Even if you only see the cover of Joker, you know that the art, at least, is inspired by Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. For what it’s worth I loved The Dark Knight and I also really enjoy 100 Bullets (though I’ve only read through the first 4 trades).

The art is excellent, it’s gritty and Batman, the Joker, and Two-Face all look very much like their Dark Knight counterparts. The one issue I have is with the use of two inkers. Mike Gray does a fine job, but I would of preferred Lee Bermejo do all the inking. I prefer the look of his inks and it would of added a more cohesive feel to the book. If Bermejo would have handled all the inking I would of given the art a 5.

The story is wholly adult, with a ton of violence, some drug use, and a wee bit of cursing. It’s told from the viewpoint of Jonny Frost, a small-time criminal who jumps at the chance to hit it big with the Joker. The story was not terrible by any means, but I also did not find it to be anything special. It just felt very standard. It may have felt that way because the narrator is someone I never gave a damn about. Although, I thought the ending and the lead-up/foreshadowing of its inevitability were well done and enjoyable. I also don’t think the lack of Batman throughout really took anything away from the story.

If I had paid full price for this, I would of been a bit upset about it. However, since I bought it for $11 I’ll call it a wash. It’s not a waste of time, but it’s not as great as some would lead you to believe.

Patrick Stedem

http://p4tr1ck.tumblr.com