Batman: The Killing Joke

The Killing Joke was a comic spawned shortly after the work of Frank Miller, and is probably the comic that established The Joker as one of the most important fictional villains of the 20th century. Batman had become a well thought out, complex character in recent years, primarily due to the work of skilled writer Frank Miller. Batman had been brought into a gritty, modern world of comic books, but I always felt that Miller's The Dark Knight Returns failed to bring the antagonistic Joker into a new light...well it did, but not in the way the character was meant to be. Alan Moore, with the help of Brian Bolland's stunning artwork helped bring to life what is widely accepted as today's standard for the famous Harlequin of Hate. He's crazy, he kills people simply for his own twisted sense of humor, but always has a very zany, cartoonish attitude, which I felt was lacking in Miller's interpretation, where Joker seemed much too serious in appearance, dialogue, and action. The Joker presented in this graphic novel truly is a fiendish jester of fate, who for the most part is truly frightening, but never really acts like anything more than a loon. Bolland's art is very helpful in this aspect, not only bringing the Joker's exaggerated, skeletal body to life, but making it perhaps the most anatomically correct Joker ever seen, while still following the style of the 1970s Joker appearances. The story revolves around the long struggle between Batman and his foe, and their never ending conflict. Joker, having escaped from Arkham Asylum (again), has decided to prove that one bad day can transform any sane man into a monster, such as himself. Taking possession of an old carnival he's ready to do whatever it takes to prove his point, with the assistance of a circus freak show. Meanwhile The Dark Knight questions himself on how this fight will end; coming to the realization that sooner or later one of them would kill the other, unless they tried to reason it out. A hopeless plan by our hero, but he has to at least try a single time to reason with his arch-nemesis, just so he can say he tried. While Batman leads the hunt for the psychotic clown, Joker decides to prove his theory, kidnapping Commissioner Gordon, and shooting Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) through the spine (she never walks again). This is one of the most villainous acts in the history of comics; simply because of how pointless the shooting was, considering Barbara wasn't even in the character of Batgirl. She was just a bystander who Joker decided to use as a tool for his plot. Everyone is a puppet, or tool in his mind. He does this act all of this while wearing a stereotypical beach-going tourist's attire, complete with a large camera, the only exception being his wide-brimmed, purple hat, which conceal his eyes. These are the eyes of a madman, and in one of the comic's final pages his eyes are concealed in shadow once again, before they come out and you see him for the hopeless case he truly is. The story sets the stage for the most widely accepted Joker back-story through a series of flashbacks, showing him as a failed comedian with a pregnant wife, and soon winds up assisting criminals, and falling victim to tragedy. The character is shown to have had one bad day and that is how he ended up as the smiling super villain who has plagued Gotham City for decades. Of course this back-story isn't necessarily true, being that it comes from flashbacks spawned from Joker's mind, and as he famously states in his confrontation with Batman "If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" Gordon's capture and torture leads to a fight between these two iconic characters, where Batman tries to see if it is possible to reason with Joker logically, but the villain doesn't even try to lie about what is obviously in store for them. He can never be reasoned with, and won't stop until he's dead, and Batman refuses to kill him so it's a sick cycle that goes round and round. In the end of The Killing Joke the roller coaster has only been reset and it will only be a matter of time before Joker is back on the streets, killing again with some new, random scheme which will only make sense to him alone, depending on the mood he's in at the time, or which version of his past he remembers. Alan Moore's story is sick, it's disturbing, and doesn't fail to leave the reader in a state of awe. The only problem is that by the end you crave for more! The story practically brings you to the point of begging for a sequel, or expansion which will probably never come. This is a one-shot story, and should remain that way, or else the original's impact may be lost. I don't have a single friend who doesn't think The Killing Joke is one of the most twisted, sick, most perfect stories of the comic medium. It's short, but it delivers a powerful punch! Brian Bolland's art makes this short graphic novel a masterpiece, providing some of the best art ever seen in the characters' long history, only rivaled (in my opinion) by the art of Alex Ross. Joker really is frightening to look at here, because he doesn't look like a real person in most aspects, but Bolland manages to make this character incredibly believable in appearance, without taking any liberties of changing the body type into something more universal. The tall, skeletal body of the 1970s comics is preserved for the most part, except for the narrowing of the chin, which improves the look even further (hence why it's universally used in today's comics). Recently I got the hardcover anniversary edition of The Killing Joke, with the artwork being edited by Brian Bolland, and re-colored by Bolland personally the way he intended it to be seen. I must say that I love the changes to the colors, more so than the cheery, bright colors of the original, which I felt distracted from Bolland's line-art, because the colors were way too traditional comic book, not fitting the intensity of the art. These colors are dark, gritty, and really captures to mood of the story more effectively than the bright colors of the original release. I especially love the flashbacks being in black and white, except for concentrating on objects that reflect the color red, which leads up to him taking on the garb of The Red Hood, before his first confrontation, leading to his ultimate disfigurement and insanity. This is a seriously talented artist and I only wish he was presented with more opportunities to draw these characters. Batman and Joker look their very best in these images, and I'd be hard pressed to find a comic with better consistency of art quality. The Killing Joke is one, if not THE best story in the history of Batman comics, and rightfully earns my rating of 10/10 stars.

