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Joker: Killer Smile #1-3
Joker: Sonrisa asesina
The Eisner-nominated creative team of writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino (Green Arrow, Gideon Falls) reunite for a psychological horror story that delves into the bottomless insanity of The Joker.
Everyone knows The Joker doesn't have the most promising history with psychotherapists. In fact, no one's even been able to diagnose him. But that doesn't matter to Dr. Ben Arnell; he's determined to be the one to unravel this unknowable mind. And there's no way The Joker could ever get through the therapeutic walls Ben has built around himself. Right? There's no way The Joker's been entering his house at night...right? There's no way The Joker has stood over his son's bed and put that book in his hands, the one with the, the, the...
The Eisner Award-nominated creative team of writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino (Green Arrow, Gideon Falls) reunite for a psychological horror story that delves into the bottomless insanity of The Joker. Collects Joker: Killer Smile #1-3.
Everyone knows The Joker doesn't have the most promising history with psychotherapists. In fact, no one's even been able to diagnose him. But that doesn't matter to Dr. Ben Arnell; he's determined to be the one to unravel this unknowable mind. And there's no way The Joker could ever get through the therapeutic walls Ben has built around himself. Right? There's no way The Joker's been entering his house at night...right? There's no way The Joker has stood over his son's bed and put that book in his hands, the one with the, the, the...
The Eisner Award-nominated creative team of writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino (Green Arrow, Gideon Falls) reunite for a psychological horror story that delves into the bottomless insanity of The Joker. Collects Joker: Killer Smile #1-3.
152 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2020
19 people are currently reading
2546 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,393 books3,872 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
July 16, 2021
How many times can they get a different writer to give us a 'new' Joker story?
When I first saw this story pop up in my feed I honestly thought it was a reprint and that I'd already read it.
2020? No, it was just published last year by Black Label.
Huh. Ok, I'll grab it.
Even knowing that I still had this niggling feeling while I was reading that I'd seen this somewhere before. I hadn't, but I already knew what was going to happen.
It's every Joker story ever written. Again.
I'm not blaming Lemire, but the world really didn't need another one of these.
Apparently, the Joker has some sort of magic tongue that can talk someone into insanity.
He's such a supernatural lunatic that somehow being in a room with him is dangerous to your mental health.
Wait. Stop right there. Are you kidding me with this shit? A psychiatrist sits down to talk to him and within months he's no longer able to distinguish fantasy from reality?
Please stop with this nonsense because it's hot garbage and I refuse to eat it up.
Killer Smile goes on to show how this shrink slowly realizes he's gone crazy and what he does to remedy that. Kind of.
It's not that Lemire doesn't write the story well. He does. I usually really love his stuff, so please don't take this as a criticism of him.
It's the oversaturation of the Joker in comics that smells like a hot egg fart. And I'm gagging on the odor every time I open something like this.
It doesn't end with the doctor's story, either. It then picks up with young Bruce Wayne watching creepy kids show that has the same characters in it from the book that the shrink read to his son.
Ohmygod is he crazy?
Maybe. Maybe not. <--but who cares at this point?
My prediction is that a lot of people are absolutely going to love this. And there's nothing wrong with that at all. But I also think a lot of us have read this same shit a million times, and just wish to god DC would tuck Joker away for a bit and give us something different to read.
When I first saw this story pop up in my feed I honestly thought it was a reprint and that I'd already read it.
2020? No, it was just published last year by Black Label.
Huh. Ok, I'll grab it.
Even knowing that I still had this niggling feeling while I was reading that I'd seen this somewhere before. I hadn't, but I already knew what was going to happen.
It's every Joker story ever written. Again.
I'm not blaming Lemire, but the world really didn't need another one of these.
Apparently, the Joker has some sort of magic tongue that can talk someone into insanity.
He's such a supernatural lunatic that somehow being in a room with him is dangerous to your mental health.
Wait. Stop right there. Are you kidding me with this shit? A psychiatrist sits down to talk to him and within months he's no longer able to distinguish fantasy from reality?
Please stop with this nonsense because it's hot garbage and I refuse to eat it up.
Killer Smile goes on to show how this shrink slowly realizes he's gone crazy and what he does to remedy that. Kind of.
It's not that Lemire doesn't write the story well. He does. I usually really love his stuff, so please don't take this as a criticism of him.
It's the oversaturation of the Joker in comics that smells like a hot egg fart. And I'm gagging on the odor every time I open something like this.
It doesn't end with the doctor's story, either. It then picks up with young Bruce Wayne watching creepy kids show that has the same characters in it from the book that the shrink read to his son.
Ohmygod is he crazy?
Maybe. Maybe not. <--but who cares at this point?
My prediction is that a lot of people are absolutely going to love this. And there's nothing wrong with that at all. But I also think a lot of us have read this same shit a million times, and just wish to god DC would tuck Joker away for a bit and give us something different to read.
December 27, 2021
This is the story of Mr. Smiles and Mr. Pouts. Mr. Smiles wants to bring joy and laughter to the world, whereas mean old Mr. Pouts wants to kill all the fun. Sure, Mr. Smiles jokes don't amuse everyone (particularly not Mr. Pouts) but all he wants is to bring laughter to the world…
I've seen based on a lot of reviews here that this was something of a miss for a lot of readers; as such I went into it with some hesitation and with low expectations… but I confess I'm a sucker when it comes to stories involving the Joker or Harley Quinn (who is only seen in one or two panels so do not come looking for her) so it was inevitable I would read the comic especially as it was advertised as being more of a psychological horror story than traditional Batman vs. Joker narrative.
