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Batman: Miniseries
Batman: Europa
The impossible has happened and Batman is on the verge of being taken down by an enemy he cannot a virus for which there is no cure! And the only hope for his salvation is The Joker! Who infected Batman, what does the Clown Prince of Crime know, and how will the Dark Knight get that information? Together, the enemies crisscross Europe, desperate to find answers before time runs out.Collecting : Europa 1-4
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First published April 13, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 263 reviews
February 16, 2022
While imperfect, the love-hate dynamic exploited in The Killing Joke is taken to its logical end here—Batman and Joker are dying and they must travel the world together for clues to save themselves. Well written, fast paced, contemplative, mysterious, and much like Scott Snyder’s All Star Batman, it’s a road trip, out-of-Gotham tale.
Due to the focus of Batman-Joker ethos, this is as much a psychological study as it is an international mystery. But it's more a dedication to friends as Killing Joke is a dedication to enemies. Interestingly, to reflect their decaying minds and bodies, the artwork devolves and roughens throughout the book. My only complaint? The mystery seemed a bit arbitrary—almost as if it was irrelevant to begin with.
November 20, 2019
A great self-contained Batman story. Batman has been poisoned and has a week to find the cure. A clue points to Berlin where he finds the Joker has also been poisoned. Now they must team-up as they follow the clues across Europe. The interplay between Batman and the Joker is fantastic. Each issue features a different artist and city. Most of the art is great, except for the 3rd issue. Diego Latorre's art reminds me of Dave McKean's and it is terrible. I guess this one has been in the works for a while as Jim Lee's cover says 2010 and it was just collected at the end of 2016. It makes me wonder how many unfinished projects are sitting in Jim Lee's art studio.
March 16, 2021
6.7/10
This is a stand alone story that takes place, you guessed it, in Europe. Batman finds out that he is infected with some poisonous virus and has only a week to live. He goes to Europe to check a lead and finds Joker, but wait... instead being the mind behind this, Joker is also infected. The Bat and the clown must work together, to find who did this to them and of course to find the cure.
The good stuff
The plot is nice and its cool to see for a change a Batman & Joker story instead of the classic Batman vs Joker.
The not so good stuff
The ending, a bit dissapointing.
The different art styles, it didn't work for me, mostly in the last 2 issues.
This is a stand alone story that takes place, you guessed it, in Europe. Batman finds out that he is infected with some poisonous virus and has only a week to live. He goes to Europe to check a lead and finds Joker, but wait... instead being the mind behind this, Joker is also infected. The Bat and the clown must work together, to find who did this to them and of course to find the cure.
The good stuff
The plot is nice and its cool to see for a change a Batman & Joker story instead of the classic Batman vs Joker.
The not so good stuff
The ending, a bit dissapointing.
The different art styles, it didn't work for me, mostly in the last 2 issues.
June 19, 2016
You know you have procrastinated enough when you can't find the images you have screen capped for a graphic novel. But, never mind that, I can write a review without any images to accompany it. But, it makes the review a little less fun to do and I can't show you all the quality of the art. However, most of Batman: Europa was quite nice, the only part that I found a bit hard to see what has going on was when Batman and Joker were in Paris and they are starting to feel the effect of the virus and the art is showing that. Other than that, pretty much the whole volume was good.
However, the story was nothing really special, which surprised me because here we have two arch nemeses working together for a cure and one would think that it would be pretty cool to read about that, but I actually found myself not really overwhelmed with the story, a bit too much I need to finish this volume rather than I want to finish the volume. Sure, there were some good parts, the fact that the Joker and Batman were "working" together was a cool idea.
Then we have the ending, to be honest. I was not really impressed with whom was behind it all. No real wow feeling.
So, not my favourite volume, it had some good parts, the art was good, but the story was not fantastic. A good read, nothing more.
I want to thank DC Comics for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
However, the story was nothing really special, which surprised me because here we have two arch nemeses working together for a cure and one would think that it would be pretty cool to read about that, but I actually found myself not really overwhelmed with the story, a bit too much I need to finish this volume rather than I want to finish the volume. Sure, there were some good parts, the fact that the Joker and Batman were "working" together was a cool idea.
Then we have the ending, to be honest. I was not really impressed with whom was behind it all. No real wow feeling.
So, not my favourite volume, it had some good parts, the art was good, but the story was not fantastic. A good read, nothing more.
I want to thank DC Comics for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
April 26, 2016
Batman is infected with the Colossus virus by a mysterious enemy. The clues point to Europe - and he has one week to find a cure. The snag? Joker is also infected and holds the puzzle pieces needed to find it. Batman and Joker must work together to save each other’s lives - tick tock, tick tock!
Batman: Europa was originally announced in 2004 after Jim Lee was inspired from living in Italy and wanted to do a comic with some of the artists he met in Europe. Jim Lee being Jim Lee (the man never keeps deadlines - still waiting on that finale to 2008’s All-Star Batman & Robin!), the project idled until 2011 when it was re-announced… and then stalled again! Last year the issues finally started appearing and now, in 2016, we have the long-promised book.
Was it worth the delays? I’ll say yes with a caveat. It seems almost churlish to point it out as it’s entirely secondary to the artwork but the story is very weak. On the other hand, the painted art: wow. This is basically a Batman art book and it looks stunning.
Matteo Casali and Brian Azzarello’s rambling story of Batman and Joker infected with a lethal virus will get called copycat from fans of Arkham City, the 2011 game that utilises a similar plot, except Europa pre-dates it by a number of years - it just came out five years after the game (I wonder if WB appropriated the plot thinking this book might possibly never come out so why waste a good storyline?).
The “Batman and Joker working together” angle could’ve been better. As it is, the two just hang out together as they barrel through Europe, the hard to follow “investigation” taking them from Berlin to Prague to Paris and finally Rome because those are the places the artists wanted to draw rather than because the plot demanded it. And the reveal of who’s behind it all is also a bit crap - him? Eh… ok? Seems overly elaborate but alright… it’s an ending anyway!