"The Killing Joke" is widely considered to be the be-all-end-all of Joker stories, so what better way to pay homage to the greatest comic book villain of all time near the eve of his re-unveiling in The Dark...

As a big fan of Batman as a character and the DC universe, I've always thought of The Joker as my favorite villain. He's a character I've long been obsessed over, there's a lot of fascinating elements about him that have impressed and captivated me, that began with the first time I saw The Dark Knight. Heath Ledgers portrayal of the character astounded me, and inspired me to research more on the history of the character and discover how it was created, and how he's been portrayed throughout the years. One name kept coming up during my search, Batman: The Killing Joke, cited as the quintessential comic featuring The Joker. So, I went online, purchased it and read it. And...it's one of the greatest things I've ever read. There's a quote on the front cover from Tim Burton, saying that its the first comic he ever loved. I agree with that on a lot of levels, as a person who hasn't read too many comic books, I can still tell what a masterpiece this one is. The atmosphere created by the illustrations of Brian Bolland, the writing and dialogue created by Alan Moore, really made me feel like I was watching a movie. That I was experiencing a living, fluid story centered around the actions and origin of The Joker. The balance they achieved between scenes without dialogue and scenes with conversations between characters is perfect, creating beautiful build up and suspense. From Batman walking into Arkham Asylum, to the shooting of Barbra Gordon, to the reveal of the comedian transformed into The Joker. Every page of this book carries so much, accomplishing something I didn't think was possible. Giving a concrete origin to The Joker, a character that's not supposed to have a past, to be utterly mysterious and detached. It works so well though, a failed comedian who has one really, really bad day. Ruining his life and reducing him to a deranged killer obsessed with the idea that life, reality, and the human condition are just a massive joke. There's two moments in this comic that stick out the most to me, one is the moment when the comedian is told his wife is dead. There's a panel where he says nothing, then simply replies with "What?". It truly captures a moment of absolute disbelief, how a man would react to the worst news imaginable, in that he would barely react at all. Then, there's the ending. Out of respect for the sheer brilliance of the conclusion, I wont spoil it here. To wrap up my ramblings, Batman: The Killing Joke is an incredible comic that serves as quite possibly the best story featuring The Clown Prince of Crime. I recommend it to anyone who is even a cursory fan of Batman, The Joker, dark comedy, or simply superb illustration and writing. Its definitely worth the read...and the laughs. -Tycho

