Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare

by Tyler James, John Lees, Alex Cormack (Art)

Imagine The Joker came to a Gotham without Batman... Oxymoron: The Loveliest Nightmare is a dark crime thriller about an afflicted detective hunting a serial killer obsessed with contradiction, who is painting a bloody canvass of carnage with the entrails of politicians and power brokers in the corrupt city she calls home. Written by John Lees (And Then Emily Was Gone) and Tyler James (The Red Ten), with art by Alex Cormack (Find), Oxymoron is a visceral thriller in the vein of Se7en and Hannibal.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics

Paperback

First published January 27, 2016

Reviews

[A.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has read my reviews before knows I don’t like the Joker at all so reading a book about an indie comics Joker may seem counter-intuitive, but I LOVE John Lees and Alex Cormack ever since I read Crimson Cage so I decided to give this a chance. And boy am I glad I did because I surprisingly liked this quite a bit. The story is that this Joker-like figure named Oxymoron starts killing powerful people and pointing out their hypocrisies in life when he does. And now a traumatized detective must take the killer down before the city starts to take his side...

It’s not perfect by any means and isn’t nearly as good as this creative team's other collaborations, but it’s carried by an extremely likable main protagonist in Detective Mary Clark and some pretty shocking twists I didn't see coming. And even though Cormack’s pencils aren’t as refined as they are nowadays, I think his art is still some of the best I’ve seen in a horror book. The dude is so underappreciated. There are two scenes in particular that are completely carried by his horrifying and innovative panel layouts. There are also some genuinely shocking plot twists that are made believable by the way Cormack brings them to life. The third issue in particular has one of the most fucked up endings to a comic I’ve ever seen, like that shit would put some Crossed moments to shame.

I don’t know if I’d recommend this to anyone honestly, but I sure am glad I read it. Even though the character of Oxymoron doesn’t seem to know what oxymorons actually are, I still liked this for what it was. I wouldn’t mind seeing Lees or Cormack doing more with both Mary and/or Oxymoron in the future. I probably wouldn’t read another Oxymoron series that’s not by Lees & Cormack, but I applaud the duo for finally making me enjoy a book that’s about the Joker (or someone similar to him). If I were to recommend anything, I'd say just try out this duo's much better collabs in Crimson Cage or Sink.

[Malum · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just ok. Some issues I had with it:

Much like Alanis Morissettes's "ironic", the writers of this book don't seem to understand literary devices and think an oxymoron and hypocrisy are the same thing. They aren't.

You majorly need to suspend disbelief for many of the plot points in this book to work.

The bad guy is just a more self-aware Joker. This might work for some people, but I would have liked it better if they had come up with a villain who was a bit more original.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Joker on steroids! This what DC's Joker should be like, but isn't allowed in order to make him more accessible to regular readers. The murders staged by the serial killer nicknamed Oxymoron are more violent that any authored by the Joker. Arguably, I haven't read a lot of comics featuring the Joker, but he is considerably more tame than Oxymoron. Both are deadly nutjobs, but Oxymoron takes things into his own hands and innocents end up dead in disgustingly bloody scenes.

Mary Clark was a detective who lost her partner to a killer, but nobody believed her story. Now she has returned to the force as a regular policewoman and her colleagues are avoiding her like the plague. She gets a new partner in Deborah Deanie, the daughter of small-town sheriff. Their first case is a jumper who claims his family is being threatened into killing himself to save his family. The guy jumps to his death before Mary can stop him. This is just the first of a string of increasingly more brutal and more publicized murders.

The killer stages a shooting in a cinema filled with people. The massacre leaves many dead, ironically also a senator who was pro-gun, but never used a firearm in his life. He focuses on contradictions of this sort for his targets and often kills not only them, but innocents too.

Mary's lover Dave offers to move with her and his son Kyle away from the city, but she refuses. Krystal Gaines is a reporter threatened by the killer who names himself the Oxymoron into making his story public, a thing she uses to her advantage until she becomes his next victim. Her execution is broadcast live on the internet. It ends with an invitation for Mary.

Mary is convinced that Oxymoron's invitation is a trap, so she's surprised when he instead gives her a chance to kill the man who murdered her partner. She arrests the murdered, earning a reprieve from Oxymoron. Then she reconsiders her boyfriend's offer to leave Swanstown.

Oxymoron won't have Mary leave, so he kills Dave and kidnaps his son. Mary tries to free the boy and gets blindsighted by Oxymoron. He triggers her Addison's disease and leaves her unable to move or even look away as he mutilates Kyle.

A month later Mary has gone to ground. Oxymoron's murders have created a zealous movement among the citizens who are now challenging authority figures in a chaotic, lawless landscape. He goes for Deborah and her lover, but ends up trapped by Mary who has been following her partner's dealings, certain that Oxymoron would go for them eventually. Mary forces him to show her where he's been keping Kyle. Oxymoron attacks her, but is ultimately killed. Or is he?

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The basic premise is " what if a Joker didn't have a Batman to oppose him?" , but it plays a bit wider than that.
Oxymoron (I knew him from the Red 10, but no previous backstory is required) is equal parts Joker and Jigsaw, and this book is more about the people he targets instead of explaining him. There is very much a Se7en style tone to the book, with less emphasis on action than reaction.

I've been waiting on this collection because I didn't want to spoil the Red 10, no need. Nothing I read here seems to step on any toes, though it does add a few layers to the Onion.
ComixTribe is worth checking out if you're looking for something from a publisher besides crossovers

[Syon · Rating 5 out of 5]

ART - 10/10

STORY - 10/10

WRITING - 10/10

[Sjoerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrifying

[Nic Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oxymoron is a breath of fresh air for those of us sick to death of the Marvel and DC villain’s overly-repetitious cycle of almost getting their way before their plan is foiled by the hero. I can’t read a superhero comic anymore without being able to predict the outcome. And that, friends, is a sad thing.

While Oxymoron isn’t devoid of comic book cliche’s, it maintains originality in tailoring itself to the villain’s plot. One could argue that if superhero comics hadn’t built a reputation for predictability, Oxymoron would feel less exciting because of its tendency to lean on standard plot devices, villainous or not. But because we live in a world where the biggest brand names in comics have chosen to rob us of surprising plot lines, this one shines its ability to completely shatter your senses and expectations.

I don’t want to give anything away, but you will be surprised multiple times. You will be disturbed multiple times. But most importantly, you will be reading something that breaks the mold and dares to be original.

[Paolo Macri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book and couldn't out it down! 4 stars!