The artwork though is fantastic. Jim Lee pencils and finishes the first issue, drawing Berlin beautifully, taking the reader through the city’s history. I liked how we learn a bit about the character of each city throughout and how parts of each could be mistaken for the fictional home of Batman, Gotham City. Also, a big hurrah for Lee deciding to ditch his crummy New 52 Batman outfit for the classic Batman look - blues, greys and yellows, winner, winner! Then again, this has been gestating for so long, maybe those pages pre-date the New 52 (which launched in 2011)?
Superior Spider-Man artist Giuseppe Camuncoli (who also does all of the layouts) draws the second issue which has my favourite art in the book. Seeing Batman and Joker battling mechanical men together in snow-laden Prague is amazing especially when the fight goes to the Old Jewish Cemetery.
Diego Latorre’s art in the third issue was my least favourite. It’s extremely dark and reminded me of Dave McKean’s work in Arkham Asylum, the book he did with Grant Morrison in the ‘80s. I get why it is that way though as the Colossus virus is weakening Batman and causing his vision to dim, especially as they’re in the Paris sewers anyway. The trippy sequences do give us a truly gruesome Joker which I liked.
Gerald Parel takes us home with the last issue set in Rome. Seeing Batman and Joker walking to the Colosseum lit up at night was really cool - I guess the clue for where the story was headed was in the virus name, Colossus/Colosseum? That final page aerial snapshot was really something too.
Batman: Europa’s story was very thin on the ground and ultimately wasted a great concept - it’s a very forgettable tale - though Azzarello is incapable of writing a bad Joker (“My, my, what a pair we are… Heh”). The artwork though is the real star of the book, as it was always meant to be, and that’s the reason to check this one out. A generous three stars for the script, an easy five stars for the art, evening out to four stars overall - quality work takes time to create an Europa was worth the wait!
Batman: Europa was originally announced in 2004 after Jim Lee was inspired from living in Italy and wanted to do a comic with some of the artists he met in Europe. Jim Lee being Jim Lee (the man never keeps deadlines - still waiting on that finale to 2008’s All-Star Batman & Robin!), the project idled until 2011 when it was re-announced… and then stalled again! Last year the issues finally started appearing and now, in 2016, we have the long-promised book.
Was it worth the delays? I’ll say yes with a caveat. It seems almost churlish to point it out as it’s entirely secondary to the artwork but the story is very weak. On the other hand, the painted art: wow. This is basically a Batman art book and it looks stunning.
Matteo Casali and Brian Azzarello’s rambling story of Batman and Joker infected with a lethal virus will get called copycat from fans of Arkham City, the 2011 game that utilises a similar plot, except Europa pre-dates it by a number of years - it just came out five years after the game (I wonder if WB appropriated the plot thinking this book might possibly never come out so why waste a good storyline?).
The “Batman and Joker working together” angle could’ve been better. As it is, the two just hang out together as they barrel through Europe, the hard to follow “investigation” taking them from Berlin to Prague to Paris and finally Rome because those are the places the artists wanted to draw rather than because the plot demanded it. And the reveal of who’s behind it all is also a bit crap - him? Eh… ok? Seems overly elaborate but alright… it’s an ending anyway!
The artwork though is fantastic. Jim Lee pencils and finishes the first issue, drawing Berlin beautifully, taking the reader through the city’s history. I liked how we learn a bit about the character of each city throughout and how parts of each could be mistaken for the fictional home of Batman, Gotham City. Also, a big hurrah for Lee deciding to ditch his crummy New 52 Batman outfit for the classic Batman look - blues, greys and yellows, winner, winner! Then again, this has been gestating for so long, maybe those pages pre-date the New 52 (which launched in 2011)?
Superior Spider-Man artist Giuseppe Camuncoli (who also does all of the layouts) draws the second issue which has my favourite art in the book. Seeing Batman and Joker battling mechanical men together in snow-laden Prague is amazing especially when the fight goes to the Old Jewish Cemetery.
Diego Latorre’s art in the third issue was my least favourite. It’s extremely dark and reminded me of Dave McKean’s work in Arkham Asylum, the book he did with Grant Morrison in the ‘80s. I get why it is that way though as the Colossus virus is weakening Batman and causing his vision to dim, especially as they’re in the Paris sewers anyway. The trippy sequences do give us a truly gruesome Joker which I liked.
Gerald Parel takes us home with the last issue set in Rome. Seeing Batman and Joker walking to the Colosseum lit up at night was really cool - I guess the clue for where the story was headed was in the virus name, Colossus/Colosseum? That final page aerial snapshot was really something too.
Batman: Europa’s story was very thin on the ground and ultimately wasted a great concept - it’s a very forgettable tale - though Azzarello is incapable of writing a bad Joker (“My, my, what a pair we are… Heh”). The artwork though is the real star of the book, as it was always meant to be, and that’s the reason to check this one out. A generous three stars for the script, an easy five stars for the art, evening out to four stars overall - quality work takes time to create an Europa was worth the wait!
July 13, 2020
Batman Europa was better than I expected. The story itself is a three star plot, but the art pushes it into 4 star category.
Batman has been infected by the Colossus virus. He is running a high fever and has hallucinations. Guess who else is sick? Joker. This causes an unusual team up as batman and joker travel through Europe trying to find the cure and the culprit.
But it is the art focusing of Gotham, Berlin, Prague and Rome that make for a true joy. Great job. The story is average, but the mixture of good dialogue and the art make for a good volume.
This is one a Batman fan will enjoy, but people who like interesting art will also find something to appreciate in this. This was much better than I thought it would be.
Batman has been infected by the Colossus virus. He is running a high fever and has hallucinations. Guess who else is sick? Joker. This causes an unusual team up as batman and joker travel through Europe trying to find the cure and the culprit.
But it is the art focusing of Gotham, Berlin, Prague and Rome that make for a true joy. Great job. The story is average, but the mixture of good dialogue and the art make for a good volume.