When the Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum, he sets out to commit one of his worst crimes yet. He kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and uses Barbara Gordon to try to drive him insane, proving that everyone is just one bad day away from madness. As Batman races to stop the Joker and save Gordon, we see flashbacks of the Joker as a failed stand-up comedian and how one bad day changed him forever. This is one of Alan Moore's most famous and controversial stories. It's also one of the most influential. Even though Moore insisted this wasn't the Joker's true origin, and the Joker states he can't remember his real origin, the first "Batman" movie based its story on "Killing Joke." Of course, Moore didn't invent the core of the story, either. The idea of the Joker as a criminal named the Red Hood who fell into a vat of chemicals came from an older Batman story. But this one is more well known. Moore was able to do something few other writers have been able to achieve. He made the psychopathic serial killer Joker almost sympathetic while simultaneously making him completely repugnant. The origin story and the present-day crime are like polar opposites, showing the Joker as a younger man struggling to support his family, and also as the ruthless Joker kidnapping and killing in a twisted joke. The artwork of this book is still amazing, especially with the corrected coloring. Brian Bolland is able to draw everything with realism, but without sacrificing the comic book feel. His use of shadows and lines is great. This deluxe edition has some bonus stuff, like reference photos, comments from the artist, and a short story at the end about an obsessed fan. I think it's a great buy if you don't already have a copy. **Spoilers Follow** The biggest controversy of this story was the Joker paralyzing Barbara Gordon. Well, not just paralyzing, but also stripping naked and pasting his photos on the walls to torment Gordon. It's horrifying and disturbing, just like it was meant to be. I won't get into whether Moore was right or wrong to include that, but I do believe it drives home the depths of Joker's evil. When he sits on a throne made of baby dolls with the naked Commissioner Gordon chained up and kneeling at his feet, it's hard to say he's been any more twisted in his entire career. All in all, it remains just as poignant and haunting as it did when first released.

Batman and Joker a great mystery!!

The Killing Joke is an exceptional piece of literature. Just looking at the cover tells you almost immediately what you're in for (something something, don't judge book by it's cover), but even then it gives so much more. I knew going in that this was highly regarded by many as one of, if not the, greatest Batman stories. This graphic novel is rich with atmosphere and saturated in beautiful imagery. What really sets it apart is how mature and well told the story is. The very first dialogue sets the scene for the whole book: what's going to happen between Batman and the Joker? They've been playing the same game for years and years, but when will it end, and how? Before now, we never had any reason to sympathize with the Joker. The Joker has always been an incredibly interesting and fun character, but the audience didn’t know what drove him, or even what drove him mad. Revealing his backstory is one-shot deal; you either please fans universally or lose all of their faith depending on how the story is told. But The Killing Joke nails it with flying colors. Speaking of colors, The Killing Joke is rife with fantastic images and finely-crafted spectacles. Open it to any page, and you’ll find something iconic or stylistic. Every panel is given such a painstaking attention to detail, and that kind of dedication and consistency is one of the major selling points. These are the images that’ll stick with you well after you put the book down because of how they pop out of the page. When you see that first image of the Joker truly going mad, you feel it. It’s not “oh look the joker is laughing and totally losing his mind, sucks to be him golly gee,” it’s “That’s it! That’s the point of no return! He’s gone and I feel like I was right there next to him!” (Okay that was a little corny, I won’t do that again, promise). And that’s not the only one that sticks out: Joker in a hawaiian t-shirt holding a cocktail, Joker on a throne of baby dolls, Joker looking solemnly at an old broken carnival machine. Now, you might’ve noticed a pattern there. “But where’s Batman?” Y’see, Batman has had thousands of comics, movies, books, and video games dedicated to his story and his experiences. We know his backstory as though it’s mythology. But until now, we didn’t know Joker. Batman even says so in the graphic novel. And now that the Joker’s finally gotten his spotlight, a true telling of his story, there’s no need to go any further. Sure, we could ask for more novels about Joker’s experiences, but this is the only one that needed to be about the Joker. This is the story about how his life got flip-turned upside down (sorry). All the ones after this one, he’s already insane and we don’t learn anything really new. But here we see it all through his eyes. It doesn’t need a sequel. In fact I hope it never gets a sequel. There’s nothing more to tell with this story, especially with how it ends. The Killing Joke is an exceptional piece of literature.

