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Mar 15, 2008

Erin rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

7 comments like (22 people liked it)

Mar 29, 2008

Tosh rated it:

Through out my life I have been a borderline Joker obsessive. Even when I was a little tot I had a thing for the Joker. And what got me excited about the first Tim Burton 'Batman' was actually the Joker. No Joker, not so much into Batman.

So yes I do spend some time on YouTube locating images of the new 'Heath' Joker (which looks great) and it is really a great American invention. I think the image of the Joker will go on and on - maybe beyond Batman himself.

Neverth More...

4 comments like (8 people liked it)

Jul 24, 2008

Patrick rated it:

Although I'm still something of a neophyte when it comes to the world of Graphic novels, I can certainly see the appeal to people of all ages.

This is the second full length graphic novel I've read, both by Alan Moore (the other being his opus, 'The Watchmen'), and both have been excellent. Both seem to re-imagine the superhero world as one with real, flawed people trying to reconcile their humanity with their jobs as protectors of the public at-large.

'The Killing Joke' pi More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jun 08, 2008

Chris rated it:

I wasn't going to do this one as an official entry - it's so quick to read that it feels like I'm padding the list. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt I wanted to talk about it, and so it goes on the List.

This was originally published twenty years ago, and is still one of the most popular and well-regarded Batman stories ever. Between them, Moore and Bolland - a master writer and a master artist - gave Batman and his prime antagonist new lives and new meaning.

More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Oct 11, 2011

Federiken rated it:

De chico la leí y mucho no entendí, pero me deslumbró el dibujo y la narrativa. De grande lo releí y me gustó tanto como antes, con el añadido de que entendí toda la historia y los guiños del autor (al menos eso creo). Cuando lo relea seguro me explaye y le escriba una reseña como la gente.

Leído y poseído de la edición de Perfil publicado en Argentina a principios de los 90s. Esa edición estaba bastante bien pero padecía de los errores típicos de aquella editorial, como el "cast More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 04, 2011

Justin rated it:

Despite the long years of my misspent youth lined with comic books, I've never been a Batman reader. I was an avowed Marvel kid, so the Tim Burton movie was, sadly, my first introduction to the Dark Knight. I wish I had discovered The Killing Joke back then, because after reading the recently released hardcover edition of this graphic novel, I kind of want to get into the series.

This is the quintessential Joker tale; in fact, I had read that Heath Ledger was given a copy of this stor More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 25, 2008

Anthony rated it:

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1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 31, 2008

Ben rated it:

I can't help thinking that both this and the movie "Dark Knight" would have been more intense if I hadn't spent so many years living/studying/reading/meditating Taoism. I understand where Moore is trying to go with it, but the fierce desires of Commissioner Gordon and Batman to prove the Joker wrong seem to me to equal that of the Joker's desire to prove that everyone is like him. Then again maybe that is Moore's point, but considering the effort he put into trying to shock us with w More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 07, 2008

Brigham rated it:

I wasn't going to review this one because it's quite short, but as soon as I finished it I went back and read it again in the most natural of movements. The second time around I saw more layers unfolding through the stark colors, the subtle dialogue and the joke on the final page.

I have to say though the most lingering moment came in an epilogue that I'm not sure was in the original comic. (I have a hardback release that just came out) A man records himself talking about a crime he' More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Mar 25, 2009

Robert rated it:

This is certainly a good graphic novel, but I found the writing disappointing, especially coming from Alan Moore. He plays his usual games with self-reference and clever placement of words and images, but I found the Joker's plot to be surprisingly shallow and uninspired. The light touch at the end between him and Batman was also jarring. But I don't want to trash this work. It is very good, just unequal to the hype. In any case it contributed to the Batman canon (because of what happens to Barb More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 12, 2008

Jackie "the Librarian" rated it:

I haven't read any of the Batman comics, and I read this because I had heard Heath Ledger used it to inspire his take on The Joker. I loved the dark artwork, the color palate, everything about the LOOK of the story. The artistry is outstanding.
But the story falls short. It assumes too much knowledge on the part of the reader, knowledge I don't have. So, I don't get it. The punch, the power, it's not here.
I think the author assumes you have the backstory necessary to provide that po More...

