Dark Night
Ratings5
Average rating3.8
I wasn't sure what to expect when going into this graphic novel, but was pleasantly surprised. The story of what happened to Paul Dini told in graphic form just seemed to work on many different levels. Art was great. Highly recommend reading if you are at all interested in graphic memoirs.
Paul Dini's blunt and candid tale of survival and healing is accompanied by wonderful illustrations in this powerful graphic novel. It is courageous of Dini to share the struggles of his recovery, and I think many will find inspiration in his story. I imagine the narrative will resonate particularly with others who have grown up with the Batman characters as their imaginary companions. At the end, Dini poses the question: “Who cares about my story?” He answers: “I care.” That care and determination shines through in this moving work.
I can understand why this has got such high ratings given the way Paul ends the story. Truly inspiring and every Batman fanboy must have loved this take on the role of Batman in someones life. However, there were a couple of times I found myself skipping through the pages to get to the better parts and in that lies the reason for a 3 star rating. All in all a must read for Batman fans but missing something which I cannot identify
Paul Dini has defined our concept of Batman. His work on Batman The Animated Series helped define DC Animation and gave us Harley Quinn and Mark Hamil's Joker. He also wrote the seminal storyline for the much darker Arkham Asylum video games. He's got five Emmys and two Eisners for his work. There are few men more responsible for our current understanding of the Dark Knight.
Then one night he was mugged, brutally beaten and left for dead. As he slowly heals he is visited by the various characters he's made a career of imagining. That framework allows him to examine his life leading up to that moment with unflinching vulnerability. He's brutally honest about the concerns his parents had of his childhood imagination, the clearly shallow and horrible relationships he cultivated with women, the emptiness of his life despite all the nerd trappings and fame.
Eduardo Risso's artwork is perfect for this story. He manages, along with Dini's writing to keep it from being a one-note premise based on the conceit of “where was Batman?” and turning it into something more. I do think appreciating who Paul Dini is, is important to the story. I'm not sure if I'd care as much if I didn't spend hours glued to Batman the Animated Series.