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Batman (2011)
The Joker: Endgame
The joke is over. Batman's greatest enemy-his deadliest threat-is done toying with Gotham City. Now he means to end the game and destroy them for good.
The Joker's bloody-minded madness is exceeded only by his twisted genius. He is the Clown Prince, the Pale Man, and his crimes turn the world into one big sick joke. For him, evil is eternal. And when he unleashes his masterstroke, no one-not Batman, not the Justice League, not all of Gotham's guardians-will be able to make the laughter stop.
As the Joker plays his endgame with the Batman, citizens, villains and heroes alike must survive his deadly antics and come to terms with who the Joker is and what he means to them.
Collects: Batman #35-40, Arkham Manor: Endgame #1, Batgirl: Endgame #1, Batman Annual #3, Detective Comics: Endgame #1 and Gotham Academy: Endgame #1.
The Joker's bloody-minded madness is exceeded only by his twisted genius. He is the Clown Prince, the Pale Man, and his crimes turn the world into one big sick joke. For him, evil is eternal. And when he unleashes his masterstroke, no one-not Batman, not the Justice League, not all of Gotham's guardians-will be able to make the laughter stop.
As the Joker plays his endgame with the Batman, citizens, villains and heroes alike must survive his deadly antics and come to terms with who the Joker is and what he means to them.
Collects: Batman #35-40, Arkham Manor: Endgame #1, Batgirl: Endgame #1, Batman Annual #3, Detective Comics: Endgame #1 and Gotham Academy: Endgame #1.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2015
65 people are currently reading
1645 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,788 books5,190 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
March 5, 2023
(B+) 79% | Good
Notes: Just Batman Volume 7, re-baked with extra leaven, though to be fair, two gems in there, but on the whole it's lessened.
Notes: Just Batman Volume 7, re-baked with extra leaven, though to be fair, two gems in there, but on the whole it's lessened.
October 5, 2015
Thanks, DC!
So nice of you to reprint Batman: Endgame, plus in a few tie-in issues, and sell it as a completely different book.
Way to be classy!
The tie-in stories aren't bad, but they're mostly about random characters...and then Batgirl.
Considering how much I disliked the New Batgirl, I was shocked that it was my favorite out of the bunch. It was told without dialogue, which worked really well for me, because I absolutely LOVE the art from that title.
The rest of the tie-ins deal with what's going on for different characters during the Endgame crisis. There's one nutty set of stories that are all connected, dealing with a doctor at Arkham and some of her loony patients. The Big Reveal at the end of that one left me cold, because I already knew who Eric Border was, and (bonus!) I don't tend to like tales told through the eyes of arbitrary characters.
I was actually hoping for the Joker's point of view, because...well, the title says something to that effect. Sadly, no.
I've got a better title - The Joke's on You: We Got Yer Money!
If you haven't read Endgame, maybe this would be the way to go? Especially if you're interesting in purchasing. However, if you have read it (or own it), then this probably isn't going to impress you all that much. Of course, lots of people loved this arc, so...
For me, this was a struggle to get through. I was so annoyed that they expected me to re-read the same shit over again that it took me forever to finish it. And, yes, I read the entire thing.
I kept hoping reading Snyder's Endgame for a second time might help me see it with fresh eyes (or some other nonsense), and maybe I'd find something I missed that would make me enjoy it a bit more.
NOPE. Still thought it was a turd.
I received a digital copy from NetGalley and the publisher.
Get this review and more at:
So nice of you to reprint Batman: Endgame, plus in a few tie-in issues, and sell it as a completely different book.
Way to be classy!
The tie-in stories aren't bad, but they're mostly about random characters...and then Batgirl.
Considering how much I disliked the New Batgirl, I was shocked that it was my favorite out of the bunch. It was told without dialogue, which worked really well for me, because I absolutely LOVE the art from that title.
The rest of the tie-ins deal with what's going on for different characters during the Endgame crisis. There's one nutty set of stories that are all connected, dealing with a doctor at Arkham and some of her loony patients. The Big Reveal at the end of that one left me cold, because I already knew who Eric Border was, and (bonus!) I don't tend to like tales told through the eyes of arbitrary characters.
I was actually hoping for the Joker's point of view, because...well, the title says something to that effect. Sadly, no.
I've got a better title - The Joke's on You: We Got Yer Money!
If you haven't read Endgame, maybe this would be the way to go? Especially if you're interesting in purchasing. However, if you have read it (or own it), then this probably isn't going to impress you all that much. Of course, lots of people loved this arc, so...
For me, this was a struggle to get through. I was so annoyed that they expected me to re-read the same shit over again that it took me forever to finish it. And, yes, I read the entire thing.
I kept hoping reading Snyder's Endgame for a second time might help me see it with fresh eyes (or some other nonsense), and maybe I'd find something I missed that would make me enjoy it a bit more.
NOPE. Still thought it was a turd.
I received a digital copy from NetGalley and the publisher.
Get this review and more at:
December 20, 2016
The last joke is on us!
This TPB edition collects the main storyline of “Endgame” (focused in The Joker) in the title of “Batman” featured in #35-40 + Annual #3, along with the tie-ins “Arkham Manor: Endgame” #1, “Batgirl: Endgame” #1, “Detective Comics: Endgame” #1 and “Gotham Academy: Endgame” #1.
Creative Team:
Writers: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Frank Tieri, Brian Buccellato, Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, Clio Chiang, Joy Ang, Vera Brosgol, Cameron Stewart.
Illustrators: Greg Capullo, Roge Antonio, Kelley Jones, Graham Nolan, Felix Ruiz, Roberto Viacava, Walden Wong, Christian Duce, John McCrea, Ronan Cliquet, Sam Kieth, Jeff Stokely, Clio Chiang, Joy Ang, Vera Brosgol, Bengal, Dustin Nguyen.
WASTED PUNCHLINE
The last appearance of The Joker, that was in the Death of the Family storyline, he pretends that he knows who Batman was, ending that it was a mind game of him, and without dying anybody, wasted effort, and now, it results that The Joker now he know who Batman is…
…can’t Scott Snyder makes up his mind?
