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Batman: Black and White (1996) (Single Issues) #1
Batman Black & White: A Black and White World
Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman (THE SANDMAN, American Gods) and eye-popping artist Simon Bisley (LOBO) deliver a make-believe story spotlighting the struggle between Batman and The Joker - only this time, they're re-cast as actors starring in a film-like, comic book production!
11 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2010
179 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 2, 2021
A couple of Brits imagine Batman and Joker as actors, and the world of Gotham their stage. It's the kind of dark humor both authors do so well.
January 18, 2022
In this Neil Gaiman vision of Batman, the caped crusader and the Joker are actors preparing for their roles in a movie.
Quite original and funny it makes for a quick and fun read.
Quite original and funny it makes for a quick and fun read.
July 15, 2017
Gaiman's take on the Bat sets him as a character in a comic ala filming. It's an interesting take and a quick read.
March 2, 2025
I loved this. What a unique take on Batman and Joker. It was a very one-of-a-kind read, it was short but sweet.
Five stars :D
Five stars :D
June 11, 2022
Good
My man enjoyed to read it - big fan of Lobo :) From me - nice short story from not different point of view ;)
My man enjoyed to read it - big fan of Lobo :) From me - nice short story from not different point of view ;)
March 10, 2021
Funny on the whole
The black and white colour scheme, the whole reimagining of the characters, it took a little getting used to. For the first 3 pages I wasn't really sure what I was reading. But once the realisation set in about the characters playing themselves as their own characters, it turned out to be quite funny and amusing really. The whole confusion in the beginning was worth enduring for the ending.
The black and white colour scheme, the whole reimagining of the characters, it took a little getting used to. For the first 3 pages I wasn't really sure what I was reading. But once the realisation set in about the characters playing themselves as their own characters, it turned out to be quite funny and amusing really. The whole confusion in the beginning was worth enduring for the ending.
April 3, 2025
fun comic
I should’ve not read this before going to bed. Now I’ll have nightmares with the joker here.
Overall solid and entertaining meta comic with some great drawings.
I should’ve not read this before going to bed. Now I’ll have nightmares with the joker here.
Overall solid and entertaining meta comic with some great drawings.
December 15, 2018
I struggled through this collection. It was disjointed and hard to follow. The black and white illustrations made it hard to distinguish what was going on.
March 23, 2021
I love Neil Gaiman's comic work.
The story here is fun: Batman & Joker behind the scenes, waiting for their moment in front of the comic-book camera, just a couple ordinary joes hanging around in the break room. Batman reading Newsweek as Joker does a crossword; they do a quick non-chalant run-thru of the script, talk about kids and colleagues, they "film" the scene, and afterwards walk off to the studio commissary for lunch -- the Joker bitching about how the bit-part extras get all the good food is just gold. Gaiman's writing is on-point & sharp...but the artwork, not so much.
Don't get me wrong: Simon Bisley is a damn fine artist. The splash page of Batman bursting thru a window is GLORIOUS, the drawings themselves excellent...if they'd been for a regular color comic. But the black-&-white part is a major problem; it muddles everything into a chaotic, muddy mess. It might be that I'm older & my eyesight's never been good to begin with, but the B&W made this comic hard to follow, hard to read, hard to tell what was going on.
Black & white is difficult to do well, especially in our modern world of colorized media, and especially in comics (double-especially in this age of tablets & computer screens & wanky resolutions). You can't just de-saturate & call it done. Black & white is best when it's kept simple, focused, and sparing of details. Here, there's too much going on in every panel, and things get lost in the mess; the Joker in particular gets lost in every busy, over-detailed panel. This would've worked much better as a color comic -- or at least made it easier on the eyes.
Still, this comic is definitely worth hunting down.