8 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 19, 2009

Izlinda rated it:

Wow. I read this in the library because people kept telling me to read it. After reading "Batman RIP" I wasn't so keen on another Batman comic (besides the one Neil Gaiman wrote), but this is just brilliant. I definitely would recommend it to others, even those who turn their noses up at comics/graphic novels.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 13, 2008

Joanna rated it:

This is sadly overrated. I've liked Alan Moore's other work, and expected to like this one, too; it's often listed as one of the best Batman tales ever (one otherwise spot-on ranking from IGN puts it at #3). But it was one of the most disappointing of the ones I've read thus far. I'm a bigger fan of the more realistic approaches that Loeb and Miller employ. Moore is normally big on realism in his comics, but he misses the mark here somehow. His version of the Joker makes only a little bit of sen More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 29, 2011

Stella ☢FAYZ☢ rated it:

Boy oh boy. Had the library been one week late on delivering my hold request of this book, I think I would have gone mad.

Last weekend, I kind of had an emotional breakdown. The levee holding back grade 12 stresses finally broke. BUT, have not fear, Mr. Alan Moore was here to save me. I hid in my room and read The Killing Joke, over and over again. I lost count after the 3rd hour I spent in my room. The story was so moving and the Joker, at the moment of reading it, seemed like a man te More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 01, 2008

Israel rated it:

Esta es la historia que inspiró a Ledger en su visión del Guasón. Con ese dato de entrada les debería bastar para echarle un vistazo.

Escrita por Alan Moore e ilustrada por Brian Bolland, esta novela gráfica es considerada una de las mejores historias de Batman, tengo que acordar con dicha afirmación.

Una versión sobre el origen del Guasón es expuesta sin que el mismo esté claro en que ese sea su origen y procedencia, él se perdió en el camino.

Esta novela no tra More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 21, 2012

Amanda rated it:

For me, this comic book isn't amazing because it's "SOOO AWESOME" but rather because it's deeply troubling.

It is amazing. If you're 18+ and good with mature themes, I highly, highly recommend it. But don't expect to feel good about how cleverly Batman defeats Joker after soundly kicking his ass. That's not how this one works. And DO NOT, under any circumstances, read this book as a first kick at the Batman universe can. You really need to understand A LOT of back-story for More...

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Dec 22, 2011

Chris rated it:

I've been a fan of Batman for as long as I can remember but only really via TV Shows, cartoons and movies. I never really got into the monthly comic book scene and haven't picked up many superhero graphic novels. But I've seen this graphic novel sitting on the store and library shelves for a long while and it kept calling to me...until I finally read it.

Of the Batman villains, my favorite is the Riddler. Mostly this is due to my own penchant for riddles, puzzles, codes and random More...

0 comments like

Dec 20, 2011

Rajiv rated it:

This is one of the more interesting Batman books I've read so far. The book isn't without its faults though, but they are outweighed by interesting observations and some excellent last pages.

Joker's origin is tied to the Red Hood, which I think doesn't quite work. He's supposed to be an enigmatic character with "multiple-choice" origins that maintain his mystique and scary personality. The origin story works in parallel with Joker trying to make Commissioner Gordon go crazy More...

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Dec 15, 2011

Yasdong rated it:

[SPOILER!!]

Komik ini menuturkan dengan detil mengapa Joker menjadi Joker.

Kita disambut oleh sampul yang menggoda: Joker yang memegang kamera klasik secara portrait sambil mengatakan "Smile". Dari situ saya menduga bakal ada kejutan menarik di dalamnya.

***

Batman datang ke Arkham Asylum untuk menemui Joker, namun yang dia temukan malah orang yang menyamar sebagai Joker. Sang badut gila berada di Gotham dan sedang merencanakan sesuatu yang j More...

0 comments like

Oct 22, 2011

Brandon rated it:

I really didn't like Watchmen (which I think I may be in the minority on) and didn't see what all the hype surrounding Alan Moore was all about. But my God, this book was jaw-droppingly excellent.

