Harley Quinn 004

new piece of the Harley Quinn series..:)
we can view this supervillain with her hammer..
Painted with brushes of ps-cs3, as usual.

Harley Quinn @ DC Comics.

Catwoman 0016

this is a new digital drawing of catwoman... :)
I did another version a few mounths ago..now
changed in some parts..

Catwoman © DC Comics

Catwoman and Joker

catwoman and joker..
Digital Paint. Done in ps-cs2, brush tool.

Catwoman, Joker @ DC Comics.

Graphic Novel Review: Joker

"Joker"

Written by Brian Azzarello

Art by Lee Bermejo

Colors by Patricia Mulvihill

Published by DC Comics

The team of Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo never ceases to amaze and entertain me with every work they've done.  Their insightful take on the mind of Superman's greatest foe Lex Luthor in Lex Luthor: Man of Steel was impressive, and I loved the fact that they avoided telling a boring origin story and instead,  attempted to "break-in" into the mind of the genius bald-headed villain by telling a story through  Luthor's perspective.

This one is no different. 

Joker is released from the bars of the dreaded Arkham Asylum after many years and though glad that he out of the penitentiary, the clown immediately realizes that the people he trusted took everything that he has thinking that he was dead for good. Frustrated, he goes on a mission to take back what is "his" and begins the journey of rebuilding his criminal empire together with his newest recruit - a man named as Jonny Frost - who also serves as the narrator of the novel.

The novel introduces some interesting re-interpretations of Batman's classic rogues gallery that I really liked, namely Two-Face, The Penguin, Harley Quinn, The Riddler and Killer Croc. Croc in particular, is depicted as a muscular, African-American guy who has a normal physique which is totally different from the half-human/half-crocodile monster that we see in today's comic books.

The Riddler is a tattooed and crippled weapon-arms dealer in Gotham, while Harley Quinn is a stripper in one of Joker's establishments and is suggested as to having a sexual relationship with the mad Clown. Azzarello clearly has put much thought into redefining these characters and made them as real and believable as possible - a necessary ingredient for the crime-noir elements that he incorporated in this novel.

But the real treat, arguably, lies in the fact that this novel's Joker was seemingly inspired by the late Heath Ledger's portrayal in the 2008 summer blockbuster The Dark Knight. 

The close resemblance of this Joker to the man is eerie, but at the same time, awesome enough to make you feel shivers down your spine.

Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in that film is the most humane of them (and the best) all in my opinion, and Azzarello and Lee's version is very much... well... just like that. The Joker in Azzarello's world is a really disturbing and kind of vulnerable, as he is an an alcoholic and one that heavily relies on drugs and pills to get a day by. 


He is also shown to be afraid of the Batman, as suggested by him when he said that he thinks he is following him all the time.  But despite the tweaks in his personality, he is still the same maniac, crazy psychopath clown that would do whatever it takes to see the world and everything around him crumble. 

I read somewhere that the novel was created way before The Dark Knight was released on the big screen and that Azzarello nor Bermejo had an idea on what he would look like or how he will be portrayed in the movie.


If that is indeed true, I would say that this was very impressive of them. They somehow made a "blueprint" for what would become a tool for one of the most memorable acting performances in cinematic history. 

Lee Bermejo's stunning and vividly detailed art is a winner as usual. Its truly dramatic, and Bermejo captures the chaotic and murky aspects of of Gotham so well, especially its dingy and foul-stenched alleys.


And combined with the beautifully toned-down an grimy colors of Patricia Mulvihill, the overall result is a dark, dirty world that makes a great background for all of the Joker's craziness. 

And though the title of this book is "Joker", that doesn't mean that you won't see "the goddamned" Batman. Its just a matter of time for the Caped Crusader to join the show, and Azzarello doesn't disappoint. He gives us the inevitable showdown between the two freaks, masterfully drawn  by Bermejo up until the last page. 

If there was one thing flaw that I have to point out, that would be the use of one of Joker's henchman as the narrator for the story. Jonny Frost doesn't really stand out as a character and Azzarello totally forgot about giving him his own "identity" in his novel.


Jonny doesn't do anything of importance to the plot and it would have been great if he was made to be more than just a dog who follows his master wherever he went. Plus his fate down in the tale is as predictable as it could possibly get. 

As a whole, "Joker" is an entertaining 128-page read that is gorgeously hideous in its own insane way. This graphic novel has the makings of a cult classic as time goes by, something that could possibly compare to (or even surpass) the other all-time-great Joker story - Alan Moore's The Killing Joke.

If that ever happens, I think Azzarello and Bermejo has Mr. Ledger to thank for. 

How To Make A Rubik's Cube Joker (Video)

Wow. Just wow. The guy is absolutely, 100%, money back guaranteed a genius for creating such an "intimidating" mosaic of comic book villain The Joker by putting together 333 pieces of Rubiks Cubes. 

David Alvarez (creator) is one hell of an artist. Period.

 

Full article from ComicsAlliance.

Shrugging It Off.

Hah, there's a lot of BS  and crap going on lately and I don't really feel good to be honest, but I have learned that you just have to move on and shrug it off. Whining is such a waste of time so instead of doing that, I just mind my own thing, take life as easy as I possibly can and enjoy it. 

Its wonderful that there are so many things you can do to make your life much more stress-free like blogging, reading some humorous stuff even if they don't make sense at all, writing, having a good laugh with your friends.,or even just listening to some good ol' music that you really love. So many positive things can come out of everything if we just take a step back, relax and think of other things to do instead of whining about how bad life is, how miserable you look, or what's gonna happen tomorrow.

Ah, how beautiful it is when we don't take life that too seriously!

Comic Book Review: Batman: The Killing Joke

All it takes is "one bad day".

The Joker escapes imprisonment and is planning to wreak havoc again.  Batman goes out after him, trying to figure out what he's going to do next, but he struggles. Then a series of flashbacks tells us about the Joker's possible origin, from his beginnings as a loving husband and father, to his transformation to a crazed, psychopathic mania who only lives to prove that life is all but a joke.

Arguably the greatest comic book writer of all time, Alan Moore delivers a story that is told from the Clown Prince's perspective, how he sees the world, life and Batman. He also showcases the symbiosis between DC's marquee characters which had never been done before.  Artist Brian Bolland is successful in bringing the panels and Moore's story into life, creating illustrations that takes insanity to a whole new level.

 

The book is hailed as one of the greatest Batman  and DC graphic novels of all time and it really is in my opinion. I got emotional and psychological satisfaction after reading it. The symbiosis between Bats and the Clown is something to dig in, and more importantly, seeing the world in a villain's eyes - or a psychopath rather - is nothing but perfect. We always get to see hero's saving the day, talk about justice and the right way to do things, but we have never seen an anti-hero take his turn and show us his side of the story, what he believes in, and what his ideals are.

Plus, a long running, central DC character gets mutilated here, and that particular event actually became part of the official continuity, which shocked readers all over the world. Talk about controversial.

Then finally there's the joke with Batman doing something that I have never seen before.  Trust me, you'll be surprised when you flip the last pages. Those were the most resounding and memorable comic book pages - especially the last one. Heh.

----------------------------

A little piece of factoid here: Heath Ledger said in an interview before that he was given a copy of this graphic novel as a preparation for his character as The Joker in 2008's summer blockbuster movie, The Dark Knight.

Interesting.

Maybe this whole Joker thing really "caught up" with him.

Comic Book Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum

 

Halloween is just out the door so I decided to read a lot of Batman novels. Well just two so far . I like how spooky his rogues gallery is and how dark his stories are, perfect for the said holiday.

Alright, we got Batman: Arkham Asylum (not the game, but the graphic novel the game was based upon), also known as Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth. (I like the latter.)  It is written by superstar writer Grant Morisson (All Star Superman) with the art done by Dave McKean. I don't know who McKean was until I read this book, never heard of him and I believe this is the first novel that I ever read with him as the artist.I   was surprised because frankly, this comic book is out of the ordinary. Nothing that I've ever read before.

From the cover obviously you would say that the book is dark. That goes for any Batman novel anyway so its not really surprising. But this is real different.

The Joker and the other inmates of Arkham Asylum (Gotham's notorious mental facility and penitentiary) have gone out of their cells and are rampant. Commissioner Jim Gordon informs Batman about the situation and The Dark Knight immediately gets a call from the clown himself, then tells Bats that the hospital staff will be killed unless he meets up with them inside the Asylum. (Joker thinks that the Caped Crusader is just a freak like them who deserves to be in the facility too, but just won't admit it to himself.) Anyway, our hero agrees, and goes through a game of hide-and-seek with the villains, only to find out that there is more in the Asylum than meets the eye.

(This rendition of the Clown Prince of Crime gave me some serious chills)

Morisson's writing challenges the reader to think about who and what Batman really is through a journey inside the big house, meeting several of the most recognizable villains in Batman lore, with Killer Croc being the most memorable. He also tells the story of Amadeus Arkham (the Asylum's founder and previous owner) through a series of flashbacks, which plays an important role in the plot.

Dave McKean's art is totally out of this world. I have never seen a book that as dreamy as this one. Its like the book is a big whirling puzzle that is confusing - constantly spinning around and you feel like you're trapped in a different dimension. He creates a puzzle that pulls you to the depths of the story's abyss.  Mind boggling, its horrific, its grimy and totally dark. I think there parts in his illustrations that we're confusing, - maybe because he used a lot of symbolisms - but that doesn't change the integrity of his illustrations. Bats and Joker we're given justice here too which was very nice to see.

 ("The Bat". no face this time, just shadows)

The Morisson-McKean tandem totally upped their game here and focused on bringing readers a unique comic book experience. I enjoyed all the confusion,  the action, the crazy art.. everything. No wonder why this is one of the greatest Batman novels of all time. 

Finally a question: Is Batman just as mad and insane just like the Joker? Or is he really a freak too just like his enemies but with a stronger sense of justice? That's something to ponder.

Who's the better Joker?

Two Jokers. Two different generations of madness and insanity.

I have watched Tim Burton's Batman and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and I enjoyed both movies to boot. I love both Jokers so comparing them is tough. Its like comparing apples to oranges. Both actors have given their character their own spin to it: Jack did  the usual Joker that we see in comics with a more lighter tone, more comical and clown-like (his laugh is unmistakable), but still dangerous and insane. Heath took the character in a different direction, giving it a more grungy edge, darker, and a more sinister  They both made the character their own by giving it their best, which makes them more harder to compare.Well, what do you expect from Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger anyway?

Two Jokers

(image courtesy of ew.com)

Personally, I cannot say who's the best because I like them both. But what do you guys think? Who portrayed our resident mad clown better for you? Who is your favorite Joker of all time? Feel free to drop your comments.

Jack Nicholson's Joker in Batman (1989)

Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight (2008)