...and there names were Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan. These two directors used this classic comic as part of the inspiration for there respective representations of Batman on the silver screen. I fell Nolan's film is not only a over-all better movie but also the one which better captures what is so remarkable about "The Killing Joke"! Let me make one thing perfectly clear: I am by no means an avid fan of comics. I respect the art form but it's very rarely appealed to me. Of the few comics that I've read the only ones I truly enjoyed were all written by Alan Moore: "The Killing Joke", "Watchmen", and "Miracleman #15: Nemesis" (thanks to someone posting all the pages for this rare and AMAZING issue on-line). I have read a bit of Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" and Moore's "V for Vendetta". Despite some awesome moments I still think about ("A reflection" from TDKR and "This Vicious Cabaret" from VFV), I couldn't keep up with either of them. I own Art Spiegelman's "Maus" but I haven't had a chance to read it yet, though it sounds right up my alley. The reason for this background is that as a guy who's not a huge comic book fan, THIS COMIC RULES!!! With less than 100 pages, Alan Moore does so many things: create a "definitive" (well, as much as can be done for a character who's past is "multiple choice") backstory for the Joker, suggest that Batman and Joker have far more in common than either character realizes, and create a mood of moral decay and uncertainly while not fully giving into that mood (though not enough to cancel it out). But the icing on the cake is how Moore is able to portray the Joker as an unredeemable monster, tormented philosopher, and a tragic human being all at the same time! A lot of Health Ledger's Joker is foreshadowed by Moore's Joker. Of countless standout moments, there are two which deserve praise. The first is the Joker explain his world view to Batman, how life is a "monstrous demented gag". The words are so well-written and powerful, both because of there fundamental bleakness and the fact that the Joker is truly trying to explain his worldview to Batman. Perhaps hoping for some understanding or at least for proof that he's not alone in the madness. If you want to hear the brilliance of these words and the emotion, I recommend going to Youtube and listening to "Mark Hamill- The Killing Joke" by the Youtube user "Pgirts". A nearly spot-on mimicking of Mark Hamill's voice (the voice of the Joker from "Batman: the Animated Series"), music from the movie "Batman Returns" (a second movie made by the first of the "two guys in a lunatic asylum"), and the text combine to create something shocking weight. The second is as fitting as it is shocking. In keeping with the title, this tale of insanity and despair ends on a joke. I won't dare spoil it because it is awesome on so many levels! But what I will do is end this review with the words of Moore's Rorschach from "Watchmen" about his Pagliacci joke: "Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains."

I will start out by saying i am new to comics. and new to batman. i have read maybe 10 or so comics/tpb in my life prior to this book. what pulled me to this book, like some of you, is the movie Dark Knight. so, is the killing joke good? yes, of course. this edition especially. the art is beautiful and an absolute pleasure to look at/read (i have a problem with comic book art of yesteryear, i think it looks incredibly childish, this book looks wonderful). this edition also contains a short 3 page comic in the end about good/evil which i absolutely loved, its a philosophical debate a man in going through in his head about who is good and who is evil and how does one truly know oneself. in fact this mini-comic goes great to explain how the joker can go from the person he was, to who he is now. the killing joke itself is pretty good read, i found it to be short for a tpb but later understood its really just a slightly longer comicbook (not a collection of many comics). this book has been hyped up a lot before i bought it and i was expecting something incredible, it isnt incredible but extremely enjoyable and totally worth the price. my biggest problem with it is that it leaves you craving more. more of the same art/writing/story telling. i found that it will be very difficult to get more as most other comics with the joker portray him as a laughing fool, rather than a truly insane, calculating murderer. this book also has (in my opinion) one of the best origin stories for the joker (told via flashbacks) which is a little more grounded in reality and not the usual comicbook fantasy flair. batman here is portrayed as an intelligent detective who is feared and respected. he seems very deep and troubled, possessing many internal demons and finding purpose in his life by doing what he does. this book is pretty close to rational reality, without too much (or any) suspension of disbelief necessary. this has always been my favorite part of batman (and the reason i hated all the batman films between the original one and batman begins). if anyone has any recommendations please put it in the comments.