Because, now the storyline presents “the threat” that The Joker is a paranormal inmortal boogieman who wanders Gotham City since its beginning, and besides that unnecesary of an angle like that one for such great character like The Joker, well, if you read Death of the Family can’t have a pretty good idea of how wasted this proposition will become at the end.
The charm of both characters, The Joker and The Batman is that both are human beings, obviously exceptional human beings, but at the end, human beings without any metahuman angle or paranormal background, so messing with that stuff isn't necessary and even negative to the lore of both characters.
NO BLOOD, NO BALLS
Oh, the storyline has blood, lots of it, and certainly some minor characters (pretty much created for this storyline) die, BUT while various main characters got serious wounds (and I mean SERIOUS bloody cuts!) nobody relevant will die, not even got a dang scar (not matter how absurdly serious cuts they got), they will be good to go once the story would be over, so…
…as I mentioned in Death of the Family review…
…if you don’t the balls to write what’s necessary, then go and write another title since in Batman and specially when it’s about The Joker, you need balls to shock the audience.
SO MUCH FOR MASTERPLAN
This is supposed to be the Joker’s endgame, his last bloody joke on Gotham City and the Bat-Family, but come on! Jokerized gas? Really? That’s the best endgame they could think of?!?
Of course, you have the Justice League vs Batman first act, because it seems that they can’t do a Batman event without putting him to beat Superman and/or the rest of the Justice League.
Then, you have the Bat-Family throwing punches to a massive Jokerized citizens in all Gotham City, meanwhile Batman doesn’t know what to do, because it seems that the man who has plans, protocols and preventions against all possible scenarios, he never thought of the Joker releasing Jokerized gas in the whole city…
…really? Never came to his mind that scenario?
And he’s supposed to be Batman, right?
Honestly, I can’t understand how a writer can have the chance to use twice The Joker in the same run, and both times, missed the shot to do something memorable, something leaving scars, something putting somebody in a grave.
This TPB edition collects the main storyline of “Endgame” (focused in The Joker) in the title of “Batman” featured in #35-40 + Annual #3, along with the tie-ins “Arkham Manor: Endgame” #1, “Batgirl: Endgame” #1, “Detective Comics: Endgame” #1 and “Gotham Academy: Endgame” #1.
Creative Team:
Writers: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Frank Tieri, Brian Buccellato, Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, Clio Chiang, Joy Ang, Vera Brosgol, Cameron Stewart.
Illustrators: Greg Capullo, Roge Antonio, Kelley Jones, Graham Nolan, Felix Ruiz, Roberto Viacava, Walden Wong, Christian Duce, John McCrea, Ronan Cliquet, Sam Kieth, Jeff Stokely, Clio Chiang, Joy Ang, Vera Brosgol, Bengal, Dustin Nguyen.
WASTED PUNCHLINE
The last appearance of The Joker, that was in the Death of the Family storyline, he pretends that he knows who Batman was, ending that it was a mind game of him, and without dying anybody, wasted effort, and now, it results that The Joker now he know who Batman is…
…can’t Scott Snyder makes up his mind?
Because, now the storyline presents “the threat” that The Joker is a paranormal inmortal boogieman who wanders Gotham City since its beginning, and besides that unnecesary of an angle like that one for such great character like The Joker, well, if you read Death of the Family can’t have a pretty good idea of how wasted this proposition will become at the end.
The charm of both characters, The Joker and The Batman is that both are human beings, obviously exceptional human beings, but at the end, human beings without any metahuman angle or paranormal background, so messing with that stuff isn't necessary and even negative to the lore of both characters.
NO BLOOD, NO BALLS
Oh, the storyline has blood, lots of it, and certainly some minor characters (pretty much created for this storyline) die, BUT while various main characters got serious wounds (and I mean SERIOUS bloody cuts!) nobody relevant will die, not even got a dang scar (not matter how absurdly serious cuts they got), they will be good to go once the story would be over, so…
…as I mentioned in Death of the Family review…
…if you don’t the balls to write what’s necessary, then go and write another title since in Batman and specially when it’s about The Joker, you need balls to shock the audience.
SO MUCH FOR MASTERPLAN
This is supposed to be the Joker’s endgame, his last bloody joke on Gotham City and the Bat-Family, but come on! Jokerized gas? Really? That’s the best endgame they could think of?!?
Of course, you have the Justice League vs Batman first act, because it seems that they can’t do a Batman event without putting him to beat Superman and/or the rest of the Justice League.
Then, you have the Bat-Family throwing punches to a massive Jokerized citizens in all Gotham City, meanwhile Batman doesn’t know what to do, because it seems that the man who has plans, protocols and preventions against all possible scenarios, he never thought of the Joker releasing Jokerized gas in the whole city…
…really? Never came to his mind that scenario?
And he’s supposed to be Batman, right?
Honestly, I can’t understand how a writer can have the chance to use twice The Joker in the same run, and both times, missed the shot to do something memorable, something leaving scars, something putting somebody in a grave.
September 29, 2015
Have you already read Batman, Volume 7: Endgame? If yes, then you’ve already read about half of this book! That’s right, DC have republished the entire Endgame story arc in this book, that’s Batman #35-40 - pretty audacious! I’m not going to re-review it so if you want to know what I thought about those issues, click the link here and it’ll take you to the Batman, Vol. 7 review.
So what’s new in this book? The backups from those single issues are collected here. Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by some big name artistic talent who’ve drawn Batman before - Kelley Jones, Graham Nolan, John McCrea, Sam Kieth, and Dustin Nguyen - it follows a psychologist who’s kidnapped by some Arkham patients who are all obsessed with the Joker. Each patient recounts how they came to know the Joker in a dark Canterbury Tales-pastiche, underlining the uncertain-origins theme of Endgame. I didn’t care for these sections which were generally boring and that whole “who is the Joker really?” angle from the main story bugged me already.
There are also five single issue Endgame tie-ins included in this book: Batman Annual #3, Arkham Manor: Endgame #1, Batgirl: Endgame #1, Detective Comics: Endgame #1, and Gotham Academy: Endgame #1.
