On top of The Man Who Laughs graphic novel, this volume also includes a never-before-reprinted Elseworlds tale called Batman: Gotham Noir. Alongside his own partner-in-crime artist Sean Phillips, this collaboration beautiful captures their style of narrative and visual storytelling, giving us a stellar noir mystery centered around James Gordon as he weaves his way in and out of complicated situations to ultimately unveil his own internal and personal struggle to overcome his haunting past. This is an excellent addition to this deluxe edition as previous volumes never included this story before. I really have to buy the anniversary hardbound collection of the Joker stories soon. I feel that it's the remedy I've been looking for to purge me from my ongoing Joker fatigue at this moment. Half Batman. Half Joker. Combining everything that makes the Caped Crusader a hero and the Clown Prince a killer, the Batman Who Laughs is the Dark Multiverse’s deadliest criminal mastermind. Now he’s come to Gotham to turn Bruce Wayne’s home into an incubator for evil.

Ed Brubaker pens a masterful 3-shot storyline introducing the best villain DC have, the greatest foe Batman ever faced, and one of the best bad guy's in all of literature. The gruesome deaths from Joker toxin are shown very vividly throughout, and Batman has to find a way into a mind that seems to have been completely shattered. I liked that Batman makes a number of mistakes in trying to capture Joker because this is their first encounter and he doesn't know Joker's methods yet. I absolutely loved this story , feeling this to be an essential read for all Batman fans , the art might put off a few people but i absolutely love this kind of art , and for it's time it does remarkably well in not making any sexual or suggestive female characters come into the story . Given that Alan Moore has already completed the definitive story on the origin of The Joker as well as his first meeting with Batman, this had a lot to live up to. Could Brubaker create an instant classic? Could he introduce us to The Joker in a way that was fresh and memorable? And he hasn't come alone. Emerging from another of the Dark Multiverse's myriad realities comes the Grim Knight. This vicious vigilante will use any weapon at his disposal to ensure those he has marked for death stay down. Then there is Joker. Yes, there are better comics which portrays Joker brilliantly, but this story does a good enough job introducing him.

Educational digression: The title of this book, The Man Who Laughs, is also a silent movie, starring Conrad Viedt. The creators of Batman based the Joker’s appearance on Veidt’s character: Forgoing the surprise/disappointment I mentioned in my Gotham Noir review about this being a 3 issue arc rather than the full 9 or 10 issues I expected given the length of the book, The Man Who Laughs was a solid, if unspectacular effort from Brubaker. Although given the growing number of his non-independent titles I've read lately, solid but unspectacular seems to be where Brubaker is at when it comes to his DC work. I've yet to read any of his Marvel stuff at present. This wouldn’t have worked so flawlessly if it weren’t for artist Doug Mahnke’s artwork. Without ever purposefully depicting a grim, dark, and sinister Gotham City, he captures the city’s fear and panic strictly through his character designs. Without a doubt, his iteration of the Joker strikes all the perfect chords, depicting him in his purple suit, with his fedora hat on top of his green hair, with his white and wrinkly skin, with his ghastly grin, and his skinny yet combat-savvy figure. The visual style is also reminiscent of an era of comic books bathing in mystery and suspense, scoring points in terms of appeal and direction. There simply couldn’t have been a better origin story for the one villain that will forever torture the Caped Crusader throughout his war on crime. The movie studios tried to drum up interest in Veidt with the slogan: “Women fight for Conrad Veidt!” Surprisingly, I preferred the second tale over The Man Who Laughs. I thought Gordon's dialogue and inner monologue were fantastic. I think I enjoyed the story on a much higher level overall.

Discover the answer in The Batman Who Laughs—a terrifying reimagining of one of comics' greatest heroes—and villains—from the premier Batman writer of our time! It’s unsurprising that the legendary writer Ed Brubaker is behind one of the most paramount stories in Batman’s lore, the very mystery that introduces Batman to the Clown Prince of Crime. With his perfect grasp over noir fiction, this origin story impeccably captures the detective mystery that encapsulates the Joker’s sudden introduction to Gotham City. Throughout this adventure, with both Bruce Wayne and James Gordon’s first-person narration to immerse readers into their respective minds, you embark on a journey to try and elucidate the Joker’s modus operandi. Despite the hints he leaves around the city, his terrifying public performances through media outlets, his comical, goofy, yet deadly persona, he somehow still remains a giant question mark in the face of the Dark Knight as he tries to desperately connect the dots. Is he the Red Hood? Is he a deranged psychopath escaped from a psych ward? Is he out there on a mission or cluelessly prancing around in the anarchy he creates? Rest assured, writer Ed Brubaker perfectly delivers this story with deadly charm and charisma.