This is one a Batman fan will enjoy, but people who like interesting art will also find something to appreciate in this. This was much better than I thought it would be.
February 28, 2018
JBC yayınları'ndan çıkan "Batman Avrupa"nın her yerinden kalite akıyor. Kapağına hasta olmam bir tarafa içerikteki çizimler, diyaloglar müthiş. Çok değişik bir açıdan bakıyor Batman ve Joker'e. hastasıyım böylesi beyin fırtınası çalışmaların. "Nereden aklınıza geldi?!" diye bağırmak istiyorum hakkaten. Matteo Casall ve Brain Azzarello'nun yazdığı, Guiseppe Camuncoli, Jim Lee, Diego Lattore, Gerald Parel'in çizdiği eser Türkçe'ye Hasan Süpürgeci tarafından çevrilmiş. Dört yıldız verdim ama ederi bence daha da fazla. Keşke bu tür ek evrenler, durumlar da farklı bakış açıları, yönetmenlerle sinemaya uyarlansa. Çok hoş.
November 18, 2018
This was a pretty fun comic.
SO what happens when Batman gets a virus? He starts cracking heads and figuring out how to cure himself. When he begins to figure it out it lands on the Joker's doorstep. We're about to get a big showdown but we find out Joker has the SAME virus. Who would poison both the Joker and Batman??? They decide to work together, begrudgingly. So will they solve the case in time or....
Good: The actual team up is pretty entertaining. Joker and Batman together will give you laughs just because of how insane Joker is. I also thought some of the fights were extremely brutal and gave a feel of how it be to watch Batman fight. Especially a Killer Croc fight and Bane fight. The ending was also pretty solid.
Bad: Some of this art was REALLY hard to see what the fuck was happening. Also, sometimes the dialogue dragged scenes and made no sense, which I guess is to be expected with two poisoned people. Still, it got a little annoying.
Overall a fun elseworld style story. It won't blow your mind but the joker/batman dynamic is fun none the less. Check it out! 3 out of 5.
SO what happens when Batman gets a virus? He starts cracking heads and figuring out how to cure himself. When he begins to figure it out it lands on the Joker's doorstep. We're about to get a big showdown but we find out Joker has the SAME virus. Who would poison both the Joker and Batman??? They decide to work together, begrudgingly. So will they solve the case in time or....
Good: The actual team up is pretty entertaining. Joker and Batman together will give you laughs just because of how insane Joker is. I also thought some of the fights were extremely brutal and gave a feel of how it be to watch Batman fight. Especially a Killer Croc fight and Bane fight. The ending was also pretty solid.
Bad: Some of this art was REALLY hard to see what the fuck was happening. Also, sometimes the dialogue dragged scenes and made no sense, which I guess is to be expected with two poisoned people. Still, it got a little annoying.
Overall a fun elseworld style story. It won't blow your mind but the joker/batman dynamic is fun none the less. Check it out! 3 out of 5.
September 1, 2016
I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.
Really enjoyed this one, especially how Brian Azzarello tied the history and culture of the four cities (Berlin, Prague, Paris, and Rome) into the story line.
I also greatly enjoyed the twist of forcing Batman and the Joker into working together, almost like a twisted buddy-cop plot.
Jim Lee's artwork was fantastic, especially how the viewpoint of both Batman and Joker became more and more like a hallucination as the Trojan horse virus worked its way through their systems.
Good stuff!
Really enjoyed this one, especially how Brian Azzarello tied the history and culture of the four cities (Berlin, Prague, Paris, and Rome) into the story line.
I also greatly enjoyed the twist of forcing Batman and the Joker into working together, almost like a twisted buddy-cop plot.
Jim Lee's artwork was fantastic, especially how the viewpoint of both Batman and Joker became more and more like a hallucination as the Trojan horse virus worked its way through their systems.
Good stuff!
August 14, 2020
The story in this was fine, the ending was a little too similar to The Killing Joke to really be of much interest if I’m being honest. But the art was really good in this volume. I don’t feel the need to keep it so I’ll probably give it to my step brother when I see him next, but it wasn’t bad by any means, just not really exceptional.
January 17, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
The cathartic relationship that has always defined Batman and Joker solely drives me to constantly steer my way towards their stories no matter the risks of it being unoriginal, of it missing its mark or of it losing focus and writers not having a good grasp on the iconic character’s psychological strife. With each of them deemed to pursue their lives with completely different lenses, their trajectories help us vividly distinguish their singular abilities to cope with their past and to mold their madness into actions that are either pro- or anti-social. Over the years, Batman and Joker have come to realize that their existence is concomitant and that one cannot exist without the other. While it is often characterized as a rivalry, their subtle comprehension of each other’s mind also highlights their interwoven destiny and the inescapable collateral damage that often comes with their chicaneries. But what would happen if the two had to shake hands?
Batman: Europa is a four-part limited miniseries that brings together some of the greatest talents of American and European comics to tell the mysterious story of Batman and Joker joining forces on their escapade outside of Gotham to discover the one thing that could obliterate their greatest threat yet. Thus, when Batman realizes that he has been infected by a mysterious and deadly virus, he is brought to chase down the Joker for answers until they both figure out that they are suffering from the same fate but have different clues to their ultimate cure. It’s in hopes to saving themselves from death that they go to various different European countries looking for the person responsible or a solution to their problem, but things aren’t looking too good for the both of them as they struggle to remain sane, or as insane as they originally were, throughout their adventure.
Although short, this miniseries proves to be quite a memorable ride that brings the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime to take a trip outside of their hometown. With a quick history lesson at the beginning of each issue to introduce the latest country they’re about to visit, the story escalates and explores deeper into the psyche of both our characters. The banter between them is truly intriguing and continuously stimulates your curiosity as you feverishly scratch your heard trying to figure out whose behind everything. In fact, Brian Azzarello and Matteo Casali have a wonderful understanding of their characters, although it can sometimes venture a bit outside of the box. Their exploration of Batman and Joker with this overarching premise brings them to test our level of comfort and tolerance, but when you look between the lines, you can see that their ideas explore the rawest form of both of these character’s dynamic. What really drags this stand-alone story into the mud however is the ending. The reveal had no flair to it and felt like it deflated a balloon with a sharp pin.
