What do you think?
Rate this book
Batman
Batman: Cacophony
Best-selling comic book writer/director Kevin Smith (GREEN ARROW) steps into Gotham City to write this graphic novel featuring the mysterious masked killer known as Onomatopoeia who sets his sights - and sounds - against The Caped Crusader!
Will Batman be able to uncover the relationship between The Joker and Onomatopoeia in time to keep them from destroying Gotham City? Or are these villains too much for The Caped Crusader? The wild ride that caught Batman between The Joker and Onomatopoeia comes to a crashing halt as Batman is forced to choose between capturing Onomatopoeia and saving the Joker's life! Will Onomatopoeia have the final word with a deadly "Bang!"? Find out in this exciting conclusion!
Includes Cacophony #'s 1-3.
Will Batman be able to uncover the relationship between The Joker and Onomatopoeia in time to keep them from destroying Gotham City? Or are these villains too much for The Caped Crusader? The wild ride that caught Batman between The Joker and Onomatopoeia comes to a crashing halt as Batman is forced to choose between capturing Onomatopoeia and saving the Joker's life! Will Onomatopoeia have the final word with a deadly "Bang!"? Find out in this exciting conclusion!
Includes Cacophony #'s 1-3.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 2009
22 people are currently reading
942 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Smith
453 books965 followersKevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, director, as well as a comic book writer, author, and actor. He is also the co-founder, with Scott Mosier, of View Askew Productions and owner of Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash comic and novelty store in Red Bank, New Jersey. He also hosts a weekly podcast with Scott Mosier known as SModcast. He is also known for participating in long, humorous Q&A Sessions that are often filmed for DVD release, beginning with An Evening with Kevin Smith.
His films are often set in his home state of New Jersey, and while not strictly sequential, they do frequently feature crossover plot elements, character references, and a shared canon in what is known by fans as the "View Askewniverse", named after his production company View Askew Productions. He has produced numerous films and television projects, including Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks II.
His films are often set in his home state of New Jersey, and while not strictly sequential, they do frequently feature crossover plot elements, character references, and a shared canon in what is known by fans as the "View Askewniverse", named after his production company View Askew Productions. He has produced numerous films and television projects, including Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks II.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
December 18, 2018
"A doctor at Arkham once described for me the Joker's state of mind. 'Imagine trying to solve the world's most difficult math equation while you're surrounded by six televisions that sit 5 inches from your face . . . All tuned to different stations . . . All rapidly switching channels . . . All with the volume at full blast. THAT'S what it's like to be the Joker.'" -- The Dark Knight on his nemesis
Tight and hyper-violent - more graphic bloodletting than usual - Batman story featuring mysterious and deadly new bad guy Onomatopoeia, who speaks only in sound-effect words like he's straight out of a comic book (!) or a certain campy 60's TV series (!). Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum during a botched assassination attempt in the opening and hits the Gotham streets for "SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP TIME!" (his screaming, not mine) and the expected mayhem. Lots of action, lots of dialogue - courtesy of film writer / director Kevin Smith - and a conclusion that cries out for a sequel.
Tight and hyper-violent - more graphic bloodletting than usual - Batman story featuring mysterious and deadly new bad guy Onomatopoeia, who speaks only in sound-effect words like he's straight out of a comic book (!) or a certain campy 60's TV series (!). Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum during a botched assassination attempt in the opening and hits the Gotham streets for "SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP TIME!" (his screaming, not mine) and the expected mayhem. Lots of action, lots of dialogue - courtesy of film writer / director Kevin Smith - and a conclusion that cries out for a sequel.
September 19, 2011
Having read the reviews on Amazon before buying the book I expected Smith and Flanagan to really have dropped the ball with their mini-series with Smith making Batman sound like Jay and Flanagan drawing Batman as a stick man. But y'know what? It wasn't bad. I've read worse Batman books and I kind of enjoyed this.
While in Arkham, Joker is targeted by DeadShot who is taken out by a mysterious new villain whose only utterings are the verbal sounds made by actions in comic books (Pow! Zap! Etc). Joker finds out that his joker-poison has been cut with ecstasy to become a popular party drug, "chuckles". Joker takes his revenge on Maxie Zeus, the guy who spread the drug, while Batman tries to lock up Joker and capture this new villain at the same time.
Smith's script isn't nearly as bad as some of the reviews would have you believe though there are some odd moments - "I knew your ego would trump what's left of your common sense!" says Batman to the Joker (cringe!) and "Baruch haba, scumbag!". It's not like Smith's the first Batman writer to drop howlers into his scripts - remember Frank Miller's All Star Batman - "Who am I? I'm the GODDAMN BATMAN!". Also if you're a Smith fan and listen to SModcast (his weekly podcast) you'll be familiar with his speech patterns and notice some of his own inflections in the voices of DeadShot and Joker throughout. Overall though Smith does a good job and I was interested to find out who Cacophony really was.
Flanagan meanwhile isn't Jim Lee or Andy Kubert when he comes to draw the Dark Knight but again I didn't think it was the worst depiction of Batman. What about Tim Sale's in Dark Victory? Sam Kieth's in Secrets? Even again (sorry Miller fans) Frank Miller's Strikes Again (a book seemingly written on the fly in snatched moments) ? I've seen worse and I feel Flanagan's getting better having seen recent issues of "Widening Gyre".
I'll say it's not the best Batman book out there and Smith deflates any high expectations you might have even before you've started the book with his introduction - "Enjoy the second best Batman book I've written!" - but having read a ton of Batman, it's a decent read and good fun. I really enjoyed it.
While in Arkham, Joker is targeted by DeadShot who is taken out by a mysterious new villain whose only utterings are the verbal sounds made by actions in comic books (Pow! Zap! Etc). Joker finds out that his joker-poison has been cut with ecstasy to become a popular party drug, "chuckles". Joker takes his revenge on Maxie Zeus, the guy who spread the drug, while Batman tries to lock up Joker and capture this new villain at the same time.
Smith's script isn't nearly as bad as some of the reviews would have you believe though there are some odd moments - "I knew your ego would trump what's left of your common sense!" says Batman to the Joker (cringe!) and "Baruch haba, scumbag!". It's not like Smith's the first Batman writer to drop howlers into his scripts - remember Frank Miller's All Star Batman - "Who am I? I'm the GODDAMN BATMAN!". Also if you're a Smith fan and listen to SModcast (his weekly podcast) you'll be familiar with his speech patterns and notice some of his own inflections in the voices of DeadShot and Joker throughout. Overall though Smith does a good job and I was interested to find out who Cacophony really was.
Flanagan meanwhile isn't Jim Lee or Andy Kubert when he comes to draw the Dark Knight but again I didn't think it was the worst depiction of Batman. What about Tim Sale's in Dark Victory? Sam Kieth's in Secrets? Even again (sorry Miller fans) Frank Miller's Strikes Again (a book seemingly written on the fly in snatched moments) ? I've seen worse and I feel Flanagan's getting better having seen recent issues of "Widening Gyre".
I'll say it's not the best Batman book out there and Smith deflates any high expectations you might have even before you've started the book with his introduction - "Enjoy the second best Batman book I've written!" - but having read a ton of Batman, it's a decent read and good fun. I really enjoyed it.
November 21, 2014
Full disclosure and a much needed disclaimer: I've been a fan of Walt Flanagan ever since his podcast Tell 'Em Steve Dave and AMC show Comic Book Men, and finding out that he was the artist for Kevin Smith's series of Batman stories was a highly pleasurable discovery, so in reading Cacophony, I retained that bias. Nevertheless, I'm still able to view most of his illustrations for this comic book critically. I acknowledge that he has a potential to become a full-pledged professional artist and Cacophony has showcased that, though I think he definitely needs a more focused work regimen if he ever hopes to break the mold of his initial attempts, and come up with a more nuanced and remarkable result, artistically speaking.