Batman Annual #3 - also written by Tynion and drawn by Roge Antonio - was my favourite of the bunch. A journalist called Tommy joins the Gotham Gazette and writes patronising articles about the Joker - until the Joker notices and decides to be Tommy’s bestie. Remember what happened when Joker decided he wanted to be Batman’s pal? Death of the Family. So Tommy’s in for a world of pain!
Tynion brings the horror of the Joker to vivid life in this issue. Tommy initially mocks the idea of the Joker - he’s just a clown! etc. - and then we see what that “clown” (he’s actually a jester, there’s a difference) can do. It’s a disturbing, dark and kinda brilliant issue - my favourite thing Tynion’s done for DC yet.
Arkham Manor: Endgame #1, written by Frank Tieri and illustrated by Felix Ruiz and Roberto Viacava, was pretty forgettable. Joker spearheads a breakout in Arkham Manor, told from the perspective of one of the inmates, and there’s a twist ending that underwhelms rather than shocks.
Batgirl: Endgame #1, written by Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher and illustrated by Bengal, is a silent comic about Batgirl saving a little girl caught in the midst of the Joker toxin-infected crowd. Meh. Unnecessary to say the least.
Detective Comics: Endgame #1, written by Brian Buccellato and illustrated by Roge Antonio and Ronan Cliquet, shows us the Joker toxin-infected masses from the perspective of a group of kids who’re trying to survive and somehow didn’t get turned. One kid, Lonnie, is trying to get to his stripper mom who’s barricaded in her club by a crazed mob. I think this is the start of the We Are Robin series too. If so, I’m hoping series writer Lee Bermejo tells a more interesting story than Buccellato manages here.
Gotham Academy: Endgame #1 (I’m wondering why they bothered with the numbering - it’s not like there’s going to be a Gotham Academy: Endgame #2!), written by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher and illustrated by Jeff Stokely, was actually pretty decent. Olive, Maps and Pomeline are hiding out while The Custodian (think elderly Zorro) defends the Academy from the crazies. To pass the time they tell Joker stories featuring a haunted Joker mask, a wandering jester in red, and a boy who tried summoning the Smiling Man in the mirror - and succeeded. Creepy fun!
Thing is, none of these tie-ins and backups have any bearing on the main storyline at all. You can easily never read these and still get the full story of Endgame from Batman, Vol. 7 alone. A couple of the tie-in issues in this collection were good and it might be worth checking out this book from the library for those who have already read/bought Batman, Vol. 7 but you could just as easily skip it. If you haven’t read Batman, Vol. 7 then it’d probably be better to get this book instead because you get that volume AND everything else as well.
Generally though, Endgame was a pretty disappointing Batman event especially as it came from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo who, up til now, have had an outstanding run on the character.
So what’s new in this book? The backups from those single issues are collected here. Written by James Tynion IV and drawn by some big name artistic talent who’ve drawn Batman before - Kelley Jones, Graham Nolan, John McCrea, Sam Kieth, and Dustin Nguyen - it follows a psychologist who’s kidnapped by some Arkham patients who are all obsessed with the Joker. Each patient recounts how they came to know the Joker in a dark Canterbury Tales-pastiche, underlining the uncertain-origins theme of Endgame. I didn’t care for these sections which were generally boring and that whole “who is the Joker really?” angle from the main story bugged me already.
There are also five single issue Endgame tie-ins included in this book: Batman Annual #3, Arkham Manor: Endgame #1, Batgirl: Endgame #1, Detective Comics: Endgame #1, and Gotham Academy: Endgame #1.
Batman Annual #3 - also written by Tynion and drawn by Roge Antonio - was my favourite of the bunch. A journalist called Tommy joins the Gotham Gazette and writes patronising articles about the Joker - until the Joker notices and decides to be Tommy’s bestie. Remember what happened when Joker decided he wanted to be Batman’s pal? Death of the Family. So Tommy’s in for a world of pain!
Tynion brings the horror of the Joker to vivid life in this issue. Tommy initially mocks the idea of the Joker - he’s just a clown! etc. - and then we see what that “clown” (he’s actually a jester, there’s a difference) can do. It’s a disturbing, dark and kinda brilliant issue - my favourite thing Tynion’s done for DC yet.
Arkham Manor: Endgame #1, written by Frank Tieri and illustrated by Felix Ruiz and Roberto Viacava, was pretty forgettable. Joker spearheads a breakout in Arkham Manor, told from the perspective of one of the inmates, and there’s a twist ending that underwhelms rather than shocks.
Batgirl: Endgame #1, written by Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher and illustrated by Bengal, is a silent comic about Batgirl saving a little girl caught in the midst of the Joker toxin-infected crowd. Meh. Unnecessary to say the least.
Detective Comics: Endgame #1, written by Brian Buccellato and illustrated by Roge Antonio and Ronan Cliquet, shows us the Joker toxin-infected masses from the perspective of a group of kids who’re trying to survive and somehow didn’t get turned. One kid, Lonnie, is trying to get to his stripper mom who’s barricaded in her club by a crazed mob. I think this is the start of the We Are Robin series too. If so, I’m hoping series writer Lee Bermejo tells a more interesting story than Buccellato manages here.
Gotham Academy: Endgame #1 (I’m wondering why they bothered with the numbering - it’s not like there’s going to be a Gotham Academy: Endgame #2!), written by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher and illustrated by Jeff Stokely, was actually pretty decent. Olive, Maps and Pomeline are hiding out while The Custodian (think elderly Zorro) defends the Academy from the crazies. To pass the time they tell Joker stories featuring a haunted Joker mask, a wandering jester in red, and a boy who tried summoning the Smiling Man in the mirror - and succeeded. Creepy fun!
Thing is, none of these tie-ins and backups have any bearing on the main storyline at all. You can easily never read these and still get the full story of Endgame from Batman, Vol. 7 alone. A couple of the tie-in issues in this collection were good and it might be worth checking out this book from the library for those who have already read/bought Batman, Vol. 7 but you could just as easily skip it. If you haven’t read Batman, Vol. 7 then it’d probably be better to get this book instead because you get that volume AND everything else as well.
Generally though, Endgame was a pretty disappointing Batman event especially as it came from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo who, up til now, have had an outstanding run on the character.