As the story progresses, the mind and body of both Batman and Joker evidently deteriorates at a steady and synchronized rate. To translate this, the artwork also changes from one issue to another and perfectly captures their physical and psychological decomposition. While the change of artwork has always been a tricky game, it’s safe to say that its purpose was observable in this story and it holds great promise to a reader who pays attention to it. I unfortunately had a tough time with some of the artwork style, especially with chapter 3 drawn by Diego Latorre. While isolated, it is a truly unique and fascinating style, but within the story, it made for an overly-ambitious, messy and chaotic experience. It was indeed almost impossible to figure out what was going on at times. The different visuals were intriguing to some extent, but they often left a lot to desire upon reaching the end.
Batman: Europa is a voyage across Europe as Batman’s and Joker’s repartee paints an exciting adventure that unfortunately falls short at the big reveal.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
The cathartic relationship that has always defined Batman and Joker solely drives me to constantly steer my way towards their stories no matter the risks of it being unoriginal, of it missing its mark or of it losing focus and writers not having a good grasp on the iconic character’s psychological strife. With each of them deemed to pursue their lives with completely different lenses, their trajectories help us vividly distinguish their singular abilities to cope with their past and to mold their madness into actions that are either pro- or anti-social. Over the years, Batman and Joker have come to realize that their existence is concomitant and that one cannot exist without the other. While it is often characterized as a rivalry, their subtle comprehension of each other’s mind also highlights their interwoven destiny and the inescapable collateral damage that often comes with their chicaneries. But what would happen if the two had to shake hands?
Batman: Europa is a four-part limited miniseries that brings together some of the greatest talents of American and European comics to tell the mysterious story of Batman and Joker joining forces on their escapade outside of Gotham to discover the one thing that could obliterate their greatest threat yet. Thus, when Batman realizes that he has been infected by a mysterious and deadly virus, he is brought to chase down the Joker for answers until they both figure out that they are suffering from the same fate but have different clues to their ultimate cure. It’s in hopes to saving themselves from death that they go to various different European countries looking for the person responsible or a solution to their problem, but things aren’t looking too good for the both of them as they struggle to remain sane, or as insane as they originally were, throughout their adventure.
Although short, this miniseries proves to be quite a memorable ride that brings the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime to take a trip outside of their hometown. With a quick history lesson at the beginning of each issue to introduce the latest country they’re about to visit, the story escalates and explores deeper into the psyche of both our characters. The banter between them is truly intriguing and continuously stimulates your curiosity as you feverishly scratch your heard trying to figure out whose behind everything. In fact, Brian Azzarello and Matteo Casali have a wonderful understanding of their characters, although it can sometimes venture a bit outside of the box. Their exploration of Batman and Joker with this overarching premise brings them to test our level of comfort and tolerance, but when you look between the lines, you can see that their ideas explore the rawest form of both of these character’s dynamic. What really drags this stand-alone story into the mud however is the ending. The reveal had no flair to it and felt like it deflated a balloon with a sharp pin.
As the story progresses, the mind and body of both Batman and Joker evidently deteriorates at a steady and synchronized rate. To translate this, the artwork also changes from one issue to another and perfectly captures their physical and psychological decomposition. While the change of artwork has always been a tricky game, it’s safe to say that its purpose was observable in this story and it holds great promise to a reader who pays attention to it. I unfortunately had a tough time with some of the artwork style, especially with chapter 3 drawn by Diego Latorre. While isolated, it is a truly unique and fascinating style, but within the story, it made for an overly-ambitious, messy and chaotic experience. It was indeed almost impossible to figure out what was going on at times. The different visuals were intriguing to some extent, but they often left a lot to desire upon reaching the end.
Batman: Europa is a voyage across Europe as Batman’s and Joker’s repartee paints an exciting adventure that unfortunately falls short at the big reveal.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
February 1, 2022
40% | D+ | Meh
"And if the Joker is to live, then so must the Batman"
A fantastic premise with an okay execution. Any plot which has a hero and a villain team up has the potential to be a ton of fun. Whilst there are fun moments, a lot of this book is like a history lesson which doesn't interest me too much. The art is also iffy. There are some parts which look pretty good, and other panels where I have no idea what's been drawn. I suppose that it's connected to Batman's deteriorating state as the book progresses, but it's still not pleasant to look at; it resembles unintelligible scratchy scribbles at times. With more consistent art, this could be a 3 star book. However, since I didn't enjoy looking at about 40% of this, it gets the 2 star treatment.
"And if the Joker is to live, then so must the Batman"
Both the Joker and Batman are infected with a virus which will kill them within a week unless they work together
A fantastic premise with an okay execution. Any plot which has a hero and a villain team up has the potential to be a ton of fun. Whilst there are fun moments, a lot of this book is like a history lesson which doesn't interest me too much. The art is also iffy. There are some parts which look pretty good, and other panels where I have no idea what's been drawn. I suppose that it's connected to Batman's deteriorating state as the book progresses, but it's still not pleasant to look at; it resembles unintelligible scratchy scribbles at times. With more consistent art, this could be a 3 star book. However, since I didn't enjoy looking at about 40% of this, it gets the 2 star treatment.
July 14, 2020
This is a great Batman story. I have to admit it is not my faverite version of Jim Lee's art and issues 2and 3 were giving me vertigo, usually this would be a bad thing but I realised that this was the point, it is like seeing through Batman's eyes. The art of 1 and 4 were clearer. Like I said it was not my faverite version of Batman done by Lee. He seemed to use brighter colours than he usually uses for Batman.
Every issue started in the same way, Batman in dire peril, the the go back to how he got there, then how he gets out. Issue 1 starts at the end if issue 4 and the main story starts. I really did enjoy this book. Even though this is a stand alone story I really think that it could fit into any continuity as the got all the characters correct to there core. For me I always love when everything comes together at the end this is something that happened here. It did also end with a fight I never get tired of seeing.