To this day, I have never really experienced a Joker origin story (well, unless you count Tim Burton's 1989 Batman) so this was pretty much all new to me. The fact that Alan Moore hammers it home time and time again that Joker is the way he is because of one bad day is pretty chilling. It a More...

0 comments like (7 people liked it)

Jun 20, 2011

Julian rated it:

Let me start this review by saying right up front that what Alan Moore does to poor Barbara is totally out of proportion. Sure he wants to show us that the Joker is monstrous and capable of doing extreme evil as easily as he could steal candy from a baby (to radically revise Nietzsche's characterisation of the Superman), but as the act is symbolic, and is simply a reminder, it's not clear that it is necessary that it involve such astonishing cruelty to a warm and positive character. For once, More...

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Apr 22, 2011

Aaron rated it:

This short and quick read presents one of the most notorious incidents in the history of the "Bat-family." The tale starts with the Joker escaping from Arkham Asylum. As usual, he is out for revenge against his nemesis, the Batman. Everyone knows that it is sometimes easier for a villain to strike out against those the hero cares about. The Joker decides that the best target would be the Gordons.

Upon arriving at the Gordon home, the Joker quickly shoots Barbara Gordon, a librarian More...

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Apr 08, 2011

Yousif rated it:

Hey guys, DK-Y2Y here. And I will be reviewing Alan Moore's Batman: Killing Joke. This book is damn short, but it is great. Many people complain about its length. Other books such as Watchmen, is damn large. Though, this graphic novel is something unique that you will read more than 5 times. This is Tim Burton's first comic he ever read and his favorite comic book.

This book is not the original 1980's graphic novel as it is completely remaked. It has been remaked in terms of coloring, a More...

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Mar 21, 2011

Tung rated it:

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0 comments like

Feb 01, 2011

Hans rated it:

Where would Batman be without the Joker? Honestly these two are probably the best polar opposites in the entire comic book genre. The most fascinating part is how it was never planned that way, it just naturally evolved, the story taking on a life of itself. So Batman or the Dark Knight uses his fear to frighten criminals and the Joker uses Humor. Bruce Wayne is the epitome of cold rationality and commitment to law and order while the Joker is so insane his insanity almost becomes a form of More...

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Jan 31, 2011

Kirk rated it:

I actually had to read this for a class, Comic Books as Literature, about a decade ago along with Concrete, Hellboy and V for Vendetta. The parallel panels to mark chronological transitions from flashback to present are excellent. I didn't read Frank Miller's work on Batman until a year or two later, so this was my first time being exposed to a Batman quite different than the one I remembered from my childhood. No more "BAM!" "KABOOM!" onomatopoeia b#!! $#!T here. This is Bat More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 23, 2010

Tom rated it:

The Tragical Comedy Of Mr. Jack-Batman: The Killing Joke (20th anniversary edition)

It’s well beyond the point of debate that Batman: The Killing Joke is one of the most powerful, important graphic novels in the history of comics. For a one-off, Alan Moore and Brian Bolland nailed it. The Joker origin story was originally released in 1988 and it’s a testament to the tale that a 20th anniversary hardcover was released this year with a fresh coat of paint. Rather than dust of More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 07, 2010

Rose rated it:

I read Alan Moore's "Batman: The Killing Joke" with an open mind. I've read many other installations and novelizations in the Batman franchise, and while this stand-alone seems to be the subject of much debate, I thought it was an interesting portrayal of the Joker's character as being halfway mad and halfway tormented with relation to his backstory. It also told a rather twisted scheme of events involving the tragic circumstances of Gordon's daughter Barbara (Batgirl) - which it hone More...

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Jun 04, 2010

Lee rated it:

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0 comments like

Jun 01, 2010

Kirsten rated it:

This is a really great Batman story. Moore's writing is excellent -- he thankfully doesn't get esoteric and mystical, as has been his wont as of late, he just writes a good Batman story. The story itself, I give four stars.

I'm not happy, though, with the decision to let Brian Bolland re-color the entire comic for this "deluxe" edition. While some of his coloring choices are effective, such as the decision to make the flashbacks to The Joker's (possible) origins a sort of More...

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