- Paperback: 144 pages
- Publisher: Titan Books Ltd (27 Mar 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 184576725X
- ISBN-13: 978-1845767259
- Product Dimensions: 25.2 x 16.2 x 1.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
69,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #81 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Characters & Series > Batman
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Gotham City is plagued with crime and corruption in places high and low, but one man has taken a stand against evil of all forms: the dark avenger known as Batman. In two tales from early in the Dark Knight's career, first witness the terrifying genesis of the Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime and Batman's nemesis! When a new costumed criminal starts killing millionaires, Batman must stop him before Bruce Wayne becomes a target! Plus, Batman's first team-up with the Green Lantern, in a race to catch a serial killer from both their pasts! Award-winning author Ed Brubaker ("Gotham Central") is joined by artists Doug Mahnke ("Stormwatch PHD") and Patrick Zircher ("Iron Man") for this pair of noir-tinged thrillers!
About the Author
Ed Brubaker is an award-winning writer whose work includes Batman, Captain America, Criminal, Daredevil, The Dead Boy Detectives, Deadenders, Gotham Central, The Immortal Iron Fist, Lowlife, Scene of the Crime, Sleeper and Uncanny X-Men. Doug Mahnke has pencilled Aliens, Batman, Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein and Superman: The Man of Steel. He is now the artist on Stormwatch: Post-Human Division. Patrick Zircher's work includes Iron Man, New Warriors and Thunderbolts.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
it's tickling just how much i enjoyed this. i was hooked from page one and couldn't put it down. the art work captivated and the plot didn't disappoint. i also really enjoyed the killing joke but "the man who laugh's" was far more suited to my liking. i'd advise any batman fan to get there hands on a copy of this.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I had heard over and over about how the Jokers first crime was to poison Gotham reservoir, but never actually read the story. Finally I find 'The Man Who Laughs', an excellent telling of Gothams first encounter with the Clown Prince of Crime.
This is a dark, psychotic Joker in the vein of Frank Millers own, ready to kill at the drop of a hat. The story is well told, with good character incites, showing the Jokers genius, as well as more of the early days of Gordon and Batman. The artwork fits perfectly with the tone of the story.
I have just 2 minor complaints, firstly (THIS MAY BE A SLIGHT SPOILER TO THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THE STORY) is when Batman gets to see what it's like
inside the Jokers head, as I always felt that part of their relationship was that Batman never truly understood, he could just make his best guesses. The Joker is supposed to be a chaotic character and this just rationalises him a little more, however it could explain the sympathy Batman feels towards him in books like Killing Joke.
(SPOILER OVER)
The second is that the story is too short, it only takes up about half the book, the second half is the story Made of Wood, featuring a team up between Batman and the original Green Lantern. This story is good, showing his detective roots and having a more noir feel, but this isn't why I bought the book, I wanted more Joker action, and after how good the first story is, it just falls a little flat. Maybe it's just because I'm not a big Green Lantern fan.....
Overall though a very good read, definitely worth adding to a collection
This is a dark, psychotic Joker in the vein of Frank Millers own, ready to kill at the drop of a hat. The story is well told, with good character incites, showing the Jokers genius, as well as more of the early days of Gordon and Batman. The artwork fits perfectly with the tone of the story.
I have just 2 minor complaints, firstly (THIS MAY BE A SLIGHT SPOILER TO THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THE STORY) is when Batman gets to see what it's like
inside the Jokers head, as I always felt that part of their relationship was that Batman never truly understood, he could just make his best guesses. The Joker is supposed to be a chaotic character and this just rationalises him a little more, however it could explain the sympathy Batman feels towards him in books like Killing Joke.
(SPOILER OVER)
The second is that the story is too short, it only takes up about half the book, the second half is the story Made of Wood, featuring a team up between Batman and the original Green Lantern. This story is good, showing his detective roots and having a more noir feel, but this isn't why I bought the book, I wanted more Joker action, and after how good the first story is, it just falls a little flat. Maybe it's just because I'm not a big Green Lantern fan.....
Overall though a very good read, definitely worth adding to a collection
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
From the very first page - you know that this is going to be a grizzly story, of the `Year One' Batman graphic novels this is the most graphic so far - in terms of gruesome imagery. A series of semi decomposed bodies are retrieved by the police from an industrial building. James Gordon reflects that he's seen plenty of dead bodies, but he's "never seen anything like this", there's a new malevolent presence in the City ...The Joker.
The Man Who Laughs is the fifth book in the Year One continuity, it bends the continuity slightly by seemingly occurring immediately after Batman: Year One itself and also some time after Batman and the Mad Monk. It's a modern take on the original telling of how the Joker came to be and his possible origins as another of Batman's foes. Although constantly grinning, his actions are no joke and The Joker is portrayed as an ultra-violent sociopath who kills with detached ease. The Joker looks superb, it never fails to amaze me how the same costumes and characters take on whole new aspects of personality with each new artist. The artwork in The Man Who Laughs is more gritty than the preceding four books and it reflects the more sinister content, Batman looks meaner, James Gordon looks more dishevelled and Gotham looks a little meaner. The colours are muted and more realistic, bright hues were used to good effect in The Mad Monk - here emotive expressions are key to injecting extra depth.