Batman has been poisoned/infected. Following clues he embarks on a European trip to adventre. With not just one but two nemesis. On a personal note for part 2 was in London. Great comic I loved it.
Every issue started in the same way, Batman in dire peril, the the go back to how he got there, then how he gets out. Issue 1 starts at the end if issue 4 and the main story starts. I really did enjoy this book. Even though this is a stand alone story I really think that it could fit into any continuity as the got all the characters correct to there core. For me I always love when everything comes together at the end this is something that happened here. It did also end with a fight I never get tired of seeing.
Batman has been poisoned/infected. Following clues he embarks on a European trip to adventre. With not just one but two nemesis. On a personal note for part 2 was in London. Great comic I loved it.
May 8, 2017
3.5/5*
Even though I didn't enjoy the artwork and some parts of the story, I couldn't help but love all the Batjokes moments. I loved seeing these two working together. Gimme moreee!
Even though I didn't enjoy the artwork and some parts of the story, I couldn't help but love all the Batjokes moments. I loved seeing these two working together. Gimme moreee!
June 8, 2017
It's just an album of cool, interesting artwork in different locations across Europe with a bit of trivia about them and very flimsy storyline, which had potential to be quite good actually. Yes, it is nice for this DC fan to see his favorite characters hanging out (or battling it out) in the streets you stroll every other day, or on the landmarks that remind you of some good times with friends. Especially that it seems the writers did their homework and know the cities featured at least a bit. But that's not enough to merit this title as success, or at least an interesting title. The intrigue is paper thin, there's hardly enough explanation why the story develops as it does or what are exactly the main villain's motive. And it's hardly ground-breaking look at the Joker/Batman dynamics (and even their lines seem strangely off sometimes). But certainly isn't a waste of time and gives an enjoyable, nicely drawn albeit forgettable story that could give you some fuzzy feelings next time you walk across Charles Bridge in the snow ^^
December 19, 2016
The best thing about this was the art. The story was great up until the reveal of who was behind it all and honestly that was lame AF.
September 8, 2019
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,,Wund, taub, unterkühlt. Ein Fieber tobt in meinem Kopf. Zerfällt mein Verstand oder ... schärft er sich? - Batman
Batman hat sich ein Virus angefangen, das ihn in wenigen Tagen töten könnte. Auf der Suche nach demjenigen, der ihm das Virus injiziert hat, trifft er seinen ärgsten Feind, den Joker, der dasselbe Schicksal teilt wie Batman. Die beiden sind gezwungen, zusammenarbeiten, um ihren Peiniger rechtzeitig zu finden - und folgen dabei Hinweisen durch die größten Metropolen Europas.
Das, womit Batman - Europa bestechen kann, sind definitiv die verschiedenen Künstler und ihre Abschnitte der Geschichte, die sie jeweils individuell gestaltet haben. Dabei treffen viele unterschiedliche Stile aufeinander, die von recht detailliert und blass bis hin zu schrill und absolut surreal reichen und sowohl mit Bleistift bis hin zu Acrylkreide hin auch die Zeichenmaterialien immer anders zu sein scheinen. So hat der Leser gestalterisch viel Abwechslung, die den vier von den beiden besuchten Metropolen eine bestimmte Note geben. Zum Teil kann man auch das Fortschreiten des Virus in den immer skurilleren Bildern erkennen, auch wenn es in diesem Fall logischer gewesen wäre, die Zeichner des dritten und vierten Teils miteinander zu tauschen.
Doch so divers der Comic-Sammelband in seinen Zeichnungen ist, so durchschnittlich ist alles andere an ihm. Die Kontraste zwischen Batman und dem Joker bieten einem absolut nichts Neues und ihre Beziehung in anderen Comics wesentlich interessanter und innovativer dargestellt. Hier sind die Kontrahenten auf ihre Grundzüge heruntergebrochen und zeigen ihre Feindseligkeit einzig und allein in ein paar halbherzigen Schlagabtauschen, in denen Batman immer als humorlos und der Joker als schrill und witzig herausgeht. Nur wenige von diesen kurzen Dialogen können tatsächlich ein Schmunzeln auf das Gesicht des Lesers zaubern, und davon abgesehen wird nichts mit ihrer erzwungenen Verbundenheit gemacht. Allgemein blieben beide Figuren ziemlich blass und können einen, obwohl sie in Lebensgefahr schweben, kaum emotional an ihre Schnitzeljagd durch Europa binden.
Diese Schnitzeljagd ist auch kaum ausgearbeitet und wird mit riesigen Panels künstlich in die Länge gestreckt. Bis auf ein paar allgemeine Fakten über die Stadt, die meistens von Batman erzählt werden, und einer Handvoll Bilder von bekannten Sehenswürdigkeiten wird nichts aus dieser Kulisse herausgezogen, was in irgendeiner Weise der Geschichte gedient hätte. Wie im Vorwort erwähnt wird, spielt es gezielt in Europa, um die geografischen Gewohnheiten Gothams zu verlassen, und mehr scheint wirklich nicht dahinterzustecken, da es genauso gut auf jedem anderen Fleckchen Erde hätte spielen können. Denn auch die Handlung wiederholt sich prinzipiell nur ständig: Die beiden Verbündeten werden angegriffen, glauben ihrer Zielperson auf der Spur zu sein, nur um zu entdecken, dass er längst in eine andere Metropole weitergereist ist. Und das wiederholt sich bis zum großen Finalkampf, dessen Endgegner zwar überrascht, aber nur, weil man sich fragt, warum diese bestimmte Figur im Ziel hat, Batman und den Joker zusammenzubringen. Es hätte auch jeder andere von Batmans großen Feinden sein können.