November 18, 2015
I actually thought for a moment I was reading Batman: Endgame while I was reading this graphic novel. I blame it on that I read reviews of Batman: Endgame and I could have sworn that Batman: Endgame took up the same stories as this one or similar. And, apparently it did. Frankly that doesn't make me all that keen to read Batman: Endgame since now I have read this one instead and it was well let's say not perfect. At least I didn't find it that good, it got better towards the end when the different stories from different comics (BATMAN ANNUAL #3, back-ups from BATMAN #35-39, GOTHAM ACADEMY: ENDGAME#1, BATGIRL ENDGAME #1, DETECTIVE COMICS: ENDGAME #1, BATMAN AND ROBIN ENDGAME #1, ARKHAM MANOR ENDGAME #1) finally started to make sense and everything was leading towards the grand finale. And, since I have read reviews for Batman: Endgame have I also read what's happened in the end when Batman and Joker finally confront each other. So that wasn't a big surprise or anything.
In the end, it got 3 stars because I quite liked the beginning and the last 100 pages, but I found the story to be a bit disjoint in the middle and that made me stop reading the graphic novel for a while because I just found it frankly boring and a bit incomprehensible. One moment there was one story and then it was another comic with another story and then another and then back to the first one and then to another. I did not like that one bit. Thankfully it got better at least.
Thanks to DC Comics and Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
In the end, it got 3 stars because I quite liked the beginning and the last 100 pages, but I found the story to be a bit disjoint in the middle and that made me stop reading the graphic novel for a while because I just found it frankly boring and a bit incomprehensible. One moment there was one story and then it was another comic with another story and then another and then back to the first one and then to another. I did not like that one bit. Thankfully it got better at least.
Thanks to DC Comics and Edelweiss for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
September 23, 2019
Hmm. Much of this has already been told in the main Batman storyline previously in Endgam. I suppose you could read this as a stand-alone, but I would think mostly the people who read this are reading the whole run. The story is retold again. There are new parts of the story, from other character stories, I hare, but there isn't a whole lot added into the Endgame story. I think from now on, I will stick to the main stories and not read these extra titles. They aren't really worth it.
The story is still diabolical.
The story is still diabolical.
September 23, 2019
Contains all of Batman: Endgame and a bunch of filler material. Stick with Batman: Endgame. The filler is boring and pointless. The Joker backup story from Batman is inexplicably split up between each Batman issue instead of being collected together which would have made more sense as it was all one story.
August 27, 2020
-"The story of Batman is, and always will be a tragedy"
The Joker: Endgame presents another take on the perpetual battle between Batman and the Joker with the lives of Gotham's citizens yet again at stake. However, this time the Joker is portrayed as far more supernatural compared to other issues i have read. Throughout the novel, numerous Joker origin stories are presented all with their own twisted take. Although, these stories are not original they do help add a level of intrigue to the overall story. Overall, what convinced me to give this novel a 4/5 was because of how Batman's inescapable fate was presented by the author.
The Joker: Endgame presents another take on the perpetual battle between Batman and the Joker with the lives of Gotham's citizens yet again at stake. However, this time the Joker is portrayed as far more supernatural compared to other issues i have read. Throughout the novel, numerous Joker origin stories are presented all with their own twisted take. Although, these stories are not original they do help add a level of intrigue to the overall story. Overall, what convinced me to give this novel a 4/5 was because of how Batman's inescapable fate was presented by the author.
June 18, 2021
Gave this a go as a friend had kindly lent me a stack of their graphic novels. Was left quite disappointed in the story and the format overall. Titled as The Joker: Endgame I didn’t expect it to just be Batman Vol.7: Endgame (which I had read some years ago) with filler material that seemed very all over the place. This filler content doesn’t tie into the Endgame narrative as well as I would have liked.
I would honestly advise just picking up Batman Endgame rather than this title if you are interested in this storyline.
A surprising highlight for me however, was the dialogue-free Batgirl story - The Battle For The Burnside Bridge.. The artwork of this short segment would be deserving of 3.5 Stars.
The Paleman also has some dark, body horror style art which appeals to me!
Shall perhaps be reviewing the aforementioned Batman Endgame soon on its own, with a fresh perspective after this reread.
I also shall be reading and reviewing Batman Vol. 3: Death Of The Family (which I personally find to be the better Joker storyline!)
I would honestly advise just picking up Batman Endgame rather than this title if you are interested in this storyline.
A surprising highlight for me however, was the dialogue-free Batgirl story - The Battle For The Burnside Bridge.. The artwork of this short segment would be deserving of 3.5 Stars.
The Paleman also has some dark, body horror style art which appeals to me!
Shall perhaps be reviewing the aforementioned Batman Endgame soon on its own, with a fresh perspective after this reread.
I also shall be reading and reviewing Batman Vol. 3: Death Of The Family (which I personally find to be the better Joker storyline!)
September 1, 2016
I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not sure what the purpose of this volume is; it's almost exactly the same as Batman, Vol 7: Endgame. There's nothing new, which was very disappointing. I was expecting a retelling from a different perspective (like from the Joker), but that wasn't the case.
I'd recommend this only for the most extreme completists.
I'm not sure what the purpose of this volume is; it's almost exactly the same as Batman, Vol 7: Endgame. There's nothing new, which was very disappointing. I was expecting a retelling from a different perspective (like from the Joker), but that wasn't the case.
I'd recommend this only for the most extreme completists.
April 3, 2017
I read volume 7 so this was a disappointment. I was hoping for more tie-ins to the overall story but the added materials are all over the place so not interesting.
OVERALL GRADE: C.
OVERALL GRADE: C.
August 28, 2021
Best read in conjunction with Batman, Volume 7: Endgame. They complete each other.
January 22, 2016
This is a collection of the Endgame run through the Batman titles. The Joker hits Gotham with a massive release of his virus and its changing everyone into a lunatic. The story takes twists and turns through the history of Gotham and raises the question of who is this pale laughing man? How long has he been in Gotham? In general it was a good Batman story- but since it was a collection of different titles (some of which aren't very good) the story drifts a bit. Also the newer storyline of the Batman Inc (where there are a bunch of people who are dressing up as Batpeople) sort of dilutes what batman accomplished as a human. Now we have Batman, Batgirl, another Batgirl, Batkid, etc. It's rather annoying. Also the way batgirl was drawn it made her seem 12. Other than that overall the story was good and the artwork was also good.
