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“JOKER”
Reviewed by Glenn Blanza
Written by Brian Azzarello & Illustrated by Lee Bermejo
“Let’s put a smile on that face!” You know just by glancing at the hardcover that you’re in for bloody good time! Joking aside, if there was ever a direct sequel to last summer’s Dark Knight film, the newly released Joker graphic novel would be it. And it is no less magnificently violent! Writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo journey through the eyes of one of the Joker’s right hand men, and take you down a very dark and satisfying tale as the clown prince of crime takes back Gotham after a stint at Arkham Asylum.
Released on his own freewill, Joker aims to seize what is rightfully his by working from the bottom all the way to the top, no matter the cost. Even if he has to kill every single last person that stands in his way to prove his point! He encounters a good deal of villains that have risen to take his place in the criminal world while he was away, but he demonstrates on numerous occasions over the course of the story that solidifies the notion that he is very much still the fiendishly intelligent adversary that we all know and love. Reader’s should be warned that Batman does play a small role in this book, since the focus is on Joker and his underlings, but even so the caped crusader’s role is still significant.
I have to admit that aside from his work on 100 Bullets, I was not a big fan of Brian Azzarello’s body of work. His runs on Batman and Superman struck me as being quite unmemorable. But I am happy to report that with this new tale that he has convinced me that he can write a convincing superhero book. In this particular narrative, he has the Joker choosing one of his underling’s, Jonny Frost, to have a front seat as Joker strives to regain control of Gotham’s underground. Joker, as written here is truly sadistic and demented to be sure, but Azzarello adds a certain finesse and wisdom to the character that allows him to exert power easily over the likes of the Penguin and Two-Face.
I’ve enjoyed what little I’ve seen of Lee Bermejo’s art, with the majority of it being cover work. In Joker, Lee Bermejo’s artwork is both grotesque and hauntingly beautiful at the same exact time if there is such a thing. You can see that from the beginning that he has modeled his Joker to match the Dark Knight movie’s version, with a scar from ear to ear, but in addition to that he has taken a very detailed and realistic approach to such characters Croc and Harley Quinn. With lesser artists you can tell that shortcuts are taken and that quality is sacrificed on some panels, but this book delivers knockout artwork consistently from start to finish.
There are a few books that I would consider as essential reading when it comes to great Joker stories, and I’m proud to say that this one easily ranks up there with the best of them. I don’t know if this will ever get the softcover treatment, but I can recommend this graphic novel as being well worth the price paid, and a impressive tale that reminds us how deep rooted Joker’s psychosis is and how dangerous Batman’s archenemy truly is.
5 Lethal Joybuzzers out of 5
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