Killing Joke (2 points)

-

 1) After reading the Killing Joke, I had a weird feeling that I don't usually feel after reading or watching a superhero movie or comic. I thought that this story might actually happen in real life. Of course, there are some romantic fantasy elements, but they look so harmoniously in the story, so you really start to believe in it. I really liked how these comics portrayed the relationship between Batman and Joker. They seemed like old friends who just now hate each other, but are still friends and have similar past or at least similar experience, but each chooses their own paths. Overall, I liked this story because I wasn't expecting it to be so severe and dramatic. I believe after such a depiction, readers started to expect more dark and real stories of superheroes.

2) While reading the Killing Joke, I noticed many times that I genially am scared of Joker during this story. I am not a big fan of superheroes, but I watched some movies with Joker, and never I felt that he is that scary, he was crazy for me and evil, but I wasn't afraid of him. In this story, I am not sure why Joker really feels creepy because of the actions or the art. I usually never am getting scared when I read, but this story got me. I felt uneasy. 

3) I am not sure that this story would feel and work the same if you changed something. I guess I would make a small TV series out of this story. I will break it into episodes of Joker's flashbacks and the real-time events. I probably would add a little bit more horror and details in the part where Joker falls into chemicals and turns into Joker. I felt that this part in the comic was too rushed.

4) I am not a big fan of superheroes because I always felt that the basic concept of super people in costumes in our real world is just stupid. So I don't have many examples to compare with. But I definitely expected the basic story, where Batman tries to catch Joker while he is committing crimes. In some way, that is what I got, but all the characters felt so severe and natural, dark and creepy. I didn't think that this is a stupid story.

I think the flashbacks that are showing the Joker as he was before and how he got where he is really helped me to ground this story in my mind and believe in it more. I would say that history feels much more adult than the usual superhero stories I am used to.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Arrival (3 points)

-
 "The Arrival" by Shaun Tan very impressed me!  First of all, I have never read s full comic book story without words. I thought it would be very unusual for me, but it was an excellent decision for the new place's atmosphere where you don't know anything or anyone. Even a language for you is unknown. So the fact that this comic had no words significantly helped me understand the main character's feelings.  As an international student, I am very aware of everything the hero of the book was experiencing. The memories of a home-place by some details or fragments. The painful family goodbye. The anxiety of the passport control on the border. Even finding a place to live and settle down in the new and exotic for your location.  It is fascinating how well the artist conveyed all the stress and the excitement of moving to a new place into art.  The gray scale with brown tins is perfect for this type of story, making you feel uncomfy but interested. Realistic drawings
Read more

OSAMU TEZUKA, Buddha 1,2 - (9 points)

-
I read three volumes from Osamu Tezuka about Buddha. I knew about this artist and his style, how he loved animation and was so highly inspired by Walt Disney.  But I never read his works, but I also knew what manga is and what I can expect. I expected a cluttered art with many details, many dialogs, and just overall beautiful but slow reading.  Instead, I was amazed by what I got. His manga is incredibly appealing, straightforward, and just fun.  I was feeling like I am watching a Disney animation movie.  I can easily see the influence the author got from Walt. All lines are soft and round. Eyes are big and round. And it is incredible how Osamu draws action scenes. They are so clear and fast. He uses many secondary lines and adds extra limbs to his characters when they are running or doing something fast.  This method is often used in animation.  Also, I was surprised how clear, clean, and simple his paneling style is. His mangas are the easiest ones for me to read so far. All the lett
Read more

George Herman comic strips (2 point)

-
 Major Ozone. I think that Major Ozone is one of the uniquest characters I have ever met in comics.  He is just a simple old man who wants to enjoy the fresh air. That is it. And around such a specific and unusual situation, the artist creates a lot of hilarious comic strips. Most of them are based on slapstick or action humor.  The character gets hit, gets into a heavy smoke, or falls into the water—all drawn in a hilarious and expressive cartoony style.  But the funniest situations for me were when they are based on verbal humor.  Like strip when Major Ozone sits near the open window, and in the next window, his neighbor smokes a very smelly pipe. Major Ozone says that the man's pipe smoke smells fantastic. He kept saying that until the man closed his window, not to make Ozone smell this "beautiful" smoke. The last comment of the major Ozone made me smile.  He said that that is what he calls Diplomacy.  This is amazing how many situations you can make by exploring just
Read more