The story here is fun: Batman & Joker behind the scenes, waiting for their moment in front of the comic-book camera, just a couple ordinary joes hanging around in the break room. Batman reading Newsweek as Joker does a crossword; they do a quick non-chalant run-thru of the script, talk about kids and colleagues, they "film" the scene, and afterwards walk off to the studio commissary for lunch -- the Joker bitching about how the bit-part extras get all the good food is just gold. Gaiman's writing is on-point & sharp...but the artwork, not so much.
Don't get me wrong: Simon Bisley is a damn fine artist. The splash page of Batman bursting thru a window is GLORIOUS, the drawings themselves excellent...if they'd been for a regular color comic. But the black-&-white part is a major problem; it muddles everything into a chaotic, muddy mess. It might be that I'm older & my eyesight's never been good to begin with, but the B&W made this comic hard to follow, hard to read, hard to tell what was going on.
Black & white is difficult to do well, especially in our modern world of colorized media, and especially in comics (double-especially in this age of tablets & computer screens & wanky resolutions). You can't just de-saturate & call it done. Black & white is best when it's kept simple, focused, and sparing of details. Here, there's too much going on in every panel, and things get lost in the mess; the Joker in particular gets lost in every busy, over-detailed panel. This would've worked much better as a color comic -- or at least made it easier on the eyes.
Still, this comic is definitely worth hunting down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2020
Hey, that splash panel where you came through the window, that was just the coolest. I never get panels like that
I've never been a big fan of Batman but when I see that Neil Gaiman is involved and it is free on Amazon, I thought I'd give it a go.
I was not disappointed. This isn't your usual superhero or Batman comic. This is Batman and the Joker reimagined as actors in a film-style comic book production. Set mostly in the Green Room we find Batman and the Joker running through their lines before going out to deliver them.
A short but clever comic and very typical of Neil Gaiman. As the title suggests the comic is completely done in black and white.
I've never been a big fan of Batman but when I see that Neil Gaiman is involved and it is free on Amazon, I thought I'd give it a go.
I was not disappointed. This isn't your usual superhero or Batman comic. This is Batman and the Joker reimagined as actors in a film-style comic book production. Set mostly in the Green Room we find Batman and the Joker running through their lines before going out to deliver them.
A short but clever comic and very typical of Neil Gaiman. As the title suggests the comic is completely done in black and white.
April 13, 2021
An alternate reality take where Batman and The Joker are both actors working on their TV show. There are some really nice touches - Batman being smart is able to help The Joker with crossword puzzles, as they wait around for the call to film their scene. Their banter to relieve the tedium is witty and refreshing. I would have rated this higher but I seriously did NOT like the art which was, in parts, too much "black ink blob" and not enough negative space, also it's rare where the details of a character's hair (the Joker) end up being horribly distracting when interposed with huge black blobs.
April 21, 2018
I liked this one it was really good and funny.
I love the look of the book. It is different and something that I was not expecting coming from a Batman book. I really did love this book, and I cant wait to read more of them.
"Call that the trail of the century? Two people dead? I kill two people before I have my breakfast cereal -- and that's on a good day." I love that line it is so good.
Very different that lobo is making a movie of Batman and the Joker. Really good quick read I had fun reading it. 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I love the look of the book. It is different and something that I was not expecting coming from a Batman book. I really did love this book, and I cant wait to read more of them.
"Call that the trail of the century? Two people dead? I kill two people before I have my breakfast cereal -- and that's on a good day." I love that line it is so good.
Very different that lobo is making a movie of Batman and the Joker. Really good quick read I had fun reading it. 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone.
August 8, 2020
Black and white
To be honest, I don't like black and white graphic novels. And this is the wrong choice of mine. When the arts are too hard to understand because of the color combination, I feel frustrated.
It looked like bat man and joker were acting on some kind of movie or something. For me it felt like it doesn't suits for the image of the bat man or the joker. Personally I didn't like this. And I think it's because my personal preference.
To be honest, I don't like black and white graphic novels. And this is the wrong choice of mine. When the arts are too hard to understand because of the color combination, I feel frustrated.