Ein Comic mit einer Menge Potential, nicht nur wegen der beiden zusammengeführten Figuren, sondern auch wegen der neuen Kulisse. Aus beidem wird jedoch nichts Besonderes geamcht. Die vier Teile der Geschichte sind allesamt gleich aufgebaut, weswegen die Spannung der Schnitzeljagd stetig abnimmt. Auch die Gegner oder die Kämpfe sind nichts Außergewöhnliches und wirken durch ihre Größe imposanter als sie eigentlich sind. Auch aus der Beziehung zwischen dem Helden und seinem Erzfeind wurde wenig rausgeholt, und wenn, dann einzig auf der humoristischen Ebene, die einem wenigstens ein kleines Lächeln entlocken kann. Letzten Endes ein Sammelband mit einer wunderbaren Idee, der aber nur geschrieben wurde, um das Batman-Universum mal an einen anderen Ort zu verlagern - und wenn man selbst aus diesen Orten nur das Nötigste herausholt, hat man leider genau das geschafft, was man eigentlich durchbrechen wollte: ein durch und durch durchschnittliches Batman-Abenteuer.
Gesamtwertung: 2.5/5.00
,,Wund, taub, unterkühlt. Ein Fieber tobt in meinem Kopf. Zerfällt mein Verstand oder ... schärft er sich? - Batman
Batman hat sich ein Virus angefangen, das ihn in wenigen Tagen töten könnte. Auf der Suche nach demjenigen, der ihm das Virus injiziert hat, trifft er seinen ärgsten Feind, den Joker, der dasselbe Schicksal teilt wie Batman. Die beiden sind gezwungen, zusammenarbeiten, um ihren Peiniger rechtzeitig zu finden - und folgen dabei Hinweisen durch die größten Metropolen Europas.
Das, womit Batman - Europa bestechen kann, sind definitiv die verschiedenen Künstler und ihre Abschnitte der Geschichte, die sie jeweils individuell gestaltet haben. Dabei treffen viele unterschiedliche Stile aufeinander, die von recht detailliert und blass bis hin zu schrill und absolut surreal reichen und sowohl mit Bleistift bis hin zu Acrylkreide hin auch die Zeichenmaterialien immer anders zu sein scheinen. So hat der Leser gestalterisch viel Abwechslung, die den vier von den beiden besuchten Metropolen eine bestimmte Note geben. Zum Teil kann man auch das Fortschreiten des Virus in den immer skurilleren Bildern erkennen, auch wenn es in diesem Fall logischer gewesen wäre, die Zeichner des dritten und vierten Teils miteinander zu tauschen.
Doch so divers der Comic-Sammelband in seinen Zeichnungen ist, so durchschnittlich ist alles andere an ihm. Die Kontraste zwischen Batman und dem Joker bieten einem absolut nichts Neues und ihre Beziehung in anderen Comics wesentlich interessanter und innovativer dargestellt. Hier sind die Kontrahenten auf ihre Grundzüge heruntergebrochen und zeigen ihre Feindseligkeit einzig und allein in ein paar halbherzigen Schlagabtauschen, in denen Batman immer als humorlos und der Joker als schrill und witzig herausgeht. Nur wenige von diesen kurzen Dialogen können tatsächlich ein Schmunzeln auf das Gesicht des Lesers zaubern, und davon abgesehen wird nichts mit ihrer erzwungenen Verbundenheit gemacht. Allgemein blieben beide Figuren ziemlich blass und können einen, obwohl sie in Lebensgefahr schweben, kaum emotional an ihre Schnitzeljagd durch Europa binden.
Diese Schnitzeljagd ist auch kaum ausgearbeitet und wird mit riesigen Panels künstlich in die Länge gestreckt. Bis auf ein paar allgemeine Fakten über die Stadt, die meistens von Batman erzählt werden, und einer Handvoll Bilder von bekannten Sehenswürdigkeiten wird nichts aus dieser Kulisse herausgezogen, was in irgendeiner Weise der Geschichte gedient hätte. Wie im Vorwort erwähnt wird, spielt es gezielt in Europa, um die geografischen Gewohnheiten Gothams zu verlassen, und mehr scheint wirklich nicht dahinterzustecken, da es genauso gut auf jedem anderen Fleckchen Erde hätte spielen können. Denn auch die Handlung wiederholt sich prinzipiell nur ständig: Die beiden Verbündeten werden angegriffen, glauben ihrer Zielperson auf der Spur zu sein, nur um zu entdecken, dass er längst in eine andere Metropole weitergereist ist. Und das wiederholt sich bis zum großen Finalkampf, dessen Endgegner zwar überrascht, aber nur, weil man sich fragt, warum diese bestimmte Figur im Ziel hat, Batman und den Joker zusammenzubringen. Es hätte auch jeder andere von Batmans großen Feinden sein können.
Ein Comic mit einer Menge Potential, nicht nur wegen der beiden zusammengeführten Figuren, sondern auch wegen der neuen Kulisse. Aus beidem wird jedoch nichts Besonderes geamcht. Die vier Teile der Geschichte sind allesamt gleich aufgebaut, weswegen die Spannung der Schnitzeljagd stetig abnimmt. Auch die Gegner oder die Kämpfe sind nichts Außergewöhnliches und wirken durch ihre Größe imposanter als sie eigentlich sind. Auch aus der Beziehung zwischen dem Helden und seinem Erzfeind wurde wenig rausgeholt, und wenn, dann einzig auf der humoristischen Ebene, die einem wenigstens ein kleines Lächeln entlocken kann. Letzten Endes ein Sammelband mit einer wunderbaren Idee, der aber nur geschrieben wurde, um das Batman-Universum mal an einen anderen Ort zu verlagern - und wenn man selbst aus diesen Orten nur das Nötigste herausholt, hat man leider genau das geschafft, was man eigentlich durchbrechen wollte: ein durch und durch durchschnittliches Batman-Abenteuer.
Gesamtwertung: 2.5/5.00
March 4, 2016
I am not sure that every Batman fan is going to like this book. It's not that complex. It's quite short. It's linear. There are only a few characters. Essentially it's not like most Batman books. I also think there are things in this book that may annoy Batman purists. That being said I loved every minute of it.