But I digress because I am getting way ahead of myself. I should begin to put things in better perspective for Kevin Smith's script for Cacophony first which wasn't entirely as mediocre as most reviews I've read online make it to be. The writing is entertaining at best, filled with sparkling dialogue and witty humor, most especially with the way he interpreted and conveyed the Joker's character. I didn't have any problems with his Batman at all but that's probably my prerogative. I truly enjoyed the insights he put in pertaining to the dynamics between Batman and the Joker, and my most favorite scenes are definitely whenever Bruce Wayne and Alfred are conversing.
For the former, I believe Smith didn't really contribute much to the already established twisted relationship between Batman and the Joker, but he did emphasize the reluctant co-dependency that is shared between them, and how uncomfortably hypocritical it is for Batman to let the Joker live in blind hopes that there is still something worth saving, given the clown prince of crime's exhausting list of inhumane deeds that also personally affected Batman as a human being.
For the latter, it never fails to make my insides go soft every time his trusted butler hits the sweet spot when it comes to the motivation that drives most of Bruce Wayne's actions, both as a crime-fighter and as a noble man with a code. Here Smith shows that Alfred truly is the one person in the world who understood him best because he is the closest thing to a family he had left and that therefore gives him the great opportunity to unmask Batman better than everyone else.
I could tell that Kevin Smith understands Batman in a way that I have embraced him as a childhood hero, and I suppose that is the immediate charm and appeal of Cacophony. You get the sense that this is truly something written by a long-time fan for equally emotionally-attached fans like himself and my own.
Going back to Walt Flanagan's art: there is so much more that he could have done and he does get a chance to develop those potentials (I've read that he had improved his work in The Widening Gyre), and I suppose I will give him a pass here since this is his first debut and it clearly shows. In time I sure hope he refines his style and execution, just as much as I hope that Smith adds more dimension, flavor and a much needed substance to his storylines for the Dark Knight.
RECOMMENDED: 7.5/10
* Worth the look-through especially if you're a fan of either or both writer and artist.
DO READ MY BATMAN COMICS REVIEWS AT:
But I digress because I am getting way ahead of myself. I should begin to put things in better perspective for Kevin Smith's script for Cacophony first which wasn't entirely as mediocre as most reviews I've read online make it to be. The writing is entertaining at best, filled with sparkling dialogue and witty humor, most especially with the way he interpreted and conveyed the Joker's character. I didn't have any problems with his Batman at all but that's probably my prerogative. I truly enjoyed the insights he put in pertaining to the dynamics between Batman and the Joker, and my most favorite scenes are definitely whenever Bruce Wayne and Alfred are conversing.
For the former, I believe Smith didn't really contribute much to the already established twisted relationship between Batman and the Joker, but he did emphasize the reluctant co-dependency that is shared between them, and how uncomfortably hypocritical it is for Batman to let the Joker live in blind hopes that there is still something worth saving, given the clown prince of crime's exhausting list of inhumane deeds that also personally affected Batman as a human being.
For the latter, it never fails to make my insides go soft every time his trusted butler hits the sweet spot when it comes to the motivation that drives most of Bruce Wayne's actions, both as a crime-fighter and as a noble man with a code. Here Smith shows that Alfred truly is the one person in the world who understood him best because he is the closest thing to a family he had left and that therefore gives him the great opportunity to unmask Batman better than everyone else.
I could tell that Kevin Smith understands Batman in a way that I have embraced him as a childhood hero, and I suppose that is the immediate charm and appeal of Cacophony. You get the sense that this is truly something written by a long-time fan for equally emotionally-attached fans like himself and my own.
Going back to Walt Flanagan's art: there is so much more that he could have done and he does get a chance to develop those potentials (I've read that he had improved his work in The Widening Gyre), and I suppose I will give him a pass here since this is his first debut and it clearly shows. In time I sure hope he refines his style and execution, just as much as I hope that Smith adds more dimension, flavor and a much needed substance to his storylines for the Dark Knight.
RECOMMENDED: 7.5/10
* Worth the look-through especially if you're a fan of either or both writer and artist.
DO READ MY BATMAN COMICS REVIEWS AT:
January 28, 2010
In what will surely be my last Kevin Smith related review for a while, I recently finished his first attempt at Batman. Smith is joined by long time friend and comic book artist, Walt Flanagan as they work together to bring the Dark Knight's world to life with "Batman: Cacophony".
In terms of the most recent graphic novels that I've been reading, this was a breeze. Clocking in at a dismal 144 pages, I flew through this book with ease. In this particular story, Joker is locked away at Arkham Asylum while little known villain, Maxie Zeus is out in Gotham manufacturing a less intense, street drug version of Joker's poison "Joker Venom", calling it "Chuckles". Before Joker learns of this, he foils an assassination attempt on himself by Deadshot when he is interrupted by a villain created by Smith/Flanagan – Onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia and Joker escape from Arkham, Joker learns of the altering of said poison and makes a b-line for Maxie Zeus, vowing revenge.
In the foreward to Smith's Batman outing, he explains that he feels he could have done a lot better. I know that the material didn't really receive a lot of praise or critical acclaim but that doesn't mean you should apologize for your work right out of the gate. It's true that Smith has made a career out of self deprecation for comedic purposes but this seemed really serious.
Granted, he did admit that a longer (12 issues) and "better" effort is on the way, it still really deflated me even before I read the first page. The book as a whole isn't bad but at times it's too slow and really struggled to find its identity. Smith writes an entertaining Joker to say the least and Flanagan illustrates a different Batman but in the end, like Smith had said, it falls short of his past comic attempts.
Smith really tried to create an iconic conversation between a calm and mentally stable Joker and Batman that ultimately feels anti-climatic. The idea is perfect and the message is there but this dialouge feels recycled and stale. I have high hopes for their second outing as I dig Walt's art and Smith has proven his writing skills time and time again. Let's hope it delivers.
In terms of the most recent graphic novels that I've been reading, this was a breeze. Clocking in at a dismal 144 pages, I flew through this book with ease. In this particular story, Joker is locked away at Arkham Asylum while little known villain, Maxie Zeus is out in Gotham manufacturing a less intense, street drug version of Joker's poison "Joker Venom", calling it "Chuckles". Before Joker learns of this, he foils an assassination attempt on himself by Deadshot when he is interrupted by a villain created by Smith/Flanagan – Onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia and Joker escape from Arkham, Joker learns of the altering of said poison and makes a b-line for Maxie Zeus, vowing revenge.
In the foreward to Smith's Batman outing, he explains that he feels he could have done a lot better. I know that the material didn't really receive a lot of praise or critical acclaim but that doesn't mean you should apologize for your work right out of the gate. It's true that Smith has made a career out of self deprecation for comedic purposes but this seemed really serious.
Granted, he did admit that a longer (12 issues) and "better" effort is on the way, it still really deflated me even before I read the first page. The book as a whole isn't bad but at times it's too slow and really struggled to find its identity. Smith writes an entertaining Joker to say the least and Flanagan illustrates a different Batman but in the end, like Smith had said, it falls short of his past comic attempts.
Smith really tried to create an iconic conversation between a calm and mentally stable Joker and Batman that ultimately feels anti-climatic. The idea is perfect and the message is there but this dialouge feels recycled and stale. I have high hopes for their second outing as I dig Walt's art and Smith has proven his writing skills time and time again. Let's hope it delivers.
August 14, 2012
Give Kevin Smith a lot of credit--he's a heck of a saleman.
Listening to his newest podcast Fat Man on Batman and hearing Smith reference his work on two Batman mini-series intrigued me enough to seek out the books and give them a try. Thankfully, my local library has a copy of both collections saving me time and frustration in tracking them down.
First up is "Cacophony," a three-part story about a gang war that erupts when Maxie Zues begins mixing the Joker's lethal smile inducing compound in low levels with various street drugs. The new mixture is the hottest thing for getting high in Gotham and the Joker isn't happy about his compound being used for this without his knowledge. In the middle of this is the Smith created villain, Onomatopoeia.
As Smith says in his introduction, the dialogue in the first issue is a bit of a question mark but it improved thanks to feedback and Smith's desire to revise it. Smith goes on to say that this is the second best Batman story he and collaborator Walt Flannigan could dream up and that it set the stage for a much longer, more substantial story to come. Maybe this revelation should have been kept for an afterward since it immediately puts you in the mind-set of looking for flaws in the story and finding the ones that Smith points out.
The examination of the long dance of the Batman and the Joker and their twisted co-dependent relationship isn't necessarily anything new or groundbreaking, but it is interesting under Smith's writing. Whatever else you can say about Smith, the man has an ear for dialogue and the debate between the two in issue three is very compelling.
Listening to his newest podcast Fat Man on Batman and hearing Smith reference his work on two Batman mini-series intrigued me enough to seek out the books and give them a try. Thankfully, my local library has a copy of both collections saving me time and frustration in tracking them down.
First up is "Cacophony," a three-part story about a gang war that erupts when Maxie Zues begins mixing the Joker's lethal smile inducing compound in low levels with various street drugs. The new mixture is the hottest thing for getting high in Gotham and the Joker isn't happy about his compound being used for this without his knowledge. In the middle of this is the Smith created villain, Onomatopoeia.
As Smith says in his introduction, the dialogue in the first issue is a bit of a question mark but it improved thanks to feedback and Smith's desire to revise it. Smith goes on to say that this is the second best Batman story he and collaborator Walt Flannigan could dream up and that it set the stage for a much longer, more substantial story to come. Maybe this revelation should have been kept for an afterward since it immediately puts you in the mind-set of looking for flaws in the story and finding the ones that Smith points out.
The examination of the long dance of the Batman and the Joker and their twisted co-dependent relationship isn't necessarily anything new or groundbreaking, but it is interesting under Smith's writing. Whatever else you can say about Smith, the man has an ear for dialogue and the debate between the two in issue three is very compelling.
November 25, 2018
I've actually liked both Daredevil and Green Arrow under Kevin Smith so I'd figure I give his Batman a try. How was it? Well...
There's a new villain in town. If you want to make a impact on the Batman lore you wanna throw a new villain into the mix. It's a way people would remember you. Say "That's the batman villain from so and so's run!" and that's what Smith did here. On top of that though we have the waging war between Batman and his favorite clown, the Joker. After our new villain frees the Joker, the clown begins to wreck havoc. In doing so it brings out Batman to hunt him but it's all a plot. This leads to the Joker and Batman getting some time with each other.
Good: I like the atmosphere built here. Feels like Gotham is a really shitty place to live and scary. I also thought the new villain was pretty fun, if not silly. Oh and there's some funny dialogue, some I actually liked a lot with Bruce and Alfred.
Bad: Some of the dialogue felt long and drawn out though. The art, while I thought was solid, sometimes lacked emotion on their face or strange faces in general. Also, it ended really quick and didn't feel like a actual ending.
Overall it was a fun story. A bit short for my taste, and the villain didn't get to be flushed out, but not horrible. You'd think from some reviews this is the worst Batman story ever. It's just decent-good. A 3 out of 5.
There's a new villain in town. If you want to make a impact on the Batman lore you wanna throw a new villain into the mix. It's a way people would remember you. Say "That's the batman villain from so and so's run!" and that's what Smith did here. On top of that though we have the waging war between Batman and his favorite clown, the Joker. After our new villain frees the Joker, the clown begins to wreck havoc. In doing so it brings out Batman to hunt him but it's all a plot. This leads to the Joker and Batman getting some time with each other.
Good: I like the atmosphere built here. Feels like Gotham is a really shitty place to live and scary. I also thought the new villain was pretty fun, if not silly. Oh and there's some funny dialogue, some I actually liked a lot with Bruce and Alfred.
Bad: Some of the dialogue felt long and drawn out though. The art, while I thought was solid, sometimes lacked emotion on their face or strange faces in general. Also, it ended really quick and didn't feel like a actual ending.
Overall it was a fun story. A bit short for my taste, and the villain didn't get to be flushed out, but not horrible. You'd think from some reviews this is the worst Batman story ever. It's just decent-good. A 3 out of 5.
August 27, 2018
This is not the best or the worst Batman story out there. It's simply ok. Read it. Don't read it. The choice is yours.
I haven't read Batman: The Widening Gyre yet, so maybe it will prove me wrong and make this one a must-read.
I haven't read Batman: The Widening Gyre yet, so maybe it will prove me wrong and make this one a must-read.
January 19, 2013
Spoilers here.
I appreciated the effort of the conversation between Batman and Joker during the latter's moment of clarity. The idea Joker expresses -- "I don't hate you because I'm crazy, I'm crazy because I hate you" -- is an interesting frame for the relationship and one worthy of considering.
But there are two critical points of awfulness in Cacophony.
First, the main villain is rather pointless. Onomatopoeia has no outward motivation (he's a collector? Really?) He has no powers other than the requisite Batman-like toughness. And his sound gimmick seems more like a Tourette's symptom than the sign of a criminal mastermind. During his first fight scene, I initially thought he had the power to create reality by mimicking sounds--creating bullets by making their sounds, etc. That, I thought, held some promise. But when I reread the scene, I realized that the sounds were incidental to the actions, and really, just silly.
The second, bigger problem, is that to get to any resolution, readers have to get through all of Kevin Smith's dialogue which, unfortunately, sounds like Kevin Smith dialogue. There's nothing wrong with Kevin Smith dialogue. I like it in his films. But his verbosity doesn't connect with my idea of who Batman is. And it pulls me right out of the book.
I appreciated the effort of the conversation between Batman and Joker during the latter's moment of clarity. The idea Joker expresses -- "I don't hate you because I'm crazy, I'm crazy because I hate you" -- is an interesting frame for the relationship and one worthy of considering.
But there are two critical points of awfulness in Cacophony.
First, the main villain is rather pointless. Onomatopoeia has no outward motivation (he's a collector? Really?) He has no powers other than the requisite Batman-like toughness. And his sound gimmick seems more like a Tourette's symptom than the sign of a criminal mastermind. During his first fight scene, I initially thought he had the power to create reality by mimicking sounds--creating bullets by making their sounds, etc. That, I thought, held some promise. But when I reread the scene, I realized that the sounds were incidental to the actions, and really, just silly.
The second, bigger problem, is that to get to any resolution, readers have to get through all of Kevin Smith's dialogue which, unfortunately, sounds like Kevin Smith dialogue. There's nothing wrong with Kevin Smith dialogue. I like it in his films. But his verbosity doesn't connect with my idea of who Batman is. And it pulls me right out of the book.
June 3, 2019
Batman: Cacophony by Kevin Smith features issues 1-3 and an alternative script for the third issue, it is a truly great comic with a lot of great conversations. Kevin smith known for writing and directing movies such as Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Red State, and Tusk, has a way with dialogue, and adds it to comics as well. I was a big fan of his Green Arrow run, where he ended up creating one of the villains Onomatopoeia which is featured in this work as well. This graphic novel is sadistic but it leads to great questions and conversations.
The Plot: The Joker is locked away in Arkham Asylum where we see someone break in determined to kill him. That man is an assassin known as Deadshot, The Joker casually ask why he's deemed to die. The Joker finds out that one of his poisons is being changed to a party drug called "chuckles" due to the fact it makes you laugh. The Joker is livid that one of his poison's doesn't do what it is supposed to do kill. Deadshot is there for that matter that the parent of one the drug users wants the Joker dead for the reason his son died by result of an overdose to the drug "chuckles". Just before Deadshot has killed Joker, he is saved by another villain Onomatopoeia, a villain that repeats the sounds heard and killed Vertigo a costumed hero that used to run with Green Arrow. Onomatopoeia has a plan that involves the Joker and taking down Batman.
What I Liked: The conversations, there's a really great one with Jim Gordon and Batman on wether to let the Joker die or not, and another with Batman and the Joker on if the other truly wants each other to die. There's a great moment when the Joker realizes a joke after Deadshot is taken down by a head shot, and can not contain himself. I liked Batman using some of Deadshot's technology. Onomatopoeia as a villain is terrifying, and I loved the reveal at the end for his character. Since Kevin Smith is known for his dick and fart jokes I was not surprised by this, for the most part they landed, on exchange with the Joker seeing Batman Junk when he changed was funny especially Alfred's comment on it.
What I Disliked: There's a rape joke that kind failed, featuring the Joker and Onomatopoeia where Joker misinterprets their relationship thinking he wants to rape him which the Joker seems all to willing to comply, which seemed a bit too much.
Recommendations: I really enjoyed myself it was funny, action packed and well drawn. I really recommend this one but there is the trigger warning of extreme violence and rape discussed, that not everyone will enjoy. I rated this short graphic novel 5 out of 5 stars. I bought this one and the sequel The Widening Gyre at the same time and will read it soon since I enjoyed this one so much.
The Plot: The Joker is locked away in Arkham Asylum where we see someone break in determined to kill him. That man is an assassin known as Deadshot, The Joker casually ask why he's deemed to die. The Joker finds out that one of his poisons is being changed to a party drug called "chuckles" due to the fact it makes you laugh. The Joker is livid that one of his poison's doesn't do what it is supposed to do kill. Deadshot is there for that matter that the parent of one the drug users wants the Joker dead for the reason his son died by result of an overdose to the drug "chuckles". Just before Deadshot has killed Joker, he is saved by another villain Onomatopoeia, a villain that repeats the sounds heard and killed Vertigo a costumed hero that used to run with Green Arrow. Onomatopoeia has a plan that involves the Joker and taking down Batman.
What I Liked: The conversations, there's a really great one with Jim Gordon and Batman on wether to let the Joker die or not, and another with Batman and the Joker on if the other truly wants each other to die. There's a great moment when the Joker realizes a joke after Deadshot is taken down by a head shot, and can not contain himself. I liked Batman using some of Deadshot's technology. Onomatopoeia as a villain is terrifying, and I loved the reveal at the end for his character. Since Kevin Smith is known for his dick and fart jokes I was not surprised by this, for the most part they landed, on exchange with the Joker seeing Batman Junk when he changed was funny especially Alfred's comment on it.
What I Disliked: There's a rape joke that kind failed, featuring the Joker and Onomatopoeia where Joker misinterprets their relationship thinking he wants to rape him which the Joker seems all to willing to comply, which seemed a bit too much.
Recommendations: I really enjoyed myself it was funny, action packed and well drawn. I really recommend this one but there is the trigger warning of extreme violence and rape discussed, that not everyone will enjoy. I rated this short graphic novel 5 out of 5 stars. I bought this one and the sequel The Widening Gyre at the same time and will read it soon since I enjoyed this one so much.
August 1, 2021
There's nothing groundbreaking here. I love Kevin Smith more than the average person. I'm probably even what most would consider a fanboy. However, I can also be objective in saying that his writing is sometimes wonderful and clever in this book while other times being a bit corny.
I'm also a Walt Flanagan fan as a person and podcaster. In this book, his art is pretty average. Overall this book was fine but a bit thin in meaningful content.
I'm also a Walt Flanagan fan as a person and podcaster. In this book, his art is pretty average. Overall this book was fine but a bit thin in meaningful content.
January 5, 2013
I'm not exactly a fan of Kevin Smith but I have a certain amount of respect for him based on his reputation as a major comic book fan and writer, so I'm sorry to have to say that I really didn't enjoy this story arc. I'll keep this brief because I don't want to bash this, I just want to state what I didn't like.
Granted, it's a short 3 issue arc, but there is no resolution. I hate that.
The villain is just plain dumb. His "thing" is only mimicking sounds, not what other people say (which could have made for some humorous moments at least), if a gun goes off he says "bang", something breaks "crash", someone gets punched "thump", things like that. What's worse is that most of it isn't actual words like that. Have you ever tried to spell out how breaking glass actually sounds? Of course not! Why not? It looks dumb, that's why not. And this comic is full of stuff that looks dumb, but we'll talk about that later. His gimmick is so lame even batman comments on it. He says something to the effect of "these villains are running out of good ideas". No, they HAVE run out of good ideas!
The Joker is more of a pervert than he is a psychopath. Oh, and have you ever wondered what the Joker would look like with a beard? Well the artist hasn't either apparently and yet he still tried to draw him with one. How about Bruce Wayne with pre-pubescent "my first mustache" 'stache? Yup, we get that too.
And speaking of art? It's atrocious and juvenile at best. I don't think I've ever seen a less intimidating Batman drawn. If I find out that one of Kevin's actual 10 year old relatives drew it, I will take this back and add a star to my review, until then however I am assuming that someone was paid as a "professional" artist to do this and my opinion stands.
Okay, maybe I wanted to bash it a little... but I will say one positive thing... and then one more negative thing. He makes a valiant attempt at a clear, heartfelt, revealing conversation between Bats and a semi-sane and stable Joker which produced exactly one worthwhile and memorable piece of dialog (this is not word for word, so as not to be too spoilery)... "I don't hate you because I'm crazy, I'm crazy because I hate you. Once you're dead, I'll hang it all up and stop killing people I don't know". Relatively brilliant, however, the entire scene which this takes place within turns Batman into a 6' tall pansy in a leotard and cape! It almost completely undoes everything Alan Moore accomplished in "The Killing Joke". Sacrilege.
Granted, it's a short 3 issue arc, but there is no resolution. I hate that.
The villain is just plain dumb. His "thing" is only mimicking sounds, not what other people say (which could have made for some humorous moments at least), if a gun goes off he says "bang", something breaks "crash", someone gets punched "thump", things like that. What's worse is that most of it isn't actual words like that. Have you ever tried to spell out how breaking glass actually sounds? Of course not! Why not? It looks dumb, that's why not. And this comic is full of stuff that looks dumb, but we'll talk about that later. His gimmick is so lame even batman comments on it. He says something to the effect of "these villains are running out of good ideas". No, they HAVE run out of good ideas!
The Joker is more of a pervert than he is a psychopath. Oh, and have you ever wondered what the Joker would look like with a beard? Well the artist hasn't either apparently and yet he still tried to draw him with one. How about Bruce Wayne with pre-pubescent "my first mustache" 'stache? Yup, we get that too.
And speaking of art? It's atrocious and juvenile at best. I don't think I've ever seen a less intimidating Batman drawn. If I find out that one of Kevin's actual 10 year old relatives drew it, I will take this back and add a star to my review, until then however I am assuming that someone was paid as a "professional" artist to do this and my opinion stands.
Okay, maybe I wanted to bash it a little... but I will say one positive thing... and then one more negative thing. He makes a valiant attempt at a clear, heartfelt, revealing conversation between Bats and a semi-sane and stable Joker which produced exactly one worthwhile and memorable piece of dialog (this is not word for word, so as not to be too spoilery)... "I don't hate you because I'm crazy, I'm crazy because I hate you. Once you're dead, I'll hang it all up and stop killing people I don't know". Relatively brilliant, however, the entire scene which this takes place within turns Batman into a 6' tall pansy in a leotard and cape! It almost completely undoes everything Alan Moore accomplished in "The Killing Joke". Sacrilege.
December 31, 2016
Meh. Not much memorable here. There's a conversation at the end between Batman and Joker that was...unique but the rest felt like a rehash from various other things. There are some nice covers by Kubert and Sienkiewicz but the rest of the art is mediocre. Even in the prologue Smith states that it wasn't the best story and the sequel is much better...
December 14, 2015
Batman finds himself trying to understand a strange relationship between The Joker and Onomatopoeia. The Cape Crusader soon has to choose between chasing down The Joker and this puzzling villain Onomatopoeia. Writer/Director Kevin Smith puts his love of comic books and Batman to a practical use and wrote the series Batman: Cacophony.
I picked this graphic novel on my honeymoon because I was curious to see what Kevin Smith would do with Batman. I wanted to see what Smith would do with this superhero and I was a little curious about the super villain he created. Onomatopoeia is an enigma and I wasn’t sure how to take him; he works well as a super villain but for the most part I am still not sure what to make of him.
I am a fan of Batman and have often enjoyed Kevin Smith’s movies (except Jersey Girl) but I found this collection to be a little juvenile. Smith’s humour is often childish but that is never a defining factor in his movies with the exception of Clerks 2, so I was expecting so much more. There wasn’t much in the way of a storyline in Batman: Cacophony and I ended with so many unanswered questions. This is only a three issue series and I have to wonder if there were plans for more.
Walt Flanagan’s illustrations were a lot better than the writing; while not great it was far more entertaining. Flanagan uses a lot of vibrant colours that help distract the reader from the rest of the series. I had to enjoy the small homages Walt Flanagan made to other artists; one that particularly stood out to me was The Joker dress from The Killing Zone. Flanagan adopts a very busy style and while I wanted to rush through the story, it was hard to do this with the art.
There are a lot of great Batman series out there and I am struggling to work out which ones to try and which ones to look over. I am sad to say that Batman: Cacophony is one that should have been overlooked but that won’t stop me from trying to explore the rest. I hope people will help me with recommending me some good Batman series to read.
This review originally appeared on my blog: http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...
I picked this graphic novel on my honeymoon because I was curious to see what Kevin Smith would do with Batman. I wanted to see what Smith would do with this superhero and I was a little curious about the super villain he created. Onomatopoeia is an enigma and I wasn’t sure how to take him; he works well as a super villain but for the most part I am still not sure what to make of him.
I am a fan of Batman and have often enjoyed Kevin Smith’s movies (except Jersey Girl) but I found this collection to be a little juvenile. Smith’s humour is often childish but that is never a defining factor in his movies with the exception of Clerks 2, so I was expecting so much more. There wasn’t much in the way of a storyline in Batman: Cacophony and I ended with so many unanswered questions. This is only a three issue series and I have to wonder if there were plans for more.
Walt Flanagan’s illustrations were a lot better than the writing; while not great it was far more entertaining. Flanagan uses a lot of vibrant colours that help distract the reader from the rest of the series. I had to enjoy the small homages Walt Flanagan made to other artists; one that particularly stood out to me was The Joker dress from The Killing Zone. Flanagan adopts a very busy style and while I wanted to rush through the story, it was hard to do this with the art.
There are a lot of great Batman series out there and I am struggling to work out which ones to try and which ones to look over. I am sad to say that Batman: Cacophony is one that should have been overlooked but that won’t stop me from trying to explore the rest. I hope people will help me with recommending me some good Batman series to read.
This review originally appeared on my blog: http://literary-exploration.com/2014/...
January 4, 2014
I am/was a big Kevin Smith fan though in my humble opinion he's been off the boil for a while now. I'm also generally not a DC or Batman fan though I drop in and out every now and then. That may influence my thoughts.
I'd heard good things about his onomatopoeic villain but frankly I cannot see why. Glibly repeating sound effects to no consequence just makes him appear mental incompetent and would imply, as Bats says, that the villains are running out of gimmicks. Aside from that, he's pure one note concept, cropping up randomly throughout without any real weight and no ending.
There are some interesting Joker moments and the 'sane' discussion they have near the end is engaging but for me, Batman saving him just seems weird. Hardcore fans may have more of an insight but for this casual fan I just can't see that happening. It strikes me that Bruce doesn't want the Joker to stop and would rather let him live to kill more people. Not that heroic to me.
To top it all off I really didn't like Flanagan's pencils. Sloppy and cartoony to start and clearly different by the end. Even odder is the intro by Smith where he admits that reception hasn't been that good so far and in fact neither he or Walt were working to produce the best comic they could, telling us to stick with it and come back next time for their better version. That doesn't sit right with me. If you think you can do better, then do better and put that out, don't put out a weaker version just to kill some time in the interim. Sloppy from all involved.
For true fans but to be skipped if like me you're a casual fan only.
I'd heard good things about his onomatopoeic villain but frankly I cannot see why. Glibly repeating sound effects to no consequence just makes him appear mental incompetent and would imply, as Bats says, that the villains are running out of gimmicks. Aside from that, he's pure one note concept, cropping up randomly throughout without any real weight and no ending.
There are some interesting Joker moments and the 'sane' discussion they have near the end is engaging but for me, Batman saving him just seems weird. Hardcore fans may have more of an insight but for this casual fan I just can't see that happening. It strikes me that Bruce doesn't want the Joker to stop and would rather let him live to kill more people. Not that heroic to me.
To top it all off I really didn't like Flanagan's pencils. Sloppy and cartoony to start and clearly different by the end. Even odder is the intro by Smith where he admits that reception hasn't been that good so far and in fact neither he or Walt were working to produce the best comic they could, telling us to stick with it and come back next time for their better version. That doesn't sit right with me. If you think you can do better, then do better and put that out, don't put out a weaker version just to kill some time in the interim. Sloppy from all involved.
For true fans but to be skipped if like me you're a casual fan only.
June 21, 2017
I'm burning CDs all afternoon and suddenly like, "You know, I should read all the Onomotapoeia stories by Kevin Smith." Right? Of course.
So I read Sounds of Violence and now this one, which was probably a 1.5 and SoV was a 2.5 so screw it, they both get twos. You know it's a Kevin Smith comic because the characters talk a lot about each others' dicks, and because Onomotapoeia is in it -- a Smith villain who sounds (haha) a lot cooler than he is in practice.
Cacophony is two issues of a Joker/Maxie Zeus feud, then Onomotapoeia comes in for some deux ex machina (exactly as he did in SoV), and then there's an issue's worth of dialogue where Kevin Smith does his best Alan Moore impression (fair, since Walt Flanagan does three issues of his best Brian Bolland impression) and tries to have a Serious Chat about the nature of Batman and Joker's relationship.
The conversation is BLARGH and obvious and lazy and tonally the characters are handled so wrongly that it's borderline non-canon, and honestly just let The Killing Joke do what it does and you do you, which is making passive homophobic dick jokes while you play in the DC sandbox. I mean, bro. Bro.
So I read Sounds of Violence and now this one, which was probably a 1.5 and SoV was a 2.5 so screw it, they both get twos. You know it's a Kevin Smith comic because the characters talk a lot about each others' dicks, and because Onomotapoeia is in it -- a Smith villain who sounds (haha) a lot cooler than he is in practice.
Cacophony is two issues of a Joker/Maxie Zeus feud, then Onomotapoeia comes in for some deux ex machina (exactly as he did in SoV), and then there's an issue's worth of dialogue where Kevin Smith does his best Alan Moore impression (fair, since Walt Flanagan does three issues of his best Brian Bolland impression) and tries to have a Serious Chat about the nature of Batman and Joker's relationship.
The conversation is BLARGH and obvious and lazy and tonally the characters are handled so wrongly that it's borderline non-canon, and honestly just let The Killing Joke do what it does and you do you, which is making passive homophobic dick jokes while you play in the DC sandbox. I mean, bro. Bro.
June 4, 2009
I'm a huge Kevin Smith fan. When I heard not only did he dabble in comic books, but he's written for some of my fav DC heroes, I knew I'd love it. I was not disappointed. He really gets the dynamic between the Batman & Joker. Even when given already established characters & setting & everything, the occasional pop-culture reference & "not-so-kid-friendly" joke assures you it's Smith behind the wheel of this one.
I'd also like to congratulate him on creating a very original villain. While he didn't premiere in this one, Onomatopoeia (Hey, I spelled that right on my first try!) is an original & cool character with a gimmick that can only work for comics (that of only speaking in the sound effects that occur in the comic as they're happening. BAM! "bam" for example) He's created a villain that couldn't translate well outside of comic books at all, which is actually pretty impressive...Who am I kidding? If he becomes popular enough, TV or movie people will think of something.
I'd also like to congratulate him on creating a very original villain. While he didn't premiere in this one, Onomatopoeia (Hey, I spelled that right on my first try!) is an original & cool character with a gimmick that can only work for comics (that of only speaking in the sound effects that occur in the comic as they're happening. BAM! "bam" for example) He's created a villain that couldn't translate well outside of comic books at all, which is actually pretty impressive...Who am I kidding? If he becomes popular enough, TV or movie people will think of something.
October 7, 2012
This arc left me wanting for more (even though I've set my eyes on a longer, 12 part arc by Kevin Smith, The Widening Gyre ). I expected a full-on, climactic gang war between Joker and Maxie Zeus, but they kept it short and sweet with this one. Art is great, not jaw opening, but simply great. I liked the choice of villains - Onomatopoeia really shined through, Zsasz was as psychotic as ever, and it was interesting to see Zeus, a villain I never heard of before (and came across as a BIT boring).
However, the highlight was the good old Joker vs. Batman feud. Not to spoil anything, but Joker gets a few pages of sanity in this one. Pure gold.
In conclusion, just three issues of all killer and no filler. Definitely check it out if you're a fan or you need something to start with.
However, the highlight was the good old Joker vs. Batman feud. Not to spoil anything, but Joker gets a few pages of sanity in this one. Pure gold.
In conclusion, just three issues of all killer and no filler. Definitely check it out if you're a fan or you need something to start with.
December 15, 2009
A bitter, bitter disappointment.
Smith writes a good Joker, but the character of Batman is lost (and drawn quite badly). The character of Onomatopoeia, so good in other books and deserving more use in the DC Universe is ruined with a ridiculous backstory.
Avoid, read the killing joke again instead.
Smith writes a good Joker, but the character of Batman is lost (and drawn quite badly). The character of Onomatopoeia, so good in other books and deserving more use in the DC Universe is ruined with a ridiculous backstory.
Avoid, read the killing joke again instead.
June 23, 2015
This was surprisingly weak effort from K.S. I was expecting so much more and it was just kind of lame. Plus honestly not loving the art.
September 10, 2016
Read this one because I wanted to know more about Onomatopoeia. One. Creepy. Dude.
Loved that the story delved more into the Batman-Joker dynamic.
Overall an average story.
Loved that the story delved more into the Batman-Joker dynamic.
Overall an average story.
February 13, 2019
Although I'm not really a fan of superhero comics, I wanted to read Batman Cacophony to vary my reading from the more horror-oriented graphic novels I'd read earlier this year. However, since this is a graphic novel involving encounters between Batman, The Joker and three other villains, it could be described as horror since Batman's foes are all serial killers in one way or another.
I found the plot to be rather basic but thought the artwork was reasonably good – and while Batman fans will be almost sure to read it, people new to The Caped Crusader in graphic form might not find it the best introduction to him. Smith admits in his introduction (pp. 5-6) that it was not the best Batman story he could write or that Walt Flanagan could draw but it served as a 'dress rehearsal' for their 'best' story – Batman: The Widening Gyre – which he and Flanagan were working on at the time he wrote his introduction for Batman Cacophony.
What I do like about this book, though, is the author's introduction and, especially, the inclusion of the original script for the third and final part of the comic series that has been collected together to make this graphic novel. Anybody interested in writing fiction and, in particular, writing the text for a comic/graphic novel should find these features of interest. The introduction explains the gestation of the book and why Kevin Smith chose Flanagan to draw the comic's panels, while the script is prefaced with the comment that some of the dialogue had to be edited. Smith invites readers to compare the script with the dialogue and one can see that in some areas, dialogue was shortened but in a few others it was completely rewritten.
Although the covers for each of the three issues of the original comic (drawn by Adam Kubert) appear at the beginning of each part (the first one is used as the book's cover), the book also contains variant covers for each issue as well as an unused cover – all by Bill Sienkiewicz – and some sketches by the book's illustrator, Walt Flanagan. Given that Kevin Smith is better known as a film-maker and actor (e.g. as Silent Bob), the inclusion of the script, the variant covers and the sketches gives this book the feel of a DVD with extra content! (Of course, this is nothing new – e.g., I have previously commented about the extra material given in the graphic novel, Odd Is on Our Side.)
I always appreciate seeing cultural and socio-economic references in books (for example, I was intrigued by the reference to Tijuana bibles in Alan Moore's Watchmen, which I'd never heard of before) and there are a few such references in Batman Cacophony. First published in 2009, the book opens with a nod to the current global economic situation by referring to the 'the recent national economic crash', which encouraged the board of Arkham Asylum to 'discontinue' security guards at the asylum's front gates and then pocket the savings made in the form of year-end bonuses for the board's members. This is very topical considering how often we hear, these days, about bankers and other businessmen receiving enormous bonuses at a time when many people are losing their jobs, businesses are going bust and banks and other financial institutions are being bailed out of bankruptcy with taxpayers' money! Other cultural references (which seem a little gratuitous) include Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead (pp. 11-13, 90-1), which The Joker struggles to read, and the movie, Lethal Weapon (p. 80) – referred to by The Joker in a supposedly humorous way – while mention is also made of other superheros from the Justice league of America to Wonder Woman (pp. 54-5).
In general, I found the characters in the book to be shallow or under-developed. However, I think the book's secondary villain, Onomatopeia, is interesting because he mimics sounds (e.g. gunshots) rather than converse intelligibly, yet he is clearly intelligent, hinting (perhaps) at a possibly autistic personality. Regrettably, we never find out what makes Onomatopeia click, which I found to be disappointing. Perhaps Smith will return to this character in a later book.
Overall, the most developed and interesting character in Smith's book is The Joker but I was taken a little aback at the repeated suggestions that The Joker is gay! Maybe this theme has been dealt with before in other Batman stories or it is Smith's innovation – a Batman fan, however, would be better placed than I to clarify this. Early in the narrative (p. 22), The Joker states that he 'bottom[s] from the top' and then drops his pants for another man whose response is to depart silently, leaving the Joker to comment disappointedly, 'seduced and abandoned'. Later on, he tells Batman that he saw 'a little bit of [Batman's] junk when [he was] getting changed' (p. 97), earlier calling him an emo-boy (p. 53) – hints of a sexual infatuation with Batman? Elsewhere, he refers to Onomatopoeia as 'circle jerk', thereby making a pun about the latter's mask by alluding to a homerotic game. While some of The Joker's behaviour and humour can be called homoerotic, his apparent homosexuality seems incidental or unremarkable in this tale, leaving one to wonder why this theme came up at all, but perhaps it was the author's intention to develop the theme further. When Smith explains, in the introduction to the script for Part Three, that
'page five was so offensive... (over-the-top Joker dialogue) that we opted to remove it entirely from the printed issue. You'll notice its absence from the script that follows, as well: that's how off-color that bit was. Best we never speak of it again.'
Intriguing.... One can only assume this page to have been 'offensive' in some sexual way – bearing in mind that this was originally a comic (now a graphic novel) that could be read by minors – and so may have related to The Joker's sexual orientation or behaviour. But the under-developed nature of this theme is another disappointment and contrasts with its centrality and topicality in Greg Rucka's Batwoman: Elegy.
In conclusion, Smith had some interesting ideas to work with and Flanagan's artwork is good, but had the story been at least double the length (i.e. six comics instead of three), more attention could've been paid to deeper characterisation, and themes like The Joker's homosexuality could've been explored more effectively.
Review posted 19 April 2011. Spelling error corrected 13 February 2019.
I found the plot to be rather basic but thought the artwork was reasonably good – and while Batman fans will be almost sure to read it, people new to The Caped Crusader in graphic form might not find it the best introduction to him. Smith admits in his introduction (pp. 5-6) that it was not the best Batman story he could write or that Walt Flanagan could draw but it served as a 'dress rehearsal' for their 'best' story – Batman: The Widening Gyre – which he and Flanagan were working on at the time he wrote his introduction for Batman Cacophony.
What I do like about this book, though, is the author's introduction and, especially, the inclusion of the original script for the third and final part of the comic series that has been collected together to make this graphic novel. Anybody interested in writing fiction and, in particular, writing the text for a comic/graphic novel should find these features of interest. The introduction explains the gestation of the book and why Kevin Smith chose Flanagan to draw the comic's panels, while the script is prefaced with the comment that some of the dialogue had to be edited. Smith invites readers to compare the script with the dialogue and one can see that in some areas, dialogue was shortened but in a few others it was completely rewritten.
Although the covers for each of the three issues of the original comic (drawn by Adam Kubert) appear at the beginning of each part (the first one is used as the book's cover), the book also contains variant covers for each issue as well as an unused cover – all by Bill Sienkiewicz – and some sketches by the book's illustrator, Walt Flanagan. Given that Kevin Smith is better known as a film-maker and actor (e.g. as Silent Bob), the inclusion of the script, the variant covers and the sketches gives this book the feel of a DVD with extra content! (Of course, this is nothing new – e.g., I have previously commented about the extra material given in the graphic novel, Odd Is on Our Side.)
I always appreciate seeing cultural and socio-economic references in books (for example, I was intrigued by the reference to Tijuana bibles in Alan Moore's Watchmen, which I'd never heard of before) and there are a few such references in Batman Cacophony. First published in 2009, the book opens with a nod to the current global economic situation by referring to the 'the recent national economic crash', which encouraged the board of Arkham Asylum to 'discontinue' security guards at the asylum's front gates and then pocket the savings made in the form of year-end bonuses for the board's members. This is very topical considering how often we hear, these days, about bankers and other businessmen receiving enormous bonuses at a time when many people are losing their jobs, businesses are going bust and banks and other financial institutions are being bailed out of bankruptcy with taxpayers' money! Other cultural references (which seem a little gratuitous) include Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead (pp. 11-13, 90-1), which The Joker struggles to read, and the movie, Lethal Weapon (p. 80) – referred to by The Joker in a supposedly humorous way – while mention is also made of other superheros from the Justice league of America to Wonder Woman (pp. 54-5).
In general, I found the characters in the book to be shallow or under-developed. However, I think the book's secondary villain, Onomatopeia, is interesting because he mimics sounds (e.g. gunshots) rather than converse intelligibly, yet he is clearly intelligent, hinting (perhaps) at a possibly autistic personality. Regrettably, we never find out what makes Onomatopeia click, which I found to be disappointing. Perhaps Smith will return to this character in a later book.
Overall, the most developed and interesting character in Smith's book is The Joker but I was taken a little aback at the repeated suggestions that The Joker is gay! Maybe this theme has been dealt with before in other Batman stories or it is Smith's innovation – a Batman fan, however, would be better placed than I to clarify this. Early in the narrative (p. 22), The Joker states that he 'bottom[s] from the top' and then drops his pants for another man whose response is to depart silently, leaving the Joker to comment disappointedly, 'seduced and abandoned'. Later on, he tells Batman that he saw 'a little bit of [Batman's] junk when [he was] getting changed' (p. 97), earlier calling him an emo-boy (p. 53) – hints of a sexual infatuation with Batman? Elsewhere, he refers to Onomatopoeia as 'circle jerk', thereby making a pun about the latter's mask by alluding to a homerotic game. While some of The Joker's behaviour and humour can be called homoerotic, his apparent homosexuality seems incidental or unremarkable in this tale, leaving one to wonder why this theme came up at all, but perhaps it was the author's intention to develop the theme further. When Smith explains, in the introduction to the script for Part Three, that
'page five was so offensive... (over-the-top Joker dialogue) that we opted to remove it entirely from the printed issue. You'll notice its absence from the script that follows, as well: that's how off-color that bit was. Best we never speak of it again.'
Intriguing.... One can only assume this page to have been 'offensive' in some sexual way – bearing in mind that this was originally a comic (now a graphic novel) that could be read by minors – and so may have related to The Joker's sexual orientation or behaviour. But the under-developed nature of this theme is another disappointment and contrasts with its centrality and topicality in Greg Rucka's Batwoman: Elegy.
In conclusion, Smith had some interesting ideas to work with and Flanagan's artwork is good, but had the story been at least double the length (i.e. six comics instead of three), more attention could've been paid to deeper characterisation, and themes like The Joker's homosexuality could've been explored more effectively.
Review posted 19 April 2011. Spelling error corrected 13 February 2019.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2019
I'm a part-time fan of Kevin Smith, although I've skipped his comic writing to date, and I've watched every goofy episode of Walt Flanagan in Comic Book Men. I like these guys. I picked up this water-damaged hardback and decided to give it a twirl. It's fun. They're fanboys living the dream, writing and illustrating their favourite character and making him say and do stuff they think is funny.
At one point Batman crashes through a skylight to interrupt Mr Zsasz in the process of self-mutilating his junk and says, "Baruch haba, scumbag." That's as fine a bris reference as I've seen in comic books. Thank you Kevin.
Not for everyone. Almost certainly for me.
At one point Batman crashes through a skylight to interrupt Mr Zsasz in the process of self-mutilating his junk and says, "Baruch haba, scumbag." That's as fine a bris reference as I've seen in comic books. Thank you Kevin.
Not for everyone. Almost certainly for me.
July 1, 2023
First time reading this in years (I bought my trade paperback from the Kevin Smith website when I was 16 and obsessed with his work, so about a decade ago). There's a compelling opening to a trilogy here. It's a bit shaky in places, some of the art work feels a little sloppy and some of the dialogue is overwritten, but the fun that Smith is having with the Bat-verse is palpable and infectious, and Onomatopea is one of the best new additions to the rogues gallery since Harley Quinn (and would work brilliantly in a Matt Reeves Batman film).
October 4, 2018
Yet another will-they-wont-they Joker and Batman comic. (My Batjokes education continues)
Admittably cringy dialogue aside, this comic sets up a conversation between Joker and Batman. Yes, a real, and good conversation about the nature of their relationship that is genuinely good, plus the lead up is cool. Not unique in idea but uniquely done well.
Admittably cringy dialogue aside, this comic sets up a conversation between Joker and Batman. Yes, a real, and good conversation about the nature of their relationship that is genuinely good, plus the lead up is cool. Not unique in idea but uniquely done well.
August 30, 2017
A very dark and enjoyable book with great humour dotted throughout. First issue was a little rough but it got better as the story progressed.
January 28, 2021
I liked it a lot, but it is either too short or has too many threads. Three villains in three issues. I guess I don't know the background on this, did he intend to do more with this?
January 17, 2010
Deals with the Joker/Batman relationship more directly than any other arc I've seen. I don't know where this falls in terms of DC canon -- it does not read like an Elseworld, but Jim Gordon is commissioner...again? DC continuity makes me cry. I'll have to ask a friend who knows.
ANYWAY. It's interesting in that the Joker explicitly states he wants to have sexual relations with Batman's corpse. He also, upon being freed by Onomatopoeia, drops his pants and offers him his ass. So they've officially made the Joker queer. It's been subtext for decades, but it's never before been actual text that couldn't be semi-plausibly handwaved away.
At the end, there's another entirely intimate encounter between first Matches and then Batman and the Joker. Bruce was comfortable enough with him (chained to the hospital bed) to change from Matches into the Batsuit with only a flimsy curtain between them -- and that -- combined with his admission (yet again) that he couldn't bear to allow the Joker to die in front of him -- was surprisingly intimate. Also, the Joker says, something like, "I'm sorry for whatever happened to you that made you what you are," in a moment of genuine sympathy. And then he reminds us that he is actually a psychopath.
All of which works out to a nice character study of Batman and the Joker and their mutual obsession. I like seeing the parallels between them. I loved Batman knocking Joker's "I'm your greatest foe!" down to "number sixteen". They're comfortable together, familiar, even though they're both crazy in diametrically opposed ways.
I wonder how much Bruce loves that the Joker *knows* him? Despite the sheer squickiness of how their entire relationship is predicated on violence. Joker destroys someone's life to get a rise out of Batman, so Batman destroys Joker's plan, beats the crap out of him, and locks him away. Repeat ad nauseam. If they were married, it would be a marriage based on a domestic violence kink. Which, hello squickiness. /o\
Sometimes I wish Batman didn't have such an intimate relationship with his villains.
ANYWAY. It's interesting in that the Joker explicitly states he wants to have sexual relations with Batman's corpse. He also, upon being freed by Onomatopoeia, drops his pants and offers him his ass. So they've officially made the Joker queer. It's been subtext for decades, but it's never before been actual text that couldn't be semi-plausibly handwaved away.
At the end, there's another entirely intimate encounter between first Matches and then Batman and the Joker. Bruce was comfortable enough with him (chained to the hospital bed) to change from Matches into the Batsuit with only a flimsy curtain between them -- and that -- combined with his admission (yet again) that he couldn't bear to allow the Joker to die in front of him -- was surprisingly intimate. Also, the Joker says, something like, "I'm sorry for whatever happened to you that made you what you are," in a moment of genuine sympathy. And then he reminds us that he is actually a psychopath.
All of which works out to a nice character study of Batman and the Joker and their mutual obsession. I like seeing the parallels between them. I loved Batman knocking Joker's "I'm your greatest foe!" down to "number sixteen". They're comfortable together, familiar, even though they're both crazy in diametrically opposed ways.
I wonder how much Bruce loves that the Joker *knows* him? Despite the sheer squickiness of how their entire relationship is predicated on violence. Joker destroys someone's life to get a rise out of Batman, so Batman destroys Joker's plan, beats the crap out of him, and locks him away. Repeat ad nauseam. If they were married, it would be a marriage based on a domestic violence kink. Which, hello squickiness. /o\
Sometimes I wish Batman didn't have such an intimate relationship with his villains.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2011
Hay dos factores principales que hicieron que este libro no llegara a las cuatro estrellas:
1) El guion arranca con una premisa poderosísima: "Risas", una nueva droga hecha en base al veneno del Joker, está asolando Gotham con sus mortales consecuencias... Ya para mitad del segundo capítulo, este elemento no tiene nada de peso en la trama. No es que la historia en sí se vuelva mala, pero desvaría cuando podría haber explotado más todo este asunto socio-cultural. Los diálogos de Smith son brillantes del primero al último, con alguna oración rimbonbante de más, pero en ningún momento aburre ni se va por las ramas. Un digno trabajo de un genio de las palabras.
2) El dibujo. Por más que Smith insista en su intro que él se metió en el mundo del comic gracias a su amigo Walter Flanagan, el nivel del dibujante está muy pero muy por debajo de lo que hace cualquier fulano hoy en día, y si hay algo que agradecerle es sólo el haber metido a su amigo en el mundillo, prto no el haberse metido él. Expresiones, proporciones, dinámica, gracia, buen gusto: el tipo falla en todo. Esperemos que para la continuación de esta mini por lo menos dé menos lástima.
En fin, un comic cuyos méritos son 90% del guionista y cuyas fallas son 80% del dibujante, pero que se deja disfrutar si uno no exige demasiado.
1) El guion arranca con una premisa poderosísima: "Risas", una nueva droga hecha en base al veneno del Joker, está asolando Gotham con sus mortales consecuencias... Ya para mitad del segundo capítulo, este elemento no tiene nada de peso en la trama. No es que la historia en sí se vuelva mala, pero desvaría cuando podría haber explotado más todo este asunto socio-cultural. Los diálogos de Smith son brillantes del primero al último, con alguna oración rimbonbante de más, pero en ningún momento aburre ni se va por las ramas. Un digno trabajo de un genio de las palabras.
2) El dibujo. Por más que Smith insista en su intro que él se metió en el mundo del comic gracias a su amigo Walter Flanagan, el nivel del dibujante está muy pero muy por debajo de lo que hace cualquier fulano hoy en día, y si hay algo que agradecerle es sólo el haber metido a su amigo en el mundillo, prto no el haberse metido él. Expresiones, proporciones, dinámica, gracia, buen gusto: el tipo falla en todo. Esperemos que para la continuación de esta mini por lo menos dé menos lástima.
En fin, un comic cuyos méritos son 90% del guionista y cuyas fallas son 80% del dibujante, pero que se deja disfrutar si uno no exige demasiado.
June 29, 2015
Ok so I've read a lot of mixed reviews on this book... And here's my take. I thought all in all it was a good batman book. I liked how completely insane Joker was. I mean it's Kevin Smith... It's not gonna be a PG Version of the story. The art was.... Questionable. Had its good moments and bad moments. I love all the classic Kevin Smith dialogue though. The long conversations, I mean at the end of the day Batman is supposed to be the worlds greatest detective. And anyone who knows about that work knows you spend a lot of time talking. Story wise I thought was good as well. I liked the idea of using the Joker as bait and not making him the central villain but the fact that he was being played too. But one thing I can tell from this book is that both Smith and Flanagan LOVE the characters. They're telling the story they had. I can almost here the conversations they had in writing thing "oh wouldn't it be great this!?" So all in all I enjoyed it. I can understand why others don't but sometimes you just gotta be a little open minded about things.
October 3, 2013
So much fun :) It's definitely not Batman: The Killing Joke (one of my personal favorites), but there were some definite gems in this book! I disagree that the dialogue "sounds like Kevin Smith." No one said "whatnot," or "what have you," and there was a very clever reference to a merkin that I quite enjoyed, as well as some interesting drawings of the Joker with a beard (disturbing, yet captivating). I did feel that the more mysterious villain in the story was completely superfluous, because the real treat of the book was exploring Batman's relationship with life/death and the Joker in a new way.
I'm also very impressed with Walt Flanagan's art. If every superfan had a chance to create their own graphic novel (not a guarantee, but a CHANCE), I think we would be surprised by the depth, emotion, and creativity discovered.
I'm also very impressed with Walt Flanagan's art. If every superfan had a chance to create their own graphic novel (not a guarantee, but a CHANCE), I think we would be surprised by the depth, emotion, and creativity discovered.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews