Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories

Most of the characters that appeared in Batman: The Animated Series were taken from Batman's long history in comic books. But one of the most popular, Harley Quinn, was created specifically for the show. So it was something of an event when Dini and Timm decided it was time to bring Harley off of the screen and into print for the first time. The result was Mad Love, which tells how an ambitious young psychiatrist falls in love with the Joker and turns to a life of crime. The story not only tells Harley's origin, but also covers her attempt to eliminate what she thinks is the one obstacle to a long and happy life with "Mistah J" by killing the Batman. I have to admit that I prefer Harley in her original TV form to seeing her in the comics. The reason, quite simply, is that her bombastic personality and high energy persona can never come across to their fullest extent in a series of static images and word balloons. Does that mean that Mad Love is a failure? Not hardly. The essence of both Harley and the Joker are on full display here and Batman is the third leg of their not-quite-romantic triangle. Dini and Timm spent years on B:TAS proving that they understand the Batman mythos as well as anyone and better than most and that knowledge is put to good use here with spot-on characterizations and a story that balances humor with tension, and never fails to entertain. In addition to Mad Love, there are a number of other stories culled from the Batman Adventures comic. One highlight is Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas which shows Harvey Bullock undercover as a department store Santa Claus. It's a classic comedy that also spotlights the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl. The other standout is Two of a Kind. Two Face is cured of his deformity by a beautiful plastic surgeon and is released from Arkham. He plans to marry his doctor and live happily ever after but you just know it won't be that easy for him, but I won't give away any of the major plot developments from there. Suffice to say that it's a well done short story with plenty of pathos at the end. Mad Love is an excellent story that is a must have for any Harley Quinn fan. To get the original comic book costs several times the price of this new edition and the additional stories make the value of this collection even more compelling. The book should appeal to nearly anyone who enjoys Batman or Joker as well Harley. Who wouldn't like it? Someone who can only be happy looking for a dark and gritty Batman: The Dark Knight Returns type of story. Everyone else can dive in and enjoy.

The main story is of course the main draw here, and it is truly one of the best Batman stories ever told. But this book also features other stories, hence the name, from various annuals and anthology series. All are worth the purchase. Not to mention a foreword by Paul Dini, anot afterword by Bruce Timm, sketches, cover gallery, all that good stuff. DC recently released "Mad Love Deluxe Edition" and I implore you not to be swindled by that malarky. It's actually just Mad Love without the "Other Stories" or sweet bonus materials. It has other bonus materials but they're mostly sketches and things with no actual word from the creators, and it's more expensive. Stick with this edition.

I usually hate buying books or comics new because they're generally high priced for such quick reads. This however was so worth it! I enjoyed every moment of it and will probably read again! I bought this for insight into Harley's back story and it was phenomenal! Bruce and Paul's commentary was great and insight into some of batmans other villains are great! Good starter comic for those wanting to get into Harley Quinn or introductions to Batman's other rivals! The product itself came very quickly! (One day delivery) and was in pristine condition! It's a good size as there are quite of few comics included and the print and color is fabulous quality!

This is easily one of my favorite bound comic volumes to go back and reread when the need strikes me. It's definitely deserving of the acclaim it gets for the story! Yes, the Mad Love story is awesome, but the other stories just add to what is overall a great reading experience. Bruce Timm's artwork and Paul Dini's writing that worked so dynamically in the animated series definitely carries over into the work of these pages. I recommend this to everyone I know who has an interest in Gotham's Dark Knight!

This story was fun and interesting, but I Bought the Animated Series first so it wasn't anything I hadn't seen already. If You don't want to buy Batman the Animated series from the 90's I definitely recommend buying this story so you can get to know Harley Quinn, but you Might feel differently if you have the series already because you are basically just buying the script for the episode Mad Love with literally two added details. In fact most of the stories are directly from the series so you won't really be adding all that much Bat-Knowledge to your repertoire with one or two exceptions. But if you are a collector this is definitely a good product.

If you loved the Batman animated series from the 90's you are guaranteed to love this book. It is designed to look and feel like the cartoon, and was partially written and drawn by the creators of the tv series. This book has the Mad Love Harley Quinn origin story as well as two Batman Adventures Annuals. The paper quality is very nice. Glossy, nice finish, thick. The stories are really fun, especially Mad Love. I want to rev my Harley... Vroom! Vroom!

Paul Dini and Bruce Timm did a fantastic job with the story and art. It was funny to see Harley Quinn actually capture Batman, much to Joker's annoyance. :-D

I'm a huge Batman fan, my husband and I have a huge collection of graphic novels. I've always loved the art style from the animated Batman tv series, so after purchasing- Batman Harley & Ivy- I searched for more of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's collaborations. Paul Dini has easily become one of my favorite comic book writer's. This collection has 11 stories (some are just a few pages but well worth the price.) I've never been a big fan of the ventriloquist and Scarface but I loved the story with them, though it was bittersweet in the end. I'm thrilled to have this book in my collection. Sorry about the pictures, I prefer to buy comics rather than upgrade my phone and it's camera. :-)