For some reason (and I'm still not sure why) this book was originally announced in 2004 but wasn't released until 2016. I think this is a bit of a shame as the Arkham City game has used a similar story since then so comparisons are obviously going to be made. Just remember this was written long before the game was released.
Ever since I heard about this book I have wanted to read it . The basic outline for the story is, Batman and The Joker have both been infected with a virus and only have one week to live. In order to survive they must work together journeying through four major cities in Europe in search of the antidote and the person who infected them. I really enjoyed their trip through Europe. They even manage to take in some major landmarks on their way. Not that they are sightseeing or anything, but it is nice to see some familiar landmarks as the backdrop to their investigations.
Now as fun as that is, the real beauty of this book is the relationship between Batman and the Joker. I think it is fair to say that although these two are sworn enemies and will forever be, they need each other. They are 2 sides of the same coin. In trying to keep ahead of each other both men have constantly been forced to improve and as a result have become more than they ever would have been alone. This rivalry has made them the men they are today. This is the dynamic that this story explores and I think it's fair to say that there is an evident mutual respect between the two here. In fact there are some moments that near friendship.
As is usually the case, The Joker steals the show here. In parts of this story Batman is wholly reliant on him ( and this is the bit I think the purists may take umbrage with). This shows another side to both characters. Batman more vulnerable and the Joker almost caring. I especially liked book 3 in Paris. I won't give anything away but will say I smiled through the whole book.
The artwork here is fantastic. Again I think this is something that may split opinion. I am not sure when the artwork was done (whether it was closer to 2004 or 2016) but it is beautifully drawn/painted. I thought it was a really nice touch that as the virus took hold the artwork gets rougher and broader, signifying their physical and mental deterioration and loss of clarity.
I was worried that as my level of expectation for is book was so high I was going to be disappointed when I read it. I wasn't. I loved this story! It was well worth the wait. It also confirmed something that I have suspected for a while. It's not really Batman that is my favourite comic book character, it's The Joker.
Enjoy!
For some reason (and I'm still not sure why) this book was originally announced in 2004 but wasn't released until 2016. I think this is a bit of a shame as the Arkham City game has used a similar story since then so comparisons are obviously going to be made. Just remember this was written long before the game was released.
Ever since I heard about this book I have wanted to read it . The basic outline for the story is, Batman and The Joker have both been infected with a virus and only have one week to live. In order to survive they must work together journeying through four major cities in Europe in search of the antidote and the person who infected them. I really enjoyed their trip through Europe. They even manage to take in some major landmarks on their way. Not that they are sightseeing or anything, but it is nice to see some familiar landmarks as the backdrop to their investigations.
Now as fun as that is, the real beauty of this book is the relationship between Batman and the Joker. I think it is fair to say that although these two are sworn enemies and will forever be, they need each other. They are 2 sides of the same coin. In trying to keep ahead of each other both men have constantly been forced to improve and as a result have become more than they ever would have been alone. This rivalry has made them the men they are today. This is the dynamic that this story explores and I think it's fair to say that there is an evident mutual respect between the two here. In fact there are some moments that near friendship.
As is usually the case, The Joker steals the show here. In parts of this story Batman is wholly reliant on him ( and this is the bit I think the purists may take umbrage with). This shows another side to both characters. Batman more vulnerable and the Joker almost caring. I especially liked book 3 in Paris. I won't give anything away but will say I smiled through the whole book.
The artwork here is fantastic. Again I think this is something that may split opinion. I am not sure when the artwork was done (whether it was closer to 2004 or 2016) but it is beautifully drawn/painted. I thought it was a really nice touch that as the virus took hold the artwork gets rougher and broader, signifying their physical and mental deterioration and loss of clarity.
I was worried that as my level of expectation for is book was so high I was going to be disappointed when I read it. I wasn't. I loved this story! It was well worth the wait. It also confirmed something that I have suspected for a while. It's not really Batman that is my favourite comic book character, it's The Joker.
Enjoy!
January 7, 2017
If one is looking for a great Batman story, something along the lines of The Long Halloween, they will probably be disappointed. If you're looking for insight into the Joker as a character, something like The Killing Joke, again you will probably be disappointed. If instead you are looking for a fun take on Batman and the Joker having to work together as a team, then you're in the right frame of mind for this one.
The story is simple, and yet such a classic idea I'm surprised it's taken this long to come about. Batman and the Joker are both infected with the same virus, given a time limit they are forced to work together to find the cure and whoever it was that infected them. While I can't say this leads to a classic Batman story, it does lead to some very fun developments. Their banter with each other is a blast and leads to some of the funnier Joker lines I've read (his Casablanca references actually had me laughing out loud).
Not to say that we get no insight into the characters. There's some interesting scenes in the Paris section where Batman's narration points out how it is the most likely place for Bruce Wayne to retire, and creates a reasonable explanation. To make it even more interesting though, Paris is also the Joker's favorite city they visit (opposite viewpoints coming to the same conclusion yet again...) due to the theatrical nature. They love him there... he's an artist after all.
Now, while I enjoyed the plot and the banter, the real highlight here is the art... and it will be very love it or hate it for most people. As the story goes on, the artists change (a different artist for each issue), and they have wildly different styles. For example the Joker goes from this:
to this:
While quite radically different art styles, it works. Why? Because part of the point is that the virus is warping their sense of perception. Batman's worldview is getting skewed and more nightmarish and the art is reflecting that beautifully. The art is the reason to pick this one up, as it enhances an enjoyable three star Batman story to a four... that said if the art changes annoy you (which I've heard quite a few people say) then this is probably not the Batman story for you.
The story is simple, and yet such a classic idea I'm surprised it's taken this long to come about. Batman and the Joker are both infected with the same virus, given a time limit they are forced to work together to find the cure and whoever it was that infected them. While I can't say this leads to a classic Batman story, it does lead to some very fun developments. Their banter with each other is a blast and leads to some of the funnier Joker lines I've read (his Casablanca references actually had me laughing out loud).
