8 people found this helpful

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Andy D.

Arrived in Great Shape

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2024

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Very happy with this order. Arrived early and in excellent condition. I'm looking forward to reading this graphic novel!

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Joshua Rosenblum

Noir Take On the Clown Prince

Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2008

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An interesting, if not stellar work. As can be expected from Azarello who pens the outstanding "100 Bullets," this take on The Joker is less a superhero tale than a gritty film noir with some rather eccentric characters.

And it is noir.

Like its predecessor "Batman: Broken City," Gotham is the filth encrusted urban hell that breaks the big time dreams of the small time hustlers, scammers and assorted losers.

The story is told through the eyes of small-time gangster Johnny Frost who becomes enamored of The Joker, thinking that he can hitch his star to the Clown Prince as he violently tears through Gotham's underworld after his unexplained release from Arkham, looking to reestablish himself as the top criminal in the city.

But, true to the noir trope, Johnny realizes only too late that The Joker is not simply an uber-racketeer with a pretty smile, but rather he's got his own agenda understood only to him - that brings madness and destruction eventually to all who enter his orbit.

The characterization of The Joker is subtle because at first he just seems to be similar to Azzarello's reinterpretation of all the Rogue's Gallery as gangsters and molls. Only later does it become apparent that his behavior only makes sense (if you can call it that) in light of his relationship with The Batman.

But still I was somehow left unsatisfied. Because if there is one thing that makes The Joker stand apart from the rest of the Gallery it is his complete lack of normal criminal motivation. In this book, The Joker just seems a little too "gangstery" (Although as noted before, this might be just because we are really only seeing The Joker through Johnny Frost's eyes.)

I really enjoyed The Joker's cameo appearance in "Batman: Broken City" where, locked in a cell in Arkham, he does a turn as a sort of a green haired Hannibal Lecter, giving the impression to Bruce that he is controlling events on the outside somehow.

Bermejo's artwork is excellent, moving back and forth between the standard pen and palette to outright oil paintings similar to Alex Ross. He has a gift for focusing on the details of a decaying Gotham and literally making the city a character in the story.

All in all it's a good work.

5 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A must-have for all fans of The Joker.

Reviewed in Canada on June 20, 2023

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Azzarello & Bermejo are fantastic! The story is amazing, the art is incredible! Seeing is believing, don't delay in ordering-up a copy for yourselves. Cheers! Nicholas.

Lee

OMG???

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2024

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To say im in LOVE with this comic is such an understatement. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down, re-read through it more times than I could count. The art is beautiful, the way Joker is drawn is just amazing too with the likeness of Heath Ledgers design. I think this is my new favourite comic ever, I dont care about all the other bad reviews. Im in awe 😭☠️

Also, enjoy the kitty Joker photo, hes a girls girl 🎀

Daniel

¡Excelente novela gráfica!

Reviewed in Mexico on May 27, 2021

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Me encantó, considero que cada una de las paginas son una obra de arte, además de que la historia deja muy en claro cuán crudo puede ser el universo de DC comics.

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KANNAN C B

Masterpiece ARTWORK..!!!

Reviewed in India on March 22, 2022

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The paperback issue of JOKER got delivered within two days. Bermejo's art is stunning for the most part, gorgeously painted pages with traditionally rendered ink and colour work, Bermejo brings Gotham to life with every panel.