October 14, 2016
5 stars
Very good comic. The Joker has always creeped me out. Wonder what his real story is and who he is. Hope he is finally gone for good. RIP Batman / Bruce Wayne. Hope Alfred will be okay with Bruce gone.
Can't wait to read more Batman/Bat family comics!!!
Has anyone watched Gotham? If so, what do you think of it?
Very good comic. The Joker has always creeped me out. Wonder what his real story is and who he is. Hope he is finally gone for good. RIP Batman / Bruce Wayne. Hope Alfred will be okay with Bruce gone.
Can't wait to read more Batman/Bat family comics!!!
Has anyone watched Gotham? If so, what do you think of it?
January 1, 2019
Wow, what a crazy story. The Joker in all his crazy glory. This is one sick puppy. Not really crazy about all the spin off stories, but the Batman issues were the highlights of this collection. I am slowly catching up via my digital library on this Batman 2011 collections. My library did not have Volume 7, but they did have this Joker Endgame. Great stories and mostly great art.
February 18, 2019
Woof. This... this is terrible. I am almost in shock from how bad this was. This is a Joker story from the same dude who wrote Death of the Family? Potentially my favorite Joker story of all time? Unbelievable.
What Snyder tried to do here is deconstruct the Joker. Reveal him as more myth than man, or some shit. Unfortunately, people have deconstructed the Joker about a million times. Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, hell, even Christopher Nolan, all took elements of the Joker's mythos and twisted them to make him a larger-than-life villain. It's been done so often that deconstructing the Joker is not inherently original anymore. But at least all those other times work. This attempt is truly idiotic, turning the Joker into a genuine unkillable super villain, then trying to imply he is some ancient being of malice and mischief. But, nothing adds up. Snyder's facts about the Joker constantly contradict themselves, and not in the "that's what the Joker wants you to think" way. Rather, the story contradicts itself, thereby making it Snyder who is contradicting himself, not the Joker. It's extremely sloppy, and genuinely made me angry as I read it.
It's so awful watching one of your favorite series turn to shit. Snyder's first few arcs on this run were phenomenal. Court of Owls, Death of the Family, and the first half of Zero Year are some of the best Batman stuff I've ever read. But ever since the second half of Zero Year, when Riddler took over the entire city, things have been collapsing beneath Snyder. First of all, he seems to have spread himself too thin, trying to write this series as well as co-plot Batman Eternal and Talon. Second, all of his stories are now just about the whole city of Gotham descending into chaos. Zero Year: the whole city descends into chaos. Night of the Owls: the whole city descends into chaos. Eternal: ditto. Endgame: yup. It's just so unbelievable to think that this city would descend into chaos at the drop of a hat this many times and not just completely sink into the sea.
I think he's also gotten pretentious. This story so desperately wants to be like Morrison's take on the Joker, wants to be Important, and as a result, becomes nonsense. Snyder is at his best when he's writing smaller, more personal stories about Batman, where he is as much the villain to himself as the actual Arkham nutcases. But it seems like he's just going to try to write epics from now on, and that really sucks.
Throw in the fact that this volume collects all the Endgame tie-ins, which, except for Batgirl, were each horrendous and unfollowable, and you've got a truly unreadable waste of paper.
I'm going to continue with this series, but my hopes are officially in the trash.
What Snyder tried to do here is deconstruct the Joker. Reveal him as more myth than man, or some shit. Unfortunately, people have deconstructed the Joker about a million times. Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, hell, even Christopher Nolan, all took elements of the Joker's mythos and twisted them to make him a larger-than-life villain. It's been done so often that deconstructing the Joker is not inherently original anymore. But at least all those other times work. This attempt is truly idiotic, turning the Joker into a genuine unkillable super villain, then trying to imply he is some ancient being of malice and mischief. But, nothing adds up. Snyder's facts about the Joker constantly contradict themselves, and not in the "that's what the Joker wants you to think" way. Rather, the story contradicts itself, thereby making it Snyder who is contradicting himself, not the Joker. It's extremely sloppy, and genuinely made me angry as I read it.
It's so awful watching one of your favorite series turn to shit. Snyder's first few arcs on this run were phenomenal. Court of Owls, Death of the Family, and the first half of Zero Year are some of the best Batman stuff I've ever read. But ever since the second half of Zero Year, when Riddler took over the entire city, things have been collapsing beneath Snyder. First of all, he seems to have spread himself too thin, trying to write this series as well as co-plot Batman Eternal and Talon. Second, all of his stories are now just about the whole city of Gotham descending into chaos. Zero Year: the whole city descends into chaos. Night of the Owls: the whole city descends into chaos. Eternal: ditto. Endgame: yup. It's just so unbelievable to think that this city would descend into chaos at the drop of a hat this many times and not just completely sink into the sea.
I think he's also gotten pretentious. This story so desperately wants to be like Morrison's take on the Joker, wants to be Important, and as a result, becomes nonsense. Snyder is at his best when he's writing smaller, more personal stories about Batman, where he is as much the villain to himself as the actual Arkham nutcases. But it seems like he's just going to try to write epics from now on, and that really sucks.
Throw in the fact that this volume collects all the Endgame tie-ins, which, except for Batgirl, were each horrendous and unfollowable, and you've got a truly unreadable waste of paper.
I'm going to continue with this series, but my hopes are officially in the trash.
October 25, 2015
Before we begin, I'll just confirm exactly what's in this collection because it's a little confusing. Collected here are the entirety of Batman #35-40, including the back-ups, as well as Annual #3, and every Endgame tie-in special; Arkham Manor, Gotham Academy, Batgirl, and Detective Comics. So if you want the complete Endgame experience, this is the volume you should get over Batman Volume 7: Endgame, because this collects everything that does, and more.
I really like both of Scott Snyder's Joker stories, I'm not going to lie. Endgame has some interesting ideas and feels intense from the get-go, but I'm mostly going to talk about the tie-ins.
The back-up stories and annual by James Tynion IV are all very clever ways of looking at how the Joker affects 'normal' people, from the other Arkham inmates to a reporter from the Gotham Gazette. Excellent stuff.