Although the Joker is the focus of the book, the most striking aspect is the more natural relationship between Batman and Gordon. It's still a bit cloak and dagger, but there seems to be less mystery and more friendship between the two, there's an assumed partnership and the two are more obviously semi-dependant on each other than before even it if it is unofficial and off-the-record. This gives the sense of an organic relationship which has grown since Year One when a firm mutual respect was established. There's now a reliance which enables both men to achieve a common goal through very different means and neither is afraid to speak their mind, there's no awkwardness, only comfortable dialogue.
There are some things I've come to expect from Batman comics, a reference to the wider DC Universe (usually Superman) and here we get a double whammy with a quick line mentioning Supes and The Flash! Alfred tends to get some great lines of dialogue, though sadly he doesn't deliver any killer lines here. Although this is a good retelling of the Joker's emergence, the overall story feels a little anaemic and the ending seems rushed and not satisfyingly worked out. You do get two stories for the price of one though, the second story is an interesting Batman / Green Lantern combo and makes for a welcome filler.
In a nutshell: The Joker as he should be; with a manic personality which is unpredictable and unnerving, he feels very dangerous. If it weren't for The Killing Joke I may have thought more of this comic - if it were more developed rather than existing as a short story then it could have been more gripping. Good, but not essential Bat-reading, I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could - but I can't here so on balance I'll give it 3 because I was expecting more than this delivered and it simply felt a little average after the most promising of starts.
The Man Who Laughs is the fifth book in the Year One continuity, it bends the continuity slightly by seemingly occurring immediately after Batman: Year One itself and also some time after Batman and the Mad Monk. It's a modern take on the original telling of how the Joker came to be and his possible origins as another of Batman's foes. Although constantly grinning, his actions are no joke and The Joker is portrayed as an ultra-violent sociopath who kills with detached ease. The Joker looks superb, it never fails to amaze me how the same costumes and characters take on whole new aspects of personality with each new artist. The artwork in The Man Who Laughs is more gritty than the preceding four books and it reflects the more sinister content, Batman looks meaner, James Gordon looks more dishevelled and Gotham looks a little meaner. The colours are muted and more realistic, bright hues were used to good effect in The Mad Monk - here emotive expressions are key to injecting extra depth.
Although the Joker is the focus of the book, the most striking aspect is the more natural relationship between Batman and Gordon. It's still a bit cloak and dagger, but there seems to be less mystery and more friendship between the two, there's an assumed partnership and the two are more obviously semi-dependant on each other than before even it if it is unofficial and off-the-record. This gives the sense of an organic relationship which has grown since Year One when a firm mutual respect was established. There's now a reliance which enables both men to achieve a common goal through very different means and neither is afraid to speak their mind, there's no awkwardness, only comfortable dialogue.
There are some things I've come to expect from Batman comics, a reference to the wider DC Universe (usually Superman) and here we get a double whammy with a quick line mentioning Supes and The Flash! Alfred tends to get some great lines of dialogue, though sadly he doesn't deliver any killer lines here. Although this is a good retelling of the Joker's emergence, the overall story feels a little anaemic and the ending seems rushed and not satisfyingly worked out. You do get two stories for the price of one though, the second story is an interesting Batman / Green Lantern combo and makes for a welcome filler.
In a nutshell: The Joker as he should be; with a manic personality which is unpredictable and unnerving, he feels very dangerous. If it weren't for The Killing Joke I may have thought more of this comic - if it were more developed rather than existing as a short story then it could have been more gripping. Good, but not essential Bat-reading, I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could - but I can't here so on balance I'll give it 3 because I was expecting more than this delivered and it simply felt a little average after the most promising of starts.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Concluding...
An amazing conclusion to the Wargames trilogy. Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Oracle, Catwoman and Tarantula all working together with some Spoiler help on the side? whats not to love?!
Published 8 days ago by Mason Denari
BRUBAKER....
Having read a lot of Batman, but not a huge deal of Brubaker (Catwoman + Turning Points aside). The first part of this story is really quite special. Read more
Published 3 months ago by TheDarkShight
The jokes on you
The Killing Joke is seen as the best Joker related graphic novel out there - I really don't know why. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Goemar
Okay telling of the Joker origin story and a Batman & Alan Scott...
This was a decent read, two stories: Joker's origin and a series of unsolved deaths that Batman and Alan Scott (the original Green Lantern) are trying to solve. Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by Mr. A. J. Mann
A great start for the Clown
This is the first encounter of the World's Greatest Detective and the infamous laughing Clown through the eyes of Ed Brubacker. Read more
Published on 20 April 2010 by N. Kanellopoulos
The Clown Prince Begins
Im 100% with BatDan!! For real this book is not only a piece of Artistic Genius, it also sets the bar for Joker gn's everywhere. Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2009 by D. Fletcher
jokes on you
Here we have 2 short stories instead of one long one. Is that a problem? i dont think so as there really isnt any unnecessary filler. Read more
Published on 18 Jun 2009 by T. Brown
Another classic from Mr. Burbaker!
Having been a Batman and comic book fan since my teens I have to say that this is one of the best Batman titles I have ever read and is definitely up there with Alan Moore's "The... Read more
Published on 14 Dec 2008 by Mr. C. Evans
The Joker's year one treat
Now and then a graphic novel comes along that you know will be considered a classic, and this is one of those. This is a Joker story with quality written all over it. Read more
Published on 18 Sep 2008 by BatDan
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