Customer Reviews

Batman: Noel

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I can't really say more than what the others are written in so much detail, but this book is much better than I expected. I expected just an "Elseworlds"-type story set during Dickens' times, and more of a direct adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Instead, this is very much a Batman story, but narrated as if it were the classic story, as a parallel to Batman/Bruce Wayne's life.

The most interesting thing about this, to me, is just how TRUE the parallels are, and these are the same Batman/Bruce Wayne lore that we've all known for decades.

It's the kind of story that makes you ask, "How was this never explored before?!"

Lee Bermejo, who's artwork is AMAZING, is very proud of himself, I'm sure, for being the first to write such a tale.

I purchased this as a gift for someone who's birthday happens to also be on Christmas. The book is not very big, I think he finished it in about 2 days, and if someone had the time it could probably be finished in one sitting. But the artwork is beautiful, very dramatic, clean and detailed. He told me that he really liked the story as well, more than he thought he would upon first glance.
A very nice and relevant Christmas present for the Batman fan in your life.

I love Batman. I love Charles Dickens. And I love Lee Bermejo, who is responsible for the art and writing of Batman: Noël. But I really don't like Batman: Noël.

The simple reason is this. The writing fails. The plot, loosely contrived, tries to parallel Dickens' famous work A Christmas Carol. However, aside from referencing characters and scenes in the original work by Dickens, it fails to do much. See, there are these loosely connected scenes which can be comparable to A Christmas Carol if one stretches the meaning of words and context of scenes to within the most broad allowances of metaphors. However, overall, the work is a loose parallel to A Christmas Carol at best, and a bad conglomerate of disconnected and scarcely related scenes at best.

The art, however, is gorgeous. And this should be fully realized and credited. Earlier works that Bermejo worked on included Lex Luthor: Man of Steel and Joker, both masterpieces. They also have splendid artwork. This has all the skill in art. It lacks the quality in writing of the other pieces.

If you want a nice, campy, plotless work to turn off your brain and enjoy a quick read, this is the comic for you!!! If you want a graphic novel with some dark scenes examining poverty and beautiful art, this also is something you might like. But if you are a real fan of Dickens, or if you like well written Batman comics with solid plot or character portrayals or any sort of twist or mystery of hook, well, this lets you down hard. Two stars, and two and a half if you accommodate for the sentiment of its release coming JUST before Christmas sales.

First of all, the artwork is amazing. Same as "Joker" also by Lee Bermejo. The illustrations, the coloring, everything was killer. I enjoyed how they rethought the Scrooge and Cratchit thing. Great job guys!

After so many Batman books how can one man, the brilliant Lee Bermejo, rejuvenate the character for another book? Take the ultimate Christmas story ever written, Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and cast the Dark Knight as Scrooge, of course! Robin, Catwoman, Superman, and Joker all put in appearances in the role of the other characters in the Carol, showing how well that story fits the DC Universe like a glove.

The story focuses on how Batman has changed over the years, from the fun loving and sometimes goofy Batman of the `60s Batman TV show, to the barmy Batman in the Schumacher films, to the now much more violent and darker incarnation he is these days thanks largely to the films of Tim Burton and Chris Nolan. Bermejo does justice to this version but is nostalgic for the kinder Batman of yore and steers his Batman in this direction, which fits in well with the Christmas Carol story.

Story aside, and it's great fun, the reason above all others why any Batman fan MUST buy this book is the art. Bermejo is an artist first, writer second, and his artwork here is the best work he's ever done. His Gotham is perfect, steeped in snow, dark and atmospheric, each building fitting in exactly with what I think of when I think of that city. Remember his artwork for "Joker" by Brian Azzarello a few years ago? I thought that was the best depiction of Joker I'd ever seen, and given free reign to draw Batman, Catwoman and Superman, I'd say Bermejo's versions are among the best drawings of these characters I've ever seen as well.

"Batman: Noel" is the perfect story to read on Christmas Eve, especially if you're a Batfan like me, and not just because the story mirrors the most famous Christmas story of all, but because the artwork makes it darkly festive and memorable in the best possible way. I now have a new favourite Batman artist.

OK, you want me to tell you a story?

Batman: Noel is quite a graphic novel. It takes a tip from Charles Dickens and creates its own version of "A Christmas Carol," minus the ghosts. It is a commentary on the Dark Knight, a vigilante who tends to cross the line that others would fear to cross (Gordon said that).

It's a narrative piece, where someone (we find out who at the end) is telling his kid a story, about Scrooge (Batman) and how he meets three people who make him take a look at his life and make some changes. As the novel says, some people need a wake-up call like getting hit with a baseball bat before they change!

The hint of Christmas is muted in favor of a story of a guy (Bob) who is running some money for the Joker. The Batman jumps on Bob in his search for the Clown of Crime. The Bats has a run-in with Catwoman (who is nicely drawn) and Superman. The final confrontation with the Joker is meaningful and exciting in its storyline and art.

Lee Bermejo draws some great panels. His use of shadow and light and conveying mood and mystery is really exciting. If I could nitpick, it's in the way he throws sweat and spit around. It's a good device to use, but it's over and over again to a point where the "spit" loses interest for me!

Lee also wrote the story and the man really has a talent for the written word. Minimal, yet keeps it informal and interesting.

Bottom Line: This is NOT an adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It's a deep, dark and sometimes frightening look at a man who has crossed the line and has lost all hope in his quest to beat down the criminal element and "reduce the criminal surplus population!" It's a story that a man can change with some conviction and some tough love! Highly recommended.

This artwork is really a piece of amazingness! It is an original idea to mix Batman with Dickens and the way how Bermejo found the paralleles between them is smart and also heart-warming. He didn't make the mistake to loose the feeling that it is a story about the Dark Knight but in the same time he added new spices what makes it more than just a story about the Dark Knight. Every Batman and comic lover should read this because this is an unusual but pleasent way to feel yourself Christmassy!