Much to my pleasant surprise, I personally liked it quite a bit. Don't get me wrong, the story has been done before (Joker gets a new psychiatrist and he decides to mess with his head…. WHHHHHHHAAAAAT? Who would have thought it?!?!) but I liked how it played out. I loved all the bits with "Mr. Smiles" and the artwork change, and I really enjoyed chapter three and the results from this little experiment.
I also really enjoyed the added "epilogue" titled Smile Killer, which both is an interesting alternate continuity story and fits the tone of what the main story was going for.
This is far from the greatest Joker storyline, and I can see a lot of people really didn't like it. Personally though, I found it a fun read, and I enjoyed that it was more about mind games than action (while there is violence, there is not much in terms of traditional comic action). Personally I'd recommended it, but maybe only to Joker fans. 4/5 stars
I've seen based on a lot of reviews here that this was something of a miss for a lot of readers; as such I went into it with some hesitation and with low expectations… but I confess I'm a sucker when it comes to stories involving the Joker or Harley Quinn (who is only seen in one or two panels so do not come looking for her) so it was inevitable I would read the comic especially as it was advertised as being more of a psychological horror story than traditional Batman vs. Joker narrative.
Much to my pleasant surprise, I personally liked it quite a bit. Don't get me wrong, the story has been done before (Joker gets a new psychiatrist and he decides to mess with his head…. WHHHHHHHAAAAAT? Who would have thought it?!?!) but I liked how it played out. I loved all the bits with "Mr. Smiles" and the artwork change, and I really enjoyed chapter three and the results from this little experiment.
I also really enjoyed the added "epilogue" titled Smile Killer, which both is an interesting alternate continuity story and fits the tone of what the main story was going for.
This is far from the greatest Joker storyline, and I can see a lot of people really didn't like it. Personally though, I found it a fun read, and I enjoyed that it was more about mind games than action (while there is violence, there is not much in terms of traditional comic action). Personally I'd recommended it, but maybe only to Joker fans. 4/5 stars
May 13, 2020
A new psychotherapist tries to “fix” the Joker - guess what happens? Uh huh. Nothing good for the poor old doc. And that’s all Killer Smile is: a rather simplistic and dumb Joker story.
Besides that, the biggest problem with the story is that the twist is completely unearned. If there was any point leading up to the reveal that could’ve even remotely cleverly hinted at it, it wouldn’t be so bad, but it comes out of nowhere so suddenly and arbitrarily. It’s such bad, sloppy writing - I expected better from a seasoned writer like Jeff Lemire.
He writes a decent Joker though and Lemire’s Old Man Logan/Gideon Falls artist Andrea Sorrentino’s art is really good and disturbing. Joker’s one of my all-time favourite comics characters, so if you’re like me you’ll check out Killer Smile regardless of its overall low quality, but don’t expect much going in.
Besides that, the biggest problem with the story is that the twist is completely unearned. If there was any point leading up to the reveal that could’ve even remotely cleverly hinted at it, it wouldn’t be so bad, but it comes out of nowhere so suddenly and arbitrarily. It’s such bad, sloppy writing - I expected better from a seasoned writer like Jeff Lemire.
He writes a decent Joker though and Lemire’s Old Man Logan/Gideon Falls artist Andrea Sorrentino’s art is really good and disturbing. Joker’s one of my all-time favourite comics characters, so if you’re like me you’ll check out Killer Smile regardless of its overall low quality, but don’t expect much going in.
April 14, 2020
A Joker story we've all read before. A psychoanalyst interviews the Joker and goes mad. Yawn. There's not much story at all here. I expect more from this creative team. Andrea Sorrentino and Jordie Bellaire's art is really good though.
November 19, 2020
I like Lemire's independent works well enough, but this foray into DC's toy box irked me tremendously.
First, it's like Lemire took a look at Harley Quinn's origin story and decided what was missing was a penis, so he fixed that. (And it's not as if the psychiatrist/psychologist falling into mind-game traps with the Joker was original even with Harley.) It doesn't help that I read this book after the much superior Harleen, one of my favorite books of the year.
And, hey, if we aren't going to be original, we'd better make sure to cram an Arkham mass breakout into the middle, even if its just for a page or two.
Next, it shouldn't matter, but the artist chose to draw the Joker as an ordinary schlub wearing make-up, perhaps as a tribute to Heath Ledger? If the book weren't in color, this guy would not be recognizable as the Joker until someone addressed him as such.
Three-quarters of the way through the book the main story just ends stupidly, and then we're given some even stupider tie-in or spin-off story with Batman being caught in yet another delusional head game that is either incredibly pointless or (god forbid) is setting up some dumb sequel.
Pure garbage.
First, it's like Lemire took a look at Harley Quinn's origin story and decided what was missing was a penis, so he fixed that. (And it's not as if the psychiatrist/psychologist falling into mind-game traps with the Joker was original even with Harley.) It doesn't help that I read this book after the much superior Harleen, one of my favorite books of the year.
And, hey, if we aren't going to be original, we'd better make sure to cram an Arkham mass breakout into the middle, even if its just for a page or two.
Next, it shouldn't matter, but the artist chose to draw the Joker as an ordinary schlub wearing make-up, perhaps as a tribute to Heath Ledger? If the book weren't in color, this guy would not be recognizable as the Joker until someone addressed him as such.
Three-quarters of the way through the book the main story just ends stupidly, and then we're given some even stupider tie-in or spin-off story with Batman being caught in yet another delusional head game that is either incredibly pointless or (god forbid) is setting up some dumb sequel.