The specials are varied in quality; the Detective Comics one is pretty standard, introducing another Anarky following on from the self-same storyline, but it's kind of blah in terms of both story and art.
Gotham Academy's special isn't really related to the story itself but is a creepy anthology of potential Joker stories that feeds into the immortality and timelessness of the character suggested in Endgame proper.
Arkham Manor's story should probably have been collected with the Arkham Manor series itself since it finishes off the story of the Manor before it gets repossessed by Bruce Wayne in Superheavy, and it's a shame that Gerry Duggan and Shawn Crystal weren't able to do this issue since it isn't a patch on the rest of that series.
And finally Batgirl's super-silent issue is great, if a bit if a quick read due to the lack of dialogue, but it's an exercise in illustrative excellence as Bengal basically tells the story all on his own.
Endgame is excellent, and the tie-ins are mostly very good, bar one or two little mishaps here and there. If you want the complete story, grab this trade and enjoy.
I really like both of Scott Snyder's Joker stories, I'm not going to lie. Endgame has some interesting ideas and feels intense from the get-go, but I'm mostly going to talk about the tie-ins.
The back-up stories and annual by James Tynion IV are all very clever ways of looking at how the Joker affects 'normal' people, from the other Arkham inmates to a reporter from the Gotham Gazette. Excellent stuff.
The specials are varied in quality; the Detective Comics one is pretty standard, introducing another Anarky following on from the self-same storyline, but it's kind of blah in terms of both story and art.
Gotham Academy's special isn't really related to the story itself but is a creepy anthology of potential Joker stories that feeds into the immortality and timelessness of the character suggested in Endgame proper.
Arkham Manor's story should probably have been collected with the Arkham Manor series itself since it finishes off the story of the Manor before it gets repossessed by Bruce Wayne in Superheavy, and it's a shame that Gerry Duggan and Shawn Crystal weren't able to do this issue since it isn't a patch on the rest of that series.
And finally Batgirl's super-silent issue is great, if a bit if a quick read due to the lack of dialogue, but it's an exercise in illustrative excellence as Bengal basically tells the story all on his own.
Endgame is excellent, and the tie-ins are mostly very good, bar one or two little mishaps here and there. If you want the complete story, grab this trade and enjoy.
June 19, 2016
This volume is sort of a duplicate for Batman, Vol. 7: Endgame, it contains the same material, but also collects a couple other tie-in issues which is the main thing I will comment on.
Most of the tie-ins serve an overall purpose: create a mythology and mystery around the Joker. He's become a boogeyman where people tell varied stories about him, whether he's a ghost, a robot, a demon, etc. Nearly all stories are the same in that he visits and psychologically messes with people's minds.
My favorite was "Friends" where a reporter isn't scared of the Joker until they meet and the Joker decides to be friends with him, visiting him occasionally which drives the man insane over years. It was the kind of thing I felt the Joker would do.
There's a multipart story where the Joker has solicited a few escaped inmates and a doctor, each having their own version of the Joker story, but which one is real?
There is also a wordless story featuring Batgirl as she tries to save a young girl from the Jokerized mob.
Most of these are written by James Tynion IV, but there are some by two other writers and these are interspersed throughout the main Batman story, but I'm not sure that was really necessary. I think it might have been better to collect the Joker stories up front, creating this background myth right before you begin the main story. By creating this legend, they show that people are genuinely afraid of the Joker, and have real fear every time he escapes from Arkham or returns from wherever. This would have helped add to the ambience when reading the climax of the central plot.
It mildly improves over the other collection, but it certainly isn't critical. There's nothing central to the main plot or any secret facts about the Joker.
Most of the tie-ins serve an overall purpose: create a mythology and mystery around the Joker. He's become a boogeyman where people tell varied stories about him, whether he's a ghost, a robot, a demon, etc. Nearly all stories are the same in that he visits and psychologically messes with people's minds.
My favorite was "Friends" where a reporter isn't scared of the Joker until they meet and the Joker decides to be friends with him, visiting him occasionally which drives the man insane over years. It was the kind of thing I felt the Joker would do.
There's a multipart story where the Joker has solicited a few escaped inmates and a doctor, each having their own version of the Joker story, but which one is real?
There is also a wordless story featuring Batgirl as she tries to save a young girl from the Jokerized mob.
Most of these are written by James Tynion IV, but there are some by two other writers and these are interspersed throughout the main Batman story, but I'm not sure that was really necessary. I think it might have been better to collect the Joker stories up front, creating this background myth right before you begin the main story. By creating this legend, they show that people are genuinely afraid of the Joker, and have real fear every time he escapes from Arkham or returns from wherever. This would have helped add to the ambience when reading the climax of the central plot.
It mildly improves over the other collection, but it certainly isn't critical. There's nothing central to the main plot or any secret facts about the Joker.
April 22, 2017
This review - now.
...and while the idea of the Joker spreading all sorts of stories about his past is a lot of fun, I'm not so sure about the execution, because of the issues I mentioned 25 minutes ago. It's interesting to see all sorts of mythical/sci fi interpretations of the Joker's origins, but they didn't really fit seamlessly in the Batman universe.
With a story like "The Sandman", there would be a chance for any one of them to be true, but can I really believe that the Joker is a robot, or the devil, or a vengeful spirit here? Not really.
This review - 26 minutes ago.
-besides, how many flashbacks can you have?! The entire story jumps around through the timeline more than a Doctor in a broken TARDIS, more than Stark Trek: The Original Series, more than you can believe. I guess some of that is because it wants to engage at the beginning of every issue, to ensure that people buy the comics, but in a single volume it gets a bit annoying.
Moreover, the side stories feel disconnected from the plot. I initially wasn't even sure I was reading an arc, rather than a collection of separate issues. And don't even get me started on-
This review - 15 minutes ago.
I really was expecting more from this volume. Not that it disappointed in its entirety; it didn't. Some of it was good, some was less good. Some ideas would have made good horror stories, I think, but I felt it just didn't all add up very well. What happened to the man whom the Joker called his best friend? Why isn't he used again after that first issue? What happened to the fear gas which makes Batman have nightmares? Does it just go away? It feels like it was there, then it wasn't there, then whatever, what fear gas?