It looked like bat man and joker were acting on some kind of movie or something. For me it felt like it doesn't suits for the image of the bat man or the joker. Personally I didn't like this. And I think it's because my personal preference.
October 4, 2023
Awesome short story with fitting and really cool art to go with it. This one is actually funny, which is rare. While it certainly isn’t canon by any means, I still feel it’s recommended reading for anyone who appreciates Batman and/or Joker, or really anyone that wants a comedic spin on super heroes in general. This is way above anything else Gaiman did for the black knight.
Read as part of Whatever happened to the Caped crusader Deluxe edition
Read as part of Whatever happened to the Caped crusader Deluxe edition
February 22, 2024
Batman arrives at the (television? movie? Unclear) set.
Commissioner Gordon’s scene is running over its allotted time; Batman waits with The Joker.
The two two run through their lines together—attempts at humor…
Gaiman’s illustrations are good; I’m just not really feeling them for Batman/this universe.
Batman and The Joker are quite amicable.
But the jokes don’t land.
It’s a bizarre storyline; so seemingly random.
Commissioner Gordon’s scene is running over its allotted time; Batman waits with The Joker.
The two two run through their lines together—attempts at humor…
Gaiman’s illustrations are good; I’m just not really feeling them for Batman/this universe.
Batman and The Joker are quite amicable.
But the jokes don’t land.
It’s a bizarre storyline; so seemingly random.
April 22, 2018
Well, this was funny and different. I can't believe I haven't read it until now. Batman and the Joker are actors doing a movie, but not really. There still doing comicbook panels, but imagine if comicbooks were made like movies. That's the gist. I laughed.
March 16, 2020
Batman and the Joker, as told by writer Neil Gaiman and artist Simon Bisley, in a short black and white comic that was over much too soon for me. It's an interesting take: what if Batman and the Joker were actors in a play that depicts their adventures? I loved the cameo by Lobo, also.
July 2, 2020
Hee.
And at least the authors don’t make the mistake of asserting that that joke was Mark Twain’s. He made it famous, but even when he used it he credited it to an earlier if lesser wit…
And at least the authors don’t make the mistake of asserting that that joke was Mark Twain’s. He made it famous, but even when he used it he credited it to an earlier if lesser wit…
May 24, 2022
This comic series consists of short stories, mainly of very mundane scenarios in Gotham City. In this story, Batman and Joker are talking about their upcoming scene because they are filming a TV show. They then film it and socialise after work. That is all.
September 25, 2022
In this one we have a pair of actors that are preparing to shoot a scene, and then proceed to do so, for what I guess is a Batman show or movie perhaps?
They also comment on their feelings about their jobs. To the point really.
Although not really good, and the art is pretty bad.
They also comment on their feelings about their jobs. To the point really.
Although not really good, and the art is pretty bad.
November 29, 2017
Well it's quite funny, this one. A satire of batman and the gang. I love the drawing style. It's great it's black &white. There are amazing panels, like batman splashing through the window.
February 19, 2018
Cool idea, it just didn't really do anything for me.
July 15, 2019
Both writer and artist are excellent and the story is as good as you expect
December 31, 2019
An amusing 5-minute read by author Neil Gaiman. What if Batman and Joker were paid actors in their own adventures?
April 17, 2020
Quick read!
July 2, 2020
Funny.
Reads very quickly. They’re just a couple dudes. Funny take on their relationship and their dynamic. Read it. You won’t regret it. :)
Reads very quickly. They’re just a couple dudes. Funny take on their relationship and their dynamic. Read it. You won’t regret it. :)
August 6, 2020
Too short to be noticed, but the design and perspective are stunning
September 8, 2020
Postmodern classic a la Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog.
September 9, 2020
Hilarious!
That... That was oh so great. To look on the familiar heroes in a non-familiar way... That a treat, for sure.
That... That was oh so great. To look on the familiar heroes in a non-familiar way... That a treat, for sure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews