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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Dickens of a Good Batman Story, November 8, 2011
This review is from: Batman: Noel (Hardcover)
Crossing the Dark Knight with Charles Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol may seem like a highly dubious premise for a graphic novel but writer/artist Lee Bermejo pulls it off remarkably well. Yes, it's a little bit more whimsical than your typical Caped Crusader tale. But it is highly entertaining and Bemejo's version of Batman is much more in keeping with the character than you would think. ***Minor Spoilers*** The plot of Batman: Noel revolves around Batman's attempts to use a common criminal, Bob, and his son to catch the Joker. Bob is an employee of Bruce Wayne who has reluctantly agreed to do a side job for the Joker on his day off. A very dark Batman is willing to put the lives of Bob and his son at risk to catch the Joker. In the story, Batman/Bruce Wayne's role is roughly parallel to that of Ebenezer Scrooge in the classic Dickens story. Superman, Catwoman and the Joker play rolls akin to the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Each of them reminds Batman of a different aspect of himself, forcing him to reflect on how he has become the person that he is. We also see some of how Batman the character has evolved from the more campy superhero of the 1960s to the grimmer one that dominates most Batman tales of today. At the same time, the story is really a very loose adaptation of Dickens's story, modified to capture the unique elements of Batman's world. ***End Spoilers*** One great thing about this story is that anyone with even the most basic knowledge of Batman lore can pick it up and enjoy. It really works beautifully as a stand alone story and readers will be able to understand all aspects of it even if they have not been following developments with the Caped Crusader in the regularly published Batman comic books. It will also appeal to Batman fans of all ages. It is gritty and realistic enough to win over adult Batman fans but is not so dark that it cannot be given to children. The pacing of the story is fantastic. It builds suspense while introducing each of the three "ghosts" at precisely the right moment. The artwork in this story is also magnificent. It is not quite as dark and shadowy looking as some of Bermejo's previous works. But the renderings of Batman, Superman and the Joker are all done in a crisp, bold and realistic style that makes every page a thrill to look at. Todd Klein's lettering adds significantly to the artistry of the book. He often writes his narration on top of the art without any bubbles or blocks giving the entire graphic novel the feel of a story book. This kind of attention to detail helps to give this Batman story its own distinctive flavor. Ultimately, Batman: Noel is likely to be one of the best graphic novels released during this holiday season. It's innovative story and dazzling artwork may yet be enough to turn this seemingly odd idea into a classic Batman story.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good will toward men... and women, December 22, 2011
This review is from: Batman: Noel (Hardcover)
A Christmas Carol with Batman as Scrooge seems like such an inspired idea that it's a wonder no one has written this book before. I knew Lee Bermejo's work from Joker, so my expectations were very high. And when it comes to the art, Bermejo does not disappoint. This book is gorgeous. The attention to detail and the way he lays out a page is striking. Every time I open this book I am again taken aback by how good it looks. The characters feel so real they're almost tangible. The ghosts of Christmas Past and Christmas Yet to Come are especially good. Visually, this is one of the best Batman books I've seen in years. It's the writing that's not quite up to the same level. This is Bermejo's first time as a writer for a comic, and he does a fine job. The story stays very true to Dickens's version. There are no real twists and turns here; it hits all the major beats of the sources material. But with source material as good as Dickens's classic, that's not really a bad thing. A Batman Christmas Carol is what the book promises on the cover, and that is what it delivers. But there've been so many versions of A Christmas Carol over the years, that I just kept finding myself wanting a little more. The story is good and enjoyable, but it doesn't really say or explore anything new about the Dark Knight. Overall, I enjoyed Batman Noel and am proud to have it sitting on my shelf. The story is a fun holiday read, but it's Bermejo's artwork that is the real selling point here. It's almost worth picking up this book just to look at the pictures. If you're looking for a fun, but not entirely innovative, Batman holiday story, you won't be disappointed.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Spectacular - A Great Rendition of Batman and Dickins, November 10, 2011
This review is from: Batman: Noel (Hardcover)
Batman Noel is a spectacular graphic novel. First, the art is amazing. It is dynamic and really contrasts between lights and shadows. I've seen some different Batman art forms and this is one of my favorites. Not only that, but the other characters in the novel (I won't give any away) are drawn and colored to really show off their personalities, which greatly enhances their role in the novel. They go from static, side characters to containing a sense of depth that can only come from great art. ***Minor Spoiler*** As Batman is displayed at different times in his life, the art even goes the extra mile to show his personality and disposition which adds a lot to the story. Speaking of the story, I am hard pressed to not say that the story in Batman Noel is one of the better graphic novels I have read in a long time (which makes me feel a little bit like a traitor because I am a huge fan of Superman and I even enjoyed Batman Noel a little more than the recent novels I have read with Superman). I won't give any details away about the plot or overall story line, but the creativity that went into showing Batman and Charles Dickins side by side blew my mind. It seems kind of silly to put Batman and A Christmas Carol together but somehow this just works in Batman Noel and makes for an excellent read. You don't even need to know a lot about Batman to be able to pick up the novel and read it, so those unfamiliar or new to Batman should not be discouraged. I strongly suggest that anyone interested in Batman picks up this amazing novel and gives it a try. I seriously doubt you will be disappointed.
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