Pure garbage.
June 23, 2021
Finally got around to reading this, a little late to the party, which I see was a bit of a dud for most readers, at a glance, seeing the low numbers. I read it because I am a Lemire fan (though much prefer his indie work to his Big House stuff), saw that Andrea Sorrentino, his partner on Gideon Falls, was doing the artwork, and was not disappointed in the least, beautifully and creepily done. The story of the psychologist driven crazy by the Joker is not new, by any means, but it was well done because of the artwork and in part because of the Mr. Smiles creepy children's book that The Joker somehow puts in the hands of the psychologist's kid's hands even though he is in maximum security Arkham). The Batman issue in this volume is supposed to be Batman also being driven mad, but is not as well done, and of course not original with this team, either. Who really believes it?! Disappointing finish.
If you collect beautiful works of art that also happen to be comics books, though, this hardcover production is really well done, and makes an impressive artistic product pair with Harleen by Stjepan Šejić, which I thought was much better done in most areas. But Sorrentino and Šejić are both A-list illustrators in comics right now. Worth at the very least taking a look at both of them, for sure.
If you collect beautiful works of art that also happen to be comics books, though, this hardcover production is really well done, and makes an impressive artistic product pair with Harleen by Stjepan Šejić, which I thought was much better done in most areas. But Sorrentino and Šejić are both A-list illustrators in comics right now. Worth at the very least taking a look at both of them, for sure.
June 9, 2021
Joker: Killer Smile isn’t a new idea but it felt fresh under Lemire and Sorrentino, a dark gritty psychosis akin to Azzarello’s Joker. With the Mr. Smiles cartoon mythos threaded between both stories, Lemire gives this a creepy horror undertone and attempts to tweak Batman’s origin: Was it Joker himself who created Batman? Is Batman real or merely a psychosis and hero metaphor of childhood trauma? This book reaffirms the idea that Joker is perhaps the most dangerous villain in his supervillainy, his nihilistic and contagious madness.
October 3, 2020
A tale you might have seen before but thanks to the amazing art and Lemire's solid dialogue, it rises above the rest.
Let me make it clear I'm not a huge Joker fan. I think he's a great advisory to Batman, and he's downright disturbing at points, but as a character he's not even in my top 10. I dislike his movie, usually his solo books kind of suck, and I'm just not a fan. Luckily here we have Lemire focus on a therapist who's trying to break through to the Joker but we all know that's not going to happen, so we watch a sad tale of destruction.
Similiar to last years Harleen, we know the end results. So watching it unfold is just the dreadful feeling of loss. The doctor here has a family but you can already begin to see the cracks in him as early as the first part. By the middle of the story we are revealed huge things that change the rest of the plot.
Overall, the imagery is great and twisted, what I want in a Joker tale. I also really enjoyed the voices of the characters, even the joker, who seems much more down to earth yet still comical at times. The ending was solid enough too that I was interested throughout.
The one off Bat story was pretty meh though.
Overall, a 3.5 out of 5.
Let me make it clear I'm not a huge Joker fan. I think he's a great advisory to Batman, and he's downright disturbing at points, but as a character he's not even in my top 10. I dislike his movie, usually his solo books kind of suck, and I'm just not a fan. Luckily here we have Lemire focus on a therapist who's trying to break through to the Joker but we all know that's not going to happen, so we watch a sad tale of destruction.
Similiar to last years Harleen, we know the end results. So watching it unfold is just the dreadful feeling of loss. The doctor here has a family but you can already begin to see the cracks in him as early as the first part. By the middle of the story we are revealed huge things that change the rest of the plot.
Overall, the imagery is great and twisted, what I want in a Joker tale. I also really enjoyed the voices of the characters, even the joker, who seems much more down to earth yet still comical at times. The ending was solid enough too that I was interested throughout.
The one off Bat story was pretty meh though.
Overall, a 3.5 out of 5.
June 13, 2025
Lemire offers here a unique take on Batman. I really liked it.
The blurred lines are truly perturbing and you end up not knowing where you and the characters are.
A great Batman story!
The blurred lines are truly perturbing and you end up not knowing where you and the characters are.
A great Batman story!
August 1, 2021
Joker as he's constantly being written these days is that emo guy who thinks himself to be soooooo interesting, and then other people get sucked along, and we all have to pretend he's this interesting person while nobody really can explain what about him is supposed to be so uniquely interesting.
Joker does this thing with therapists where he literally talks them insane (you'd think after the Harley Quinn debacle they'd stop letting people talk to the guy, but okay) - do make sure never to actually show much of this process, as it's a really hard thing to write, might even be impossible, so that's a big yikes.
So let's present insanity in the dullest fucking form - psychopathy. Let's present Joker's insanity in the dullest way. Joker is a disease, he infects other people's minds except never show how that's done etc. etc.
And finally do a Batman story that doesn't make any sense.
The End?
Yes, please god, let it be the end.
Joker does this thing with therapists where he literally talks them insane (you'd think after the Harley Quinn debacle they'd stop letting people talk to the guy, but okay) - do make sure never to actually show much of this process, as it's a really hard thing to write, might even be impossible, so that's a big yikes.
So let's present insanity in the dullest fucking form - psychopathy. Let's present Joker's insanity in the dullest way. Joker is a disease, he infects other people's minds except never show how that's done etc. etc.
And finally do a Batman story that doesn't make any sense.
The End?
Yes, please god, let it be the end.
October 11, 2020
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
Maybe my hopes were too high after seeing what this creative team was able to do in some other stuff but this slightly disappointed me.
So the story was pretty interesting, I actually couldn’t put this down. I also liked the artwork and not gonna lie, I would totally read a dark-humored Mr. Smiles picture book.
Unfortunately during the second issue the whole fucking thing goes off the rails. Then it has a weak ending… to the main story. After that we get a one-shot about Batman that made no goddamn sense and fucked up the whole story. Just a lot of “what’s real, what isn’t” type bullshit that works in some stories but didn’t work here because it made the story make no sense as a whole.
So yeah, I was torn between 2 or 3 stars. Going with 3 since it is pretty intense and has some really cool art but I wouldn’t particularly recommend it.
3/5
Maybe my hopes were too high after seeing what this creative team was able to do in some other stuff but this slightly disappointed me.
So the story was pretty interesting, I actually couldn’t put this down. I also liked the artwork and not gonna lie, I would totally read a dark-humored Mr. Smiles picture book.
Unfortunately during the second issue the whole fucking thing goes off the rails. Then it has a weak ending… to the main story. After that we get a one-shot about Batman that made no goddamn sense and fucked up the whole story. Just a lot of “what’s real, what isn’t” type bullshit that works in some stories but didn’t work here because it made the story make no sense as a whole.
So yeah, I was torn between 2 or 3 stars. Going with 3 since it is pretty intense and has some really cool art but I wouldn’t particularly recommend it.
3/5
April 22, 2020
I think I missed the punchline....
I was pretty excited for this one. It came out around the same time the Joker movie did, it has one of the best teams in comics working on it, and most of the DC Blac Label stuff has been great. This one seemed too short for its own good. I know they are planning on doing more but I don't think it's necessary. There's a lot of bulid up for not much of a pay out and I don't even know if they are going to use the same main character. I think if they would have planned for six issues instead of three it would have done better. Or even just one big hardcover.... loved the art still but the story was just too short and simple.
I was pretty excited for this one. It came out around the same time the Joker movie did, it has one of the best teams in comics working on it, and most of the DC Blac Label stuff has been great. This one seemed too short for its own good. I know they are planning on doing more but I don't think it's necessary. There's a lot of bulid up for not much of a pay out and I don't even know if they are going to use the same main character. I think if they would have planned for six issues instead of three it would have done better. Or even just one big hardcover.... loved the art still but the story was just too short and simple.
August 29, 2020
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
It is only human to believe that the criminally-insane can be cured of their affliction. Deep inside, it is this belief that there’s always hope, always a way to turn a bad apple into a good one, that keeps us going, whether it’s out of a genuine desire to rid the world of evil behaviours or one less righteous anchored in personal gain. Leave it to the Eisner Award-winning creative team of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Green Arrow, Gideon Falls, Wolverine: Old Man Logan) to explore this idea through the uncanny relationship between a patient and a doctor within Gotham City. Collecting the three issues of Joker: Killer Smile as well as the one-shot coda, Batman: The Smile Killer, this latest DC Black Label graphic novel offers fans the chance to revisit the madness of the most complex villain of all time through a devastating tale of obsession and insanity.
What is Joker: Killer Smile about? In the psychiatric hospital known as Arkham Asylum lies the deadliest foes apprehended by Batman. Among them is one that extends his reach beyond its walls and continues to be a thorn in the Dark Knight’s side, captive or not: the Joker. Throughout the years he’s known the inside of Arkham Asylum, there is not one psychologist or psychotherapist who was able to crack open his mind and uncover the secret to his insanity. Dr. Ben Arnell, however, believes that he might be the one who can find a model through the Clown Prince of Crime, one that will answer many questions among patients with Joker’s level of psychosis. As confident as ever that his mind is impenetrable, he gets to work through interviews with the Joker. But he’s not ready for what’s to come.
The idea behind this graphic novel will be quite familiar to well-versed DC Comics readers. And anyone in their right mind should know by now that you simply don’t “cure” the Joker of anything he doesn’t want to in the first place. But dear old Dr. Ben Arnell is convinced that he has what it takes to show the psychopath who has terrorized Gotham for years the way towards the light. Writer Jeff Lemire clearly knows this and assumes it from the beginning, dipping both feet deep into these waters and exploring the toxic and complex mind of the Joker through Dr. Arnell by exposing the thin layer that separates sanity from insanity within all of us. It is in the concept of reality that most of the narrative evolves, forcing the protagonist and the reader to both ask the same question: what is real?
As short as this graphic novel was, it did feel like writer Jeff Lemire wanted a good chunk of his story’s originality to come from the work achieved by artist Andrea Sorrentino. And with good reason. He achieves some truly stunning work, amplified by the space provided from the prestige label’s format. At times harrowing and others peaceful, there’s a stylistic approach utilized to capture both worlds explored in this story, that of the sane and insane. The interspersed addition of a perverted children's tale invites more goosebumps among readers but their idea shone best within the included one-shot issue featuring Batman as it offered a darker twist to his own perception of reality.
Joker: Killer Smile is a derivative yet refreshing cautionary tale about the madness of reality manipulated by the Clown Prince of Crime.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
December 6, 2022
Lemire's Joker was a good read. It reminds me of the Harleen comic by Stepjan Sejic. It is a look at what happens to an Arkham shrink who delves too deeply into the Joker's mind.
Dr. Ben Arnell believes he is the one who will be able to cure the Joker. As he interviews and has discussions with the Joker, his life begins to change. Little by little, Dr. Arnell descends into the rabbit hole that is the Joker's mind. The entire gist is that it is the Joker who is actually making psychological changes in the Dr, rather than the other way around.
A good story of encroaching madness and a great look at the Joker and his mode of thought. The artwork is very interesting. It works very well for this comic and some of the splash page art is superb. As a fan of the Joker's twisted madness, I appreciate any writer/artist that can adequately portray the Joker at his mad finest.
Dr. Ben Arnell believes he is the one who will be able to cure the Joker. As he interviews and has discussions with the Joker, his life begins to change. Little by little, Dr. Arnell descends into the rabbit hole that is the Joker's mind. The entire gist is that it is the Joker who is actually making psychological changes in the Dr, rather than the other way around.
A good story of encroaching madness and a great look at the Joker and his mode of thought. The artwork is very interesting. It works very well for this comic and some of the splash page art is superb. As a fan of the Joker's twisted madness, I appreciate any writer/artist that can adequately portray the Joker at his mad finest.
September 25, 2020
A familiar story elevated by exceptional artwork.
September 17, 2021
There's nothing new here; a shrink tries to fix Joker and goes crazy himself instead. It was a fine story the first time, maybe the first few times with a twist, but it's just sort of boring now. There's a short coda story that implies maybe we're all just part of a crazy dream, but that's been done to death, too. The art leans a little to the dark and stark side, but it isn't bad. Go for it if you're a completest.
May 28, 2025
I really liked this very introspective reinterpretation of the Joker.
Jeff Lemire's work is very interesting. I think he excelled with Joker:killer smile.
Jeff Lemire's work is very interesting. I think he excelled with Joker:killer smile.
April 10, 2025
Uma obra de arte. Senti falta de mais desenvolvimento, achei o final demasiado em aberto, mas, mesmo assim, gostei da ideia. As personagens são elas próprias, icónicas sem deixarem de ser coerentes, conseguem transportar-nos para o enredo. O traço, que isoladamente pode parecer preguiçoso, funciona muito bem dentro da dinâmica da leitura, quase como se as caras tivessem vida dentro do papel. Adorei a técnica narrativa, o texto e a parte gráfica em constante sintonia. No fundo, peca por não ser maior.
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October 22, 2021The Gideon Falls team churn out a contribution to DC's adult-ish readers Black Label imprint, which might as well be called Bat Label given almost everything it puts out centres on DC's most overrated character and his circle of frienemies. This despite the whole enterprise having very nearly been sunk by controversy which erupted over the Batwang featuring in its very first issue, at that. Killer Smile is no exception, its focus being a psychiatrist who tries to treat the Joker, but instead gets ensnared in his madness. Yes, that is exactly the same as the origin of the last new DC character anyone in the wider world has heard of. The main difference here is that if Dr Ben Arnell's name does lend itself to a clown pun, it's in a language or argot with which I'm not familiar. And if we know the story from Harley Quinn, the style of the telling is familiar from Gideon Falls - not just the toolkit, but the exact same motifs: a menace with a big grin, reality becoming uncertain, lettering bubbling up from the panel borders as the protagonist's world comes unstuck. On one level, fair play to them for getting away with doing the exact same thing all over again for a Big Two paycheque; it's just a bit unfortunate for those of us reading, or at least those who aren't the ALL BATMAN ALL THE TIME demographic for which modern DC is so determinedly catering.
Also included is sequel one-shot The Smile Killer. Essentially a remix of a remix, and I say that as someone who hates almost all remixes, it even manages to spoil through overuse the one thing I'd genuinely liked in Killer Smile, namely referring to Batman as 'Mr Pouts'. Otherwise, it's basically that same toolkit yet again, except this time it's also reprising the opening of Lemire's Moon Knight run, only doing it to Batman instead. Which serves largely to confirm that Moon Knight is a vastly more interesting character than Batman, something of which I've been well aware for many years now, thanks all the same.
In summary: Killer Shite, more like.
Also included is sequel one-shot The Smile Killer. Essentially a remix of a remix, and I say that as someone who hates almost all remixes, it even manages to spoil through overuse the one thing I'd genuinely liked in Killer Smile, namely referring to Batman as 'Mr Pouts'. Otherwise, it's basically that same toolkit yet again, except this time it's also reprising the opening of Lemire's Moon Knight run, only doing it to Batman instead. Which serves largely to confirm that Moon Knight is a vastly more interesting character than Batman, something of which I've been well aware for many years now, thanks all the same.
In summary: Killer Shite, more like.
December 31, 2020
If, and that’s a big if, I had never encountered the Joker before; knew nothing about him or his character this might, maybe, be a decent story. Although even then I still think I’d realize that it’s predictable, pedantic, and pointless.
We all know the story of the Joker. A crazy guy who is amazing at twisting words and influencing others to join in his insanity. He’s done it time and time again; not the least of which have been to Batman and, of course, Harley Quinn. So did we really need this story? Probably not.
Maybe for teens who are newer to the DC universe this offers some good for thought about insanity and what it means to disconnect from reality (and how it happens seamlessly without the victim even realizing it). But for the average adult comic book fan this is a overdone story to the point of annoyance. Nothing even remotely new happens here.
I really wanted to love this but it just felt too cliche and typical. Maybe it’s proof the Joker has been done to death? Or maybe it just means we need some writers and artists who barely walk the line between insane and sane to give us a new perspective? Either way this story is one you’ve read before. I recommend passing it on by and enjoying some classic Joker. You’ll get just as much out of the old stories as you might get from this one.
We all know the story of the Joker. A crazy guy who is amazing at twisting words and influencing others to join in his insanity. He’s done it time and time again; not the least of which have been to Batman and, of course, Harley Quinn. So did we really need this story? Probably not.
Maybe for teens who are newer to the DC universe this offers some good for thought about insanity and what it means to disconnect from reality (and how it happens seamlessly without the victim even realizing it). But for the average adult comic book fan this is a overdone story to the point of annoyance. Nothing even remotely new happens here.
I really wanted to love this but it just felt too cliche and typical. Maybe it’s proof the Joker has been done to death? Or maybe it just means we need some writers and artists who barely walk the line between insane and sane to give us a new perspective? Either way this story is one you’ve read before. I recommend passing it on by and enjoying some classic Joker. You’ll get just as much out of the old stories as you might get from this one.
June 4, 2021
In Killer Smile, Joker drives a psychiatrist insane. So far, so ho-hum. But wait! The psychiatrist is not Harley Quinn! It's a man! Who looks like Diego Luna! And the Joker looks just like Paul Bettany! Yowza!
Really, though, Killer Smile contains nothing surprising, but it's a weird, wild romp for what it is. The book could have been spun out of Andrea Sorrentino and Jeff Lemire's Gideon Falls series: similar artwork, similar sense of unease. The Smile Killer one-shot at the end, where Batman himself goes insane, is skippable unless you're a Sorrentino super-fan.
Really, though, Killer Smile contains nothing surprising, but it's a weird, wild romp for what it is. The book could have been spun out of Andrea Sorrentino and Jeff Lemire's Gideon Falls series: similar artwork, similar sense of unease. The Smile Killer one-shot at the end, where Batman himself goes insane, is skippable unless you're a Sorrentino super-fan.
February 20, 2020
"You broke me.
No, Ben. They broke us. This world broke us. So let's break it right back You are on the threshold now. Walk with me, Benjamin. Let's make them all pay."
Started strong, middle was poor, ended strong. Sometimes I loved the art, sometimes not so much, definitely worth a read, the Black Label continues to impress...
No, Ben. They broke us. This world broke us. So let's break it right back You are on the threshold now. Walk with me, Benjamin. Let's make them all pay."
Started strong, middle was poor, ended strong. Sometimes I loved the art, sometimes not so much, definitely worth a read, the Black Label continues to impress...
February 20, 2020
The Sad Doctor Saga had an interesting start, but a very shallow ending...
February 29, 2020
"They broke us. This world broke us. So let's break it right back."
March 14, 2020
4
Joker: Killer Smile has all the marks of a great storyline. The DC Black Label and the current everything is gold writer Jeff Lemire. There's so much hype surrounding this new label and my first venture Harleen was a showcase of what it is capable of being. This was an okay storyline, and clearly deserved the labels branding, but it didn't push any boundaries.
Why the 4?
The book is good and above the standard storylines, but it isn't great. Lemire hasn't gone for broke and in the end It's just a quick side storyline. I enjoyed the artwork and the darker storyline. The biggest issue I'm finding is that each writer has a Joker fixation, and that will grow tiresome over time. Lemire seems to be everywhere at the moment, and as a fan, it's great, but this needed a little more depth.
Joker: Killer Smile has all the marks of a great storyline. The DC Black Label and the current everything is gold writer Jeff Lemire. There's so much hype surrounding this new label and my first venture Harleen was a showcase of what it is capable of being. This was an okay storyline, and clearly deserved the labels branding, but it didn't push any boundaries.
Why the 4?
The book is good and above the standard storylines, but it isn't great. Lemire hasn't gone for broke and in the end It's just a quick side storyline. I enjoyed the artwork and the darker storyline. The biggest issue I'm finding is that each writer has a Joker fixation, and that will grow tiresome over time. Lemire seems to be everywhere at the moment, and as a fan, it's great, but this needed a little more depth.
March 14, 2020
Not a bad Joker story. You can definitely see echoes of the movie here, but I wonder if I'll be seeing that in all Joker stories for a while.
The story deals with a doctor who tries to "cure" the Joker. We've seen that before, and this doesn't end much better than it did in the previous attempts. Overall a pretty strong story with haunting art. If you're a Joker fan this is worth checking out. If you're a fan of the Joker movie but haven't read the comics, this could be a good place to start. (Although I'd really say go with The Killing Joke if you had to pick one.)
The story deals with a doctor who tries to "cure" the Joker. We've seen that before, and this doesn't end much better than it did in the previous attempts. Overall a pretty strong story with haunting art. If you're a Joker fan this is worth checking out. If you're a fan of the Joker movie but haven't read the comics, this could be a good place to start. (Although I'd really say go with The Killing Joke if you had to pick one.)
July 3, 2022
Va de más a menos: La primera parte es la mejor, y parte de la segunda también es soberbia, pero por desgracia, a medida que avanza la trama, se diluye, pasando de ser un thriller psicológico que capta todo nuestro interés a más de lo mismo, con el Joker haciendo lo que siempre hace, por lo que no es nada nuevo para los que somos fans del murciélago y su villano por excelencia.
Decepcionante no solo por la trama, sin sorpresas ni giros argumentales de enjundia, sino también por lo elevado de su precio, que no me importaría si hubiese estado a tono con la calidad del mismo.
Tenía altas expectativas por la famosa dupla Lemire-Sorrentino, que tendrá sus muchos adeptos, pero que yo no he podido disfrutar en toda su inmensidad como se anunciaba. En cambio, he de admitir que el dibujo hiperrealista y la estructuración tan original de las viñetas del dibujante Andrea Sorrentino me ha gustado en su totalidad, y de ahí que le ponga 3'5 ⭐.
Decepcionante no solo por la trama, sin sorpresas ni giros argumentales de enjundia, sino también por lo elevado de su precio, que no me importaría si hubiese estado a tono con la calidad del mismo.
Tenía altas expectativas por la famosa dupla Lemire-Sorrentino, que tendrá sus muchos adeptos, pero que yo no he podido disfrutar en toda su inmensidad como se anunciaba. En cambio, he de admitir que el dibujo hiperrealista y la estructuración tan original de las viñetas del dibujante Andrea Sorrentino me ha gustado en su totalidad, y de ahí que le ponga 3'5 ⭐.
September 27, 2024
Не очікувала, що буде аж так круто! ❤️
Як би я не любила версії Джокера у Філліпса і Тіма Бертона, думаю, він найкращий без передісторії і чіткої, зрозумілої мотивації. Коли він приходить нізвідки сіяти хаос, ніби втілення наших неусвідомлених страхів і бажань. Більше символ, ніж людина.
От такий він і тут. Непередбачуваний, загадковий, всюдисущий і всевідаючий, по-справжньому жорстокий і безумний. Персонаж, від якого дрижаки беруть.
Лемір і Соррентіно постарались на славу. Їхній стиль взагалі ідеально підходить для зображення божевілля. Історія оформлена просто шикарно 🔥
Дуже раджу 👍
Як би я не любила версії Джокера у Філліпса і Тіма Бертона, думаю, він найкращий без передісторії і чіткої, зрозумілої мотивації. Коли він приходить нізвідки сіяти хаос, ніби втілення наших неусвідомлених страхів і бажань. Більше символ, ніж людина.
От такий він і тут. Непередбачуваний, загадковий, всюдисущий і всевідаючий, по-справжньому жорстокий і безумний. Персонаж, від якого дрижаки беруть.
Лемір і Соррентіно постарались на славу. Їхній стиль взагалі ідеально підходить для зображення божевілля. Історія оформлена просто шикарно 🔥
Дуже раджу 👍
November 18, 2024
3.5 stars
Better than expected.
Better than expected.
February 2, 2021
Здавалося б, за 80-т років існування персонажа ми бачили Джокера в усіх можливих образах. Містер Джей побував і кримінальним королем Ґотема, і затятим анархістом, і навіть зламаним коміком. І беручи до рук “Вбивчу усмішку”, я мав серйозні сумніви щодо гм… здатності цього коміксу дивувати чи привнести щось нове. Та, пам’ятаючи як ця парочка митців, вибила з-під мене землю в Старому Лоґані, я все ж сподівався на магію. Що там гріха таїти, малюнок Соррентіно я люблю палко і пристрасно, та й персона Джокера вже давно займає в моєму серці чільне місце.
Джефф Лемір - талановитий автор і йому точно не потрібно нікому нічого доводити, але якщо з авторськими мальописами він підкорював вершину за вершиною, то з супергероїкою йому не надто щастило. А тут ще й не найпростіша тема, яку вже неодноразово “качали”: частково Мур в “Убивчому жарті” і дуже щільно у Шеїч“Гарлін”.
Власне сюжет мальописа будується навколо доктора Бена Арнелла, чергового амбіційного мозкоправа, який упевнений, що зможе вилікувати Джокера (міг би просто зателефонувати докторці Квінзель).
І все начебто чудово, Бен щодня їздить до Аркему, з багатозначною міною розпитує Джокера про дитинство, про його бажання та мотиви. Потім, як добрий сім’янин, поспішає за місто на затишну сімейну вечерю з дружиною та сином. Ідилія.
Як завжди буває в таких випадках, усе починає котитися під три чорти, хоча постривайте, шкерберть усе пішло вже давно, просто ви цього не помічали. Всі знають, хто такий Джокер, як він виглядає, можливо навіть думають, що знають, чого він хоче, але мало хто знає, що у Джока за здібності та суперсили. От автори “Вбивчої усмішки” взялися максимально розкрити цей аспект особистості легендарного антагоніста. На мою думку, Джокер один із найрозумніших і найкмітливіших персонажів, адже кожен хто контактує з ним, може стати потенційно його жертвою, і немає жодної різниці хто це: тренований, вольовий мільярдер, комісар поліції чи досвідчений психіатр. І мова йде не про фізичне насилля, а про те наскільки віртуозним маніпулятором є усміхнений базікало, як вправно він залазить у голови своїх супротивників і вміло препарує мізки жертви.
Джефф Лемір навдивовижу тонко відчув характери персонажів, надзвичайно уміло виписав поведінкові реакції лікаря Арнелла. Поволі, але невпинно, неначе чорнильна пляма, що розтікається на сорочці, автор плекає відчуття саспенсу у читача, повсякчас згодовуючи останньому крихти наростаючого божевілля доктора Бена.
Звісно ж, Лемір не міг не випробувати таку потужну зброю на більш достойнішому супротивнику, аніж звичайний лікар-мозкоправ. Мова авжеж про Бетмена, вічне протистояння Джокера та Бетмена це вже щось нерозривне і непорушне, як чорне та біле, як Інь та Янь. Так-так, без Кажана тут не обійшлося, і хоча, на мою думку, його поява була необов’язкова в цій історії, але деконструкт класичної історії з вбивством Вейнів видався мені доволі цікавим та оригінальним, тож заношу цей епізод в позитив.
І ось ми підійшли до візуальної складової, повірте, мені надзвичайно важко утримувати в собі всі ті компліменти та хвалебні епітети, коли мова заходить про Андреа Соррентіно. Його стиль, арсенал технік і прийомів, які він застосовує, здатні знести дах. Усі ці чесноти він сповна демонструє у вищезгаданому коміксі, використовуючи різноманітну стилістику зображення.
Для подій, де фігурують Джокер чи Бетмен, манера характерна, коміксова, для (не)дитячої історії про Щасвілль і містера Усміха художник використав яскраві фарби і оформив, як дитячу книжечку, історія доктора Бена Арнелла візуально максимально наближена до реальних фотографій. Одразу зазначу, декому може не сподобатися занадто фотографічні та реалістичні зображення персонажів, та, як пояснив Лемір, це було зроблено навмисно, аби читачу було легше ототожнювати себе з головним персонажем і для максимально швидкого занурення в історію. Звісно нікуди не поділися фірмові психоделічні розвороти автора розбиті на мозаїку та з кольоровими акцентами.
Що ж підсумуємо: “Джокер. Вбивча усмішка” - це не про героїв, не про рятування світу, не про поганих і хороших, а про тонку межу між реальністю та божевіллям. Більшість із нас розвішує страхувальні стропи та стоп-крани, щоб, з острахом заглядаючи у прірву божевілля, випадково не зірватися і не залишитися там назавжди. Лемір та Соррентіно розповіли історію Джокера-провідника, провідника у світ божевілля, у наш світ. То чи можемо ми стверджувати, який світ справжніший чи божевільніший?
Джефф Лемір - талановитий автор і йому точно не потрібно нікому нічого доводити, але якщо з авторськими мальописами він підкорював вершину за вершиною, то з супергероїкою йому не надто щастило. А тут ще й не найпростіша тема, яку вже неодноразово “качали”: частково Мур в “Убивчому жарті” і дуже щільно у Шеїч“Гарлін”.
Власне сюжет мальописа будується навколо доктора Бена Арнелла, чергового амбіційного мозкоправа, який упевнений, що зможе вилікувати Джокера (міг би просто зателефонувати докторці Квінзель).
І все начебто чудово, Бен щодня їздить до Аркему, з багатозначною міною розпитує Джокера про дитинство, про його бажання та мотиви. Потім, як добрий сім’янин, поспішає за місто на затишну сімейну вечерю з дружиною та сином. Ідилія.
Як завжди буває в таких випадках, усе починає котитися під три чорти, хоча постривайте, шкерберть усе пішло вже давно, просто ви цього не помічали. Всі знають, хто такий Джокер, як він виглядає, можливо навіть думають, що знають, чого він хоче, але мало хто знає, що у Джока за здібності та суперсили. От автори “Вбивчої усмішки” взялися максимально розкрити цей аспект особистості легендарного антагоніста. На мою думку, Джокер один із найрозумніших і найкмітливіших персонажів, адже кожен хто контактує з ним, може стати потенційно його жертвою, і немає жодної різниці хто це: тренований, вольовий мільярдер, комісар поліції чи досвідчений психіатр. І мова йде не про фізичне насилля, а про те наскільки віртуозним маніпулятором є усміхнений базікало, як вправно він залазить у голови своїх супротивників і вміло препарує мізки жертви.
Джефф Лемір навдивовижу тонко відчув характери персонажів, надзвичайно уміло виписав поведінкові реакції лікаря Арнелла. Поволі, але невпинно, неначе чорнильна пляма, що розтікається на сорочці, автор плекає відчуття саспенсу у читача, повсякчас згодовуючи останньому крихти наростаючого божевілля доктора Бена.
Звісно ж, Лемір не міг не випробувати таку потужну зброю на більш достойнішому супротивнику, аніж звичайний лікар-мозкоправ. Мова авжеж про Бетмена, вічне протистояння Джокера та Бетмена це вже щось нерозривне і непорушне, як чорне та біле, як Інь та Янь. Так-так, без Кажана тут не обійшлося, і хоча, на мою думку, його поява була необов’язкова в цій історії, але деконструкт класичної історії з вбивством Вейнів видався мені доволі цікавим та оригінальним, тож заношу цей епізод в позитив.
І ось ми підійшли до візуальної складової, повірте, мені надзвичайно важко утримувати в собі всі ті компліменти та хвалебні епітети, коли мова заходить про Андреа Соррентіно. Його стиль, арсенал технік і прийомів, які він застосовує, здатні знести дах. Усі ці чесноти він сповна демонструє у вищезгаданому коміксі, використовуючи різноманітну стилістику зображення.
Для подій, де фігурують Джокер чи Бетмен, манера характерна, коміксова, для (не)дитячої історії про Щасвілль і містера Усміха художник використав яскраві фарби і оформив, як дитячу книжечку, історія доктора Бена Арнелла візуально максимально наближена до реальних фотографій. Одразу зазначу, декому може не сподобатися занадто фотографічні та реалістичні зображення персонажів, та, як пояснив Лемір, це було зроблено навмисно, аби читачу було легше ототожнювати себе з головним персонажем і для максимально швидкого занурення в історію. Звісно нікуди не поділися фірмові психоделічні розвороти автора розбиті на мозаїку та з кольоровими акцентами.
Що ж підсумуємо: “Джокер. Вбивча усмішка” - це не про героїв, не про рятування світу, не про поганих і хороших, а про тонку межу між реальністю та божевіллям. Більшість із нас розвішує страхувальні стропи та стоп-крани, щоб, з острахом заглядаючи у прірву божевілля, випадково не зірватися і не залишитися там назавжди. Лемір та Соррентіно розповіли історію Джокера-провідника, провідника у світ божевілля, у наш світ. То чи можемо ми стверджувати, який світ справжніший чи божевільніший?
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