Not to say that we get no insight into the characters. There's some interesting scenes in the Paris section where Batman's narration points out how it is the most likely place for Bruce Wayne to retire, and creates a reasonable explanation. To make it even more interesting though, Paris is also the Joker's favorite city they visit (opposite viewpoints coming to the same conclusion yet again...) due to the theatrical nature. They love him there... he's an artist after all.
Now, while I enjoyed the plot and the banter, the real highlight here is the art... and it will be very love it or hate it for most people. As the story goes on, the artists change (a different artist for each issue), and they have wildly different styles. For example the Joker goes from this:
to this:
While quite radically different art styles, it works. Why? Because part of the point is that the virus is warping their sense of perception. Batman's worldview is getting skewed and more nightmarish and the art is reflecting that beautifully. The art is the reason to pick this one up, as it enhances an enjoyable three star Batman story to a four... that said if the art changes annoy you (which I've heard quite a few people say) then this is probably not the Batman story for you.
March 19, 2016
I may be in the minority but I really liked this one. I've been waiting on it for years, so it was nice to finally get to read it. Batman and Joker both end up poisoned, and have to "team-up" as they follow a trail of clues across Europe in a race against time. The storyline isn't the most complex, but I enjoyed it. My favorite comic stories are usually straight-forward, especially lately when it seems everyone wants to make stories as complex as possible (as in confusing and hard to understand most of the time.)
I won't give away the surprise villain but I thought the twist was cool. The art was mostly in a painted style and I thought fit the story very well. A nice throwback to old school Batman.
I won't give away the surprise villain but I thought the twist was cool. The art was mostly in a painted style and I thought fit the story very well. A nice throwback to old school Batman.
March 25, 2022
first batman comic ive read and was not disappointed.... so homoerotic i had to stop and sit still and stare out the window like every two pages. genuinely no words. god bless. also hello the art was GORGEOUS.
November 27, 2022
Batman is infected by a strange virus that is going to kill him. He ends up in an unholy union with his nemesis, The Joker who is also infected. They pair go on a whirlwind tour across the globe, chasing clues and working, not easily with the end result being a showdown with an unlikely mastermind who has brought them together for a reason and the explosive end of this book is amazing.
Great story here and a really cool art style that I love. I would put this book up there in the ranks of The Dark Knight and it is a must read for Batman fans!
Danny
Great story here and a really cool art style that I love. I would put this book up there in the ranks of The Dark Knight and it is a must read for Batman fans!
Danny
January 10, 2019
Lepakkomies ja Jokeri huitelevat pitkin Eurooppaa ja yrittävät löytää vastalääkettä sisällään jäytävään tautiin, jonka pitäisi tappaa viikon sisällä. Perusajatus on hyvä, toteutus ei niinkään. Vastaparin väliseen dialogiin on saatu mahdutettua muutama hyvä heitto, mutta eipä tästä noin muuten paljon mitään käteen jäänyt.
April 29, 2016
However, what happens when good and evil must pair up to survive, which is the question that Batman: Europa asks. Click here for my full review.
May 25, 2016
জোকার আর ব্যাটম্যান একই সাথে একই ভাইরাসের আক্রান্ত।ব্যাটম্যান প্রথমে জোকারকে সন্দেহ করলেও পরে, বুঝতে পারে সেও ইনফ্যাক্টেড, এবং একসাথে এর এন্টিডোট এর খোজে বের হয় এই দুই প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বী।একজন জ্যাক দ্য রীপার অপর জন শার্লক হোমস!!
December 24, 2017
Solid with interesting art. Somewhat undone by a mediocre ending.
September 17, 2023
I liked this book, I thought the story was ok and the way the art changed throughout was good but that was it really. A nice self contained Batman story.
June 18, 2018
I'm not sure how much of the story belongs to Casali and how much to Azzarello. There's a gem of an idea there: Batman and Joker both dying of a virus and must travel across Europe together to find the cure/killer. Forcing Batman and Joker together in this manner is an excellent catalyst for examining their relationship, however, there is very little of that. What dialogue there is between them is meaningless, at least to me, which is why I suspect Azzarello is involved because I can never "get" his scripts.
There are only four issues, each drawn by a different artist, all with varying styles. This gives a disjointed feel to the overall story, despite the beauty of each artist's work. Jim Lee's is inked by himself as opposed to Scott Williams, giving it a much softer look. Camuncoli's issue is middle of the road, slightly stylized, with some problems of panel to panel storytelling. Latorre's painted art is beautiful, especially that first page of Notre Dame at night, but many of the panels are dark, close-up and difficult to figure out what you are looking at. Lastly is Parel, who's work I feel needs more exposure. It has a unique look but is much clearer to look at and follow the story.
Again, strong idea and start, but the middle and end leave you a little unsatisfied.
There are only four issues, each drawn by a different artist, all with varying styles. This gives a disjointed feel to the overall story, despite the beauty of each artist's work. Jim Lee's is inked by himself as opposed to Scott Williams, giving it a much softer look. Camuncoli's issue is middle of the road, slightly stylized, with some problems of panel to panel storytelling. Latorre's painted art is beautiful, especially that first page of Notre Dame at night, but many of the panels are dark, close-up and difficult to figure out what you are looking at. Lastly is Parel, who's work I feel needs more exposure. It has a unique look but is much clearer to look at and follow the story.
Again, strong idea and start, but the middle and end leave you a little unsatisfied.
May 18, 2017
Many delightful moments of gay -- Joker is straight-up groping Batman's crotch on the cover, for starters -- and I'm amused that Bane ships it. But the ending was a boring cocktease and the art vacillated between eerie and beautiful and just plain muddled and confusing. tbh, I read this so I can read the fic based on it.
November 29, 2019
Velký pozitivum je tady art, hlavně coloring. Díky tomu se dá relativně v klidu přežít ten hloupočkej příběh.
2,5
2,5
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