But most of all, this was just a really entertaining story. It’s not as dark and brooding as Year One or the 2008 Dark Knight movie. This is not a story that dives deep into the Joker’s psychological profile. Instead it’s a fun, fast-paced adventure with a lot of action and some excellent art. Ed Brubaker did the Joker justice with this tale, which I’d rate 4.5 stars. Ed Brubaker mimics Frank Miller's Year One by utilizing Bruce and Gordon's POV to tell the story and to engage the readers effectively. Their narrations expose their struggles as they try to keep up with whatever the city throws at them and their guilt whenever they fail to save someone around.

Discover the answer in The Batman Who Laughs–a terrifying reimagining of one of comics’ greatest heroes–and villains–from the premier Batman writer of our time!

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A war like no other–a war of the Batmen–has begun. As Batman’s closest friends, deadliest enemies, and doppelgängers from across the Multiverse get caught in the crossfire, only one question remains: Who will have the last laugh? A war like no other—a war of the Batmen—has begun. As Batman's closest friends, deadliest enemies, and doppelgängers from across the Multiverse get caught in the crossfire, only one question remains: Who will have the last laugh? The “Made of Wood” story-arc was also a riveting and intriguing mystery included in this graphic novel that further explores the Dark Knight’s detective skills alongside his friend James Gordon, while also infusing a tangent narrative with the Green Lantern (Alan Scott), who was once the hero of Gotham City before Batman showed up. It’s nothing too complex or even mind-blowing but made for an excellent tale to be presented alongside the previous two, further showcasing the gruesome mystery-oriented stories that often comes with the Dark Knight. The “Made of Wood” story-arc, written by Ed Brubaker and penciled by Patch Zircher, explores a murder-mystery where Batman teams up with the Green Lantern (Alan Scott) to take down a serial killer that has been active for over half a century. This was a retelling of the jokers debut, with the whole modern Batman retelling taking place , the events took place soon after Batman introduced himself to Captain Gordon and took down (but failed to unmask) The Red Hood .

A war like no other--a war of the Batmen--has begun. As Batman's closest friends, deadliest enemies, and doppelgängers from across the Multiverse get caught in the crossfire, only one question Who will have the last laugh? A different take on a Batman story, Made of Wood is a crime story involving Batman, a retired James Gordon, the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott, and a string of unsolved 1940s murders. Little did I know that Scott was based in Gotham just like Batman.

So Batman, who’s been dealing with punk-ass villains up until this time, is at first in over his head: Evil can pervade the purest of hearts, but nothing could ever explain the mind of the Joker. Many have tried to understand his reasoning, his raison d’être, or even his existence. In fact, it might be the absence of these very ideas that makes his character an emblematic personification of evil. For Batman, he turned out to become his ultimate life partner as they developed an immortal bond representing the quintessential necessity of good and evil. How did Bruce Wayne even attempt to solve the mystery behind this madman’s mind though? This latest deluxe edition of the classic graphic novel includes the landmark story of Batman: The Man Who Laughs, the never-before-reprinted Elseworlds tale Batman: Gotham Noir, the mystery “Made of Wood” from the issues #784-786 of the Detective Comics comic book series, as well as a special collection of preliminary art by artist Doug Mahnke. Don’t worry, Batman. There are plenty more billionaires in Gotham City. The Joker can't kill them all. Right? Made of wood is a pure detective story involving decades-old serial murder which has a secret connection to Alan Scott, the Green Lantern. I don't even know why I like the Joker anymore. Now that first statement is probably the most heinous blasphemous remark I will ever type (and will never type again) as an avid Bat-fan. But I felt the need to confess it because I've been keeping it bottled up inside since...well, since Heath Ledger's outstanding performance in The Dark Knight film. It was only during and after Death of the Family crossover event that I think I became one of those fans who contracted the "Joker fatigue" wherein I found everything that New 52 advertised and hyped about the return of the Clown Prince to be insufferable and diluted.