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! ( )

Possibly the best Joker story I've read in a while (but obviously not the best Joker story I've read). ( )

A very strong Batman collection. As with any event, some stories feel a bit on the side of things, but far less so with Endgame than with most big superhero event books -- even the least related stuff, like the Gotham Academy ghost stories issue, are very much thematically related, which is gratifying. The issue placement is also impeccable, with every story and tie-in unfolding chronologically without spoiling or contradicting each other.

The core of the story itself is twofold -- there is the main narrative Snyder writes, following Batman, and the B-story Tynion writes, following a group of Arkham inmates and their doctor. The latter, especially if you include (also by Tynion) the excellent Batman Annual story of Joker's "best friend", is probably the highlight of the book, lending weight and background creepiness to the more traditionally action-packed main narrative. But that, too, is good. It's no "Death of the Family", however it isn't trying to be. Where Joker's last big appearance was a deconstruction (both by him and the writer) of how he views his and Batman's relationship, this story is much simpler, a central (and in the end, in proper Joker style, not truly answered) question being at its heart: Is the Joker really a mere man? Or is he something more?

I felt the ending to be a bit rushed, I wasn't quite put in a place where I was buying some of Batman's decisions at the very end, but other than that, this was all brought to a satisfying conclusion -- no mean feat, with such an ambitious arc and premise. Two thumbs up! ( )

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 read the Batman: Endgame TPB before I read this one and I thought that a TPB couldn't get more intense than that volume. Then I read this volume. Yikes. Even more intense somehow.

There was the Batman/Joker Endgame issues in this TPB, but there were also stories told by some escaped Arkham Manor inmates to a Doctor from Arkham who they kidnap. They were quite disturbing stories. Supposedly 'secret histories' of the Joker.

There were also some cool issues. One with Batwoman and Spoiler. One with the students of Gotham Academy. And even one with no talking with Batgirl.

An intense TPB and a good one. Can't wait for the next chapter in the Batman universe.

I got this advanced galley through Netgalley on behalf of DC Entertainment ( )