Maybe I did wrong in buying this volume as a stand-alone. Maybe it didn't work for me because I was expecting it to be something it's not.
...and while the idea of the Joker spreading all sorts of stories about his past is a lot of fun, I'm not so sure about the execution, because of the issues I mentioned 25 minutes ago. It's interesting to see all sorts of mythical/sci fi interpretations of the Joker's origins, but they didn't really fit seamlessly in the Batman universe.
With a story like "The Sandman", there would be a chance for any one of them to be true, but can I really believe that the Joker is a robot, or the devil, or a vengeful spirit here? Not really.
This review - 26 minutes ago.
-besides, how many flashbacks can you have?! The entire story jumps around through the timeline more than a Doctor in a broken TARDIS, more than Stark Trek: The Original Series, more than you can believe. I guess some of that is because it wants to engage at the beginning of every issue, to ensure that people buy the comics, but in a single volume it gets a bit annoying.
Moreover, the side stories feel disconnected from the plot. I initially wasn't even sure I was reading an arc, rather than a collection of separate issues. And don't even get me started on-
This review - 15 minutes ago.
I really was expecting more from this volume. Not that it disappointed in its entirety; it didn't. Some of it was good, some was less good. Some ideas would have made good horror stories, I think, but I felt it just didn't all add up very well. What happened to the man whom the Joker called his best friend? Why isn't he used again after that first issue? What happened to the fear gas which makes Batman have nightmares? Does it just go away? It feels like it was there, then it wasn't there, then whatever, what fear gas?
Maybe I did wrong in buying this volume as a stand-alone. Maybe it didn't work for me because I was expecting it to be something it's not.
October 6, 2015
I'll address the Tie-ins first. In all honesty I didn't like any of the 4 one shots, I did however, love the annual. It reminded me of Batman the Animated series episode Jokers Favor quite a bit. That was wonderful. The other issues, not so much. They just weren't interesting to me. I thought there was much better stories they could've done. instead it was mostly just a filler and promotions for the other Batman related books and their creative teams. Not a bad idea, but unfortunately I didn't like any of them really. the best was the COVER for the Arkham manor one shot.
Now for the Main Event....
Scott Snyder hyped Endgame for 3 months prior to it's start, and I must say, it lived up to the hype. I absolutely loved the story and I honestly think this is Greg Capullo's best work on Batman Just beautiful pencil work by him. And the rest of the art team. Snyder was able to give us fans something to remember for a long time to come. He finally had the Justice League appear In his run of Batman and Capullo drew them absolutely beautifully. Also Joker appeared even more sinister and dark. All I can say without spoilers in my review is that if You're a big Batman fan, You should give this a read. I think there's two reactions for Endgame either love or Hate. I obviously loved it. and I Think overall it topped Death of the family for me.
Now for the Main Event....
Scott Snyder hyped Endgame for 3 months prior to it's start, and I must say, it lived up to the hype. I absolutely loved the story and I honestly think this is Greg Capullo's best work on Batman Just beautiful pencil work by him. And the rest of the art team. Snyder was able to give us fans something to remember for a long time to come. He finally had the Justice League appear In his run of Batman and Capullo drew them absolutely beautifully. Also Joker appeared even more sinister and dark. All I can say without spoilers in my review is that if You're a big Batman fan, You should give this a read. I think there's two reactions for Endgame either love or Hate. I obviously loved it. and I Think overall it topped Death of the family for me.
March 15, 2018
This is closer to 3.5, but I'll round up since it was not horrid. I will say though that if you have bought Batman Volume 7 Endgame don't buy this, just find it at the libary. If you dont own that yet, maybe go for this.
This has all that story, plus some from other characters, which is the only reason I say to read it regardless.
So, basically you have a bunch of people saying different things about who/what Joker really is, and they all believe they have the true story because Joker twists them like that.
Batman is scared of Joker, which ok I get but this was extreme. Overall, it was interesting but not what you would hope from a Joker story
This has all that story, plus some from other characters, which is the only reason I say to read it regardless.
So, basically you have a bunch of people saying different things about who/what Joker really is, and they all believe they have the true story because Joker twists them like that.
Batman is scared of Joker, which ok I get but this was extreme. Overall, it was interesting but not what you would hope from a Joker story
November 22, 2016
Half of this is reprinted issues from Endgame...
March 27, 2025
3.5/5.
The end to Snyder’s Batman run, which I didn’t realise when I started reading it lol. Luckily I’ve already read Death of the Family and the whole Court of Owls saga, so I got the gist of what was going on.
My issues with this are basically the same as Death of the Family - when it’s good, it’s a really fun read. But some of the included issues that aren’t the main Batman storyline are just… kinda boring. The start was good, and the end was good, but it just kinda drifted in the middle imo. Still an interesting read though.
The end to Snyder’s Batman run, which I didn’t realise when I started reading it lol. Luckily I’ve already read Death of the Family and the whole Court of Owls saga, so I got the gist of what was going on.
My issues with this are basically the same as Death of the Family - when it’s good, it’s a really fun read. But some of the included issues that aren’t the main Batman storyline are just… kinda boring. The start was good, and the end was good, but it just kinda drifted in the middle imo. Still an interesting read though.
February 20, 2016
The main reason to read this crossover collection is if you're one of those people who read Batman: Endgame and came to the [false, imo] conclusion that it was a disappointing canon-changing arc giving Joker "superpowers" (in the words of several comic reviewers I follow). The side stories are not that great, but they at least validate my initial interpretation that Endgame is about expanding Joker's archetypal mysterious mythos, matching his seeming ability to be everywhere at once, pulling as many strings as the Dark Knight does in his myriad titles.
September 21, 2015
When you have a "B story" to an already awful "A story", you really can't believe things could get any worse in your opinion... and then it does.
April 9, 2020
This would be 2 stars because outside the main Batman issues I found it a bit bland/boring other than the wordless Batgirl issue. That one was quite good.
