A. Rivera reviewed Batman: Thrillkiller by Howard Chaykin
Review of 'Batman: Thrillkiller' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This was pretty good. An interesting take on Batman where Barbara Gordon, trust fund child becomes Batgirl and Gotham's heroine with Dick Grayson as her Robin. Bruce Wayne is a penniless cop after his family lost it all in the Great Depression. Sounds great, but the author really puts out a very convoluted tale of Gotham wracked by police corruption, and later drugs. You would think that is a good premise, but as I said, the plot is very convoluted at times, and at moments it seems things get wrapped up at the last rushed minute. The good things? The noir setting is very good, so if you like that genre, you may like this. The art is pretty good, adding a pulp feel to the story. And it is interesting to see how different characters such as the Riddler, the Joker (who is a woman), and others appear in …
This was pretty good. An interesting take on Batman where Barbara Gordon, trust fund child becomes Batgirl and Gotham's heroine with Dick Grayson as her Robin. Bruce Wayne is a penniless cop after his family lost it all in the Great Depression. Sounds great, but the author really puts out a very convoluted tale of Gotham wracked by police corruption, and later drugs. You would think that is a good premise, but as I said, the plot is very convoluted at times, and at moments it seems things get wrapped up at the last rushed minute. The good things? The noir setting is very good, so if you like that genre, you may like this. The art is pretty good, adding a pulp feel to the story. And it is interesting to see how different characters such as the Riddler, the Joker (who is a woman), and others appear in the story in different ways. So, it was an "ok" read, entertaining at times, but I think the author tried to pack a bit too much. Still, worth a look for something different.
Comic is part of DC's series Elseworlds, which they describe as "heroes taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places-- some that have existed or might have existed, and others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist." This comic definitely accomplishes that putting the characters we know in very different conditions.