March 30, 2019
Joker is finally scary. The psychological games and manipulation he uses in these short stories are a perfect match for what has always been hailed as Batman's greatest foe. Fewer laughs and more madness, horror and murder build a better Joker than many other stories I've read, including the ones in the Batman The New 52 series. I dare say this book is far better than the arcs in the main series.
Joker's side story features a few inmates in Arkham that were manipulated by Joker. They are joined by Mahreen Zaheer, one of the many psychologists who tried to understand Joker's past and current goals.
The first of the shorter stories features a journalist who initially writes Joker off until they meet face to face. The guy lives in terror for years to come, as Joker visits him every time he escapes Arkham Asylum.
Formerly convicted fellon Stone tells detective Bullock his story involving Joker's latest escape from Arkham. Bullock finds it hard to believe a guy with a criminal record, but he plays along.
A young hacker joins a group of teenagers as they try to get away from the citizens infected by Joker's drug. They meet some of Batman's allies as the hacker heads toward his mother's workplace to save her. It's not much of a story, but it adds to the desperate nature of the infection triggered by Joker in the main series.
While hiding from the infection a group of students tell scary stories about Joker, oblivious to the serious danger of their predicament.
Batgirl performs a daring rescue of a young girl surrounded by infected. She returns the girl to her parents safely in a story with no dialogue, but plenty of heart.
Joker's side story features a few inmates in Arkham that were manipulated by Joker. They are joined by Mahreen Zaheer, one of the many psychologists who tried to understand Joker's past and current goals.
The first of the shorter stories features a journalist who initially writes Joker off until they meet face to face. The guy lives in terror for years to come, as Joker visits him every time he escapes Arkham Asylum.
Formerly convicted fellon Stone tells detective Bullock his story involving Joker's latest escape from Arkham. Bullock finds it hard to believe a guy with a criminal record, but he plays along.
A young hacker joins a group of teenagers as they try to get away from the citizens infected by Joker's drug. They meet some of Batman's allies as the hacker heads toward his mother's workplace to save her. It's not much of a story, but it adds to the desperate nature of the infection triggered by Joker in the main series.
While hiding from the infection a group of students tell scary stories about Joker, oblivious to the serious danger of their predicament.
Batgirl performs a daring rescue of a young girl surrounded by infected. She returns the girl to her parents safely in a story with no dialogue, but plenty of heart.
January 19, 2016
I see it so clearly now. Endgame was garbage 100%. The only thing reading this trash was good for was clarifying the reason it was created in the first place. Most of the tie ins deal with the origins of the Joker. The moral: he has no origin. So this whole story is just a complete waste of time, and you’re better off reading Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke instead. The reason I enjoyed The Killing Joke is that it’s a short explanation of why Joker origins are ridiculous to begin with. It gets meta with the origin by sort of mocking the fan base. This feels like a poor imitation of that.
I love/hate the first issue. A reporter decides Joker isn’t scary (CLEARLY incorrect as anyone can see he’s a psychopath) so he decides to spy on him & write a story attempting to “humanize” him. Why? This reporter was in the army that’s why! Then Joker drives him crazy and the end. How did this guy last in the army? It doesn’t even shed light on what the hell is going on in the arc other than Joker is crazy & kills people. Which is literally the lame point of every issue in this crap (except for the Batgirl tie in, which was the only one that I liked but really had nothing to do with the overall theme).
I skipped all the Batman issues I’d read before because I already hated them. There is no need to relive that hell. Or the hell that is this book if you already hated Endgame. The issues weren’t clearly separated either, so I had to be careful not to skip new stuff. DOTF was better organized & the tie ins carried significant plot points. This whole storyline was just one big Joker Jerk Off! You may think that’s an overstatement. No, it was just as awkward & miserable as jerking off the Joker.
I love/hate the first issue. A reporter decides Joker isn’t scary (CLEARLY incorrect as anyone can see he’s a psychopath) so he decides to spy on him & write a story attempting to “humanize” him. Why? This reporter was in the army that’s why! Then Joker drives him crazy and the end. How did this guy last in the army? It doesn’t even shed light on what the hell is going on in the arc other than Joker is crazy & kills people. Which is literally the lame point of every issue in this crap (except for the Batgirl tie in, which was the only one that I liked but really had nothing to do with the overall theme).
I skipped all the Batman issues I’d read before because I already hated them. There is no need to relive that hell. Or the hell that is this book if you already hated Endgame. The issues weren’t clearly separated either, so I had to be careful not to skip new stuff. DOTF was better organized & the tie ins carried significant plot points. This whole storyline was just one big Joker Jerk Off! You may think that’s an overstatement. No, it was just as awkward & miserable as jerking off the Joker.
December 19, 2018
And my Batman fasting of 2 years ends. :) I'm back to Bat books again. The End Game was okish, some people talk about it like it's the best Batman vs Joker story but it's not. The best is Killing Joke, second place is The encounter in The Dark Knight Returns and i don't remember any significant 3rd Batman vs Joker story, moment etc.
The story was nothing i haven't seen before. The Joker, Jokerised the citizens of Gotham(this time with a virus and they didn't die of laughter this time, they became smiling zombies lol) and Batman looked for a cure and ofcourse found one and won the day because Batman is always 3 steps ahead of everyone... It was too clean for my taste. I don't want to say Bat God but he was kind of like that... Saving every innocent person without casualties and lets face it, citizens becoming zombies that could be cured rather than dying of laughter was to keep the story clean cause they couldn't show such a mess murder in Batman so they tamed Joker which i didn't like.
I didn't really feel the play of Batman and Joker being best friends and i didn't like the fact that Joker knew the secret identities of everyone btw...
The story was nothing i haven't seen before. The Joker, Jokerised the citizens of Gotham(this time with a virus and they didn't die of laughter this time, they became smiling zombies lol) and Batman looked for a cure and ofcourse found one and won the day because Batman is always 3 steps ahead of everyone... It was too clean for my taste. I don't want to say Bat God but he was kind of like that... Saving every innocent person without casualties and lets face it, citizens becoming zombies that could be cured rather than dying of laughter was to keep the story clean cause they couldn't show such a mess murder in Batman so they tamed Joker which i didn't like.
I didn't really feel the play of Batman and Joker being best friends and i didn't like the fact that Joker knew the secret identities of everyone btw...
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