Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Batman: The Killing Joke (Batman)

by Alan Moore, Brian Bolland (Illustrator)

4.33 of 5 stars 4.33 · rating details · 43,201 ratings · 1,100 reviews

Alan Moore cemented his reputation for unparalleled storytelling with wildly acclaimed books such as WATCHMEN and V FOR VENDETTA. Here he takes on some of DC's most classic characters, offering his unforgettable version of the disturbing relationship between the Dark Knight and his greatest foe, the Joker.

In this groundbreaking work, Moore creates a twisted tale of insanit...more

Hardcover, 64 pages

Published March 19th 2008 by DC Comics (first published March 1988)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Rooting for the Bad Guy

41st out of 294 books — 971 voters

The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1 by Neil Gaiman

The Walking Dead, Book One by Robert Kirkman

Graphic Novels That Rocked My World

7th out of 286 books — 93 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 15, 2008 Erin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Erin by: Zak

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It causes me no joy to give any comic written by Alan Moore one star, but this is how it has to be. Now, before I write a single word more, let me start with this simple disclaimer: I consider Alan Moore the best writer to have ever worked in comics. There are no qualifiers to that; no qualifications. Moore is unmatched.

But The Killing Joke? As a Batman book, it's just bad. That isn't to say there's nothing to like here: this book certainly has its moments; some of which are brilliant, in fact....more

35 likes · like · see review

Mar 29, 2008 Tosh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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.

Nevertheless I was attracted to this...more

13 likes · like · see review

Mar 08, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: x-1980s, graphic-novels, if-we-build-it-they-will-come, superheroes, reviewed

Batman has always been one of my favorite superheroes. He wasn't some GQ alien from planet Krypton with super powers and debonair manners that make the Brady Bunch look like barbarians. He wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider or a mutant or exposed to nuclear radiation. He was a troubled rich guy with a vigilante complex with some neat gadgets that you could imagine yourself using (if you had enough money). It makes him the every hero.

Plus, he's a majorly flawed protagonist. The perfect heroes...more Batman has always been one of my favorite superheroes. He wasn't some GQ alien from planet Krypton with super powers and debonair manners that make the Brady Bunch look like barbarians. He wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider or a mutant or exposed to nuclear radiation. He was a troubled rich guy with a vigilante complex with some neat gadgets that you could imagine yourself using (if you had enough money). It makes him the every hero.

Plus, he's a majorly flawed protagonist. The perfect heroes kinda get annoying - after a while, you start to want them to fall. Or at least slide a little.

This was absolutely fantastic. At first, I couldn't believe that this was an Alan Moore comic because the style was so different - Alan Moore's drawings are very film noir, purposely retro, and highly angular. The illustrations in this book were more realistic and cartoony, like the animated series that was so popular in the 1990s (and of which I was an avid fan. I was a weird girl. I was addicted to super heroes and had Hot Wheels and Mighty Max toys and I have a video tape of my seventh birthday where one of the dads not-so-quietly asked my dad if they were afraid I was going to turn into a lesbian? Gotta love subtlety). Anyway, enough about me. Back to the comic. I don't usually like Alan Moore's comics for the reasons I listed: the style isn't the only antiquated aspect of the book. His characters' morality leaves much to be desired, and I'm not just talking about how he treats the women (although this really does piss me off. Stop raping all your female characters, Mr. Moore - figuratively AND literally!).

But Brian Bolland is this book's saving grace. He keeps all the dramatic lighting and textures of Moore's work but with more realistic, softer drawings that are nostalgic rather than archaic. Plus, the characters had marvelous depth. I hated The Dark Knight. It was too dark and, in my opinion, ruined the batman genre. I liked Batman and Robin more than I liked The Dark Knight - at least it was campy and filled with (somewhat) funny one-liners. But the ones by Tim Burton are my favorite - and guess whose endorsement is plastered on the front of this graphic novel? That's right. Tim Burton.

I actually liked The Joker. His back story made me feel for where he was coming from, and the ending was... dare I say it... almost cute. It made me smile. It's been a while since a batman movie/comic has left me with a smile on my face instead of a heavy heart. In The Killing Joke, the Joker has managed to escape from Arkham Asylum, and is preparing a theme park of horrors to get revenge against Officer Gordon and Batman. There are some pretty gruesome scenes (I'm guessing this is Moore's influence - *cough rape cough*), but, again, nothing nearly as awful as what you'd find in the Dark Knight.

This is definitely a valuable addition to any batman collection. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for Mr. Bolland. If he can make me love Moore, he's gotta be some kind of wonderful.(less)

11 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Stella ☢FAYZ☢ Chen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels

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 telling my s...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 24, 2008 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who enjoyed 'The Dark Knight'

Shelves: books-read-in-2008

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' picks up with the known qu...more 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' picks up with the known quantities of the Batman universe and injects them with new blood. It begins with Batman realizing that his drawn out battles with the Joker are doomed to end in the demise of one or both of them, and he would like to give one final try to understanding each other, hopeless though it may be. Meanwhile, the Joker has escaped Arkham and is bent on doing the exact opposite--proving that anyone can be driven to madness under the right circumstances, using Commissioner Gordon as his test subject.

It's an interesting time to read this novel. I read it prior to seeing 'The Dark Knight', and grew up with Tim Burton's original 'Batman' as my favorite superhero movie, and it's very clear both 'Dark Knight' writer and director Christopher Nolan and Burton both read this novel as well, and it had a huge influence on the way they made their films. The difference is the way these influences were applied, and it's what makes 'The Dark Knight' far superior to Burton's 'Batman'.

Tim Burton took 'The Killing Joke' and applied it superficially to his characters, providing the Joker with the backstory of falling into a vat of chemicals after being pursued by a fledgling Batman and going insane. The subtext of the Joker was more or less lost in Jack Nicholson's enjoyable, but somewhat campy performance. He was a lovable--if still quite dangerous--trickster, but not all that frightening.

Nolan, conversely, takes the heart of Moore's story and crafts it around his own take on the characters. Subtle things, such as Heath Ledger's Joker gleefully providing many contradicting backstories to his prey, the Joker's sick enjoyment of his cat and mouse game with Batman, and of course, his almost casual employment of brutal violence, all harken back to Moore's characterization of the Joker in this novel. And while Nolan dug deeper to the heart of Moore's story, he also clearly used it as a template for the story itself, plugging Harvey Dent into Commissioner Gordon's role, while also changing the results.

In short, as seems to be the case with Alan Moore, there is a lot more going on here than meets the eye. It's also worth mentioning that Brian Bolland's art is amazing. The edition I read was restored and re-colored, and that may have had an effect, but the artwork was very sharp and crisp, with bold colors leaping off the page. The artwork complimented the story in ways that most comics rarely do, in my experience.

Finally, I just wanted to say that the ending of this book was awesome. Just awesome.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 08, 2008 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

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.

It starts off in an un...more 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.

It starts off in an unusual way - with the Batman trying to make peace with the Joker. This is, as many Batman fans will tell you, somewhat out of character for him. Batman's fight is the fight against evil, pure and simple. He is a man of black and white, a man of no compromises, and to see him sit down and offer the Joker a way out of their never-ending cycle of self-destruction is... unnerving to say the least.

But this story isn't about Batman. It's about the Joker - how he came to be, what he wants and what he thinks of the rest of the world. His hypothesis is simple: the only thing that divides a madman from a sane one is a single bad day. He knows what his was, and he's pretty sure what Batman's was, and he does his best to make one bad day for Commissioner Gordon that will take the rock of the Gotham police down into madness.

It does ask a very big question: what is it that sets us, the supposedly sane majority of people, from the mad? How much can a human endure before he snaps and dresses like a bat, or sports a permanent grin and murders people for amusement? Where is the boundary between sanity and madness anyway, and how do we resist going over that edge, especially when it is sometimes just so, so tempting to do so?

The writing is outstanding, but that's Alan Moore - we'd expect that. And the art is incredible, as we would expect from Brian Bolland. Read this slowly, and pay attention to the art. The amount of planning and thought that went into every panel is mind-boggling. If you're a Batman fan - and how can you not be? - you'll love this book. If you like a good story, well-told, you'll love this. And I have a feeling that it'll be a good idea to read this before the new movie comes out....(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 03, 2010 Federiken Masters rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Todo el mundo.

Recommended to Federiken by: Lucho Escorpicón.

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 "castellano neutro" ll...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2013 Keith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alan-moore, batman

You guys, I've been thinking about this for a few years now and I finally have to say that I greatly prefer the John Higgins original coloring on this book to Brian Bolland's recoloring -- to the point that I actually think the recoloring makes the book noticeably less amazing. To the point that I would have trouble recommending the new version to people if they've never read it before, despite this being one of my favorite comics of all time. It's that big a difference. Seriously, you guys.

I'm...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 10, 2012 Ronyell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of The Joker!!!

Shelves: 6-star-reads, action-adventure, american-hero-or-heroine, best-books-of-2012, book-series, cult-classic, dc-comics, drama, fantasy, favorites, graphic-novels-comics, horror, my-blog-reviews, mystery, read-in-2012, reviewed-books, sexy-bad-boy-hero, strong-hero, young-adult-teen-books, alan-moore, ronyell-s-epinions-reviews, modern-age-comics, books-i-already-own

5.5 stars!!!

OH…MY…GOD…

description

I thought I knew everything there was to know about the Joker, one of Batman’s greatest foes. But after reading “Batman: The Killing Joke” and how the Joker was portrayed in this book, the Joker has officially become one of the most VILE, TWISTED, DARK and most DISTURBING villain I have ever come face to face with…AND I LOVED IT! Being brilliantly written by Alan Moore and being masterfully illustrated by Brian Bolland, “Batman: The Killing Joke” has remained to be one of...more

23 likes · like · see review

May 04, 2011 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels, superheroes, shelf-of-fame

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 story to prepare...more 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 story to prepare for his brilliant turn as the Joker in "The Dark Knight," and that movie has this story's "One Bad Day" theme written all over it as a result. The story opens with Batman paying the Joker a call at Arkham, intent on talking things through with him and ending their rivalry once and for all, before one of them is forced to kill the other. Too late, he realizes that Joker has already escaped. Meanwhile, Joker unexpectedly shows up at the home of Commissioner Gordon, abducting him and critically wounding his daughter in the process. Joker then sets his plan into motion: he attempts to drive Gordon insane, for no discernible reason other than that he can. He's also sent Batman an invitation to his impromptu carnival, intent on having a talk of his own.

In the deluxe version, the story has been recolored with artist Brian Bolland's original intended colors, and the effect is striking. The muted colors are perfect for the tone of the story. The black-and-white flashbacks are particularly good, especially considering the deepening notes of crimson that thread through them and lead towards the Joker's destiny (or one version of it, anyway). Colors aside, the artwork is spectacular. The two panels of the Joker with a gun (particularly the second) will stay with me for a while.

The story is as dark and brilliant as you would expect something of Alan Moore's to be. This is a fantastically creepy Joker: sadistic, dangerously insane, and weirdly tragic. The ending is deliciously ambiguous, and haunting on a number of levels, including the various interpretations of the actual joke itself. The only weakness I can see springs from Moore's strength as a storyteller. The Killing Joke could easily be twice as long. We could get so much deeper into this story, and still not lose any of its power. It felt too short. Thankfully, the deluxe edition includes an interesting but somewhat disturbing original story by Bolland that doesn't really stand on its own, but does offer a nice coda to Moore's story.

This is comic book canon. Anybody interested in comics or graphic novels should read this, and it's a shame I waited so long to do it. Also, anybody who likes the new Batman movies, particularly Ledger's Joker, should read this and see where that character came from.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 25, 2008 Anthony rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 31, 2008 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

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 what happens...more

2 likes · like · see review

Ben Oh absolutely! Taoism just fit perfectly with me and I would not have it any other way. The trade off from intensity towards balance is well worth it....more
31 de Dic 11:40

Ben That made me stop and think for a moment. I am a Gemini, and supposedly we have two distinct sides or personalities (which I guess means that I should...more
31 de Dic 12:11

Ben (laughing) I knew quite a few guys who went to church for the same reason! Sorry that you weren't successful. I did really believe in Christianity at...more
31 de Dic 13:15

Nov 07, 2008 Brigham rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, keepers

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's involved i...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 27, 2012 Juan Carlos Santillán rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-estrellas, cómics, reseñas

Se presentan dos historias paralelas, una mejor que la otra. Cojea por falta de interés propio la del atentado del Joker a Barbara Gordon, hija del comisionado Gordon -la olvidable "Batichica"-, pero es muy buena la correlación que se efectúa entre la tortura psicológica del villano al propio comisionado y la historia del origen del propio Joker -la otra historia-, apoyada en un excelente trabajo gráfico, lo más destacable del "comic book". La limitada intervención de Batman tiene un magistral...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 11, 2012 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The good:
- I liked the Joker origin story. I can't believe they told it -- but I liked it. It was bizarrely, disappointingly mundane, and that was exactly the point.
- I enjoyed the conceit that Batman and Joker could ever be anything but archenemies.
- Gorgeous art, and nice music for the Joker's vaudeville act.
- Best of all was how the story problematizes the Batman. Gordon showed his sanity by telling Batman to catch Joker by the book, but there's a logical gap here. Gordon implies that you'd h...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 19, 2012 Sam Quixote rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Batman goes to Arkham Asylum on a fool's errand - to try and talk sense to the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. But Joker's not there! He's escaped and plans on destroying the Gordon family. Will the Dark Knight save them? Or will Joker have the last laugh...

First off, this is an acknowledged classic and I utterly loved it when I read it several years ago. Re-reading it now, I can say this book most definitely holds up, this is a classic Batman book for a reason. What I forgot was how slim a bo...more Batman goes to Arkham Asylum on a fool's errand - to try and talk sense to the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. But Joker's not there! He's escaped and plans on destroying the Gordon family. Will the Dark Knight save them? Or will Joker have the last laugh...

First off, this is an acknowledged classic and I utterly loved it when I read it several years ago. Re-reading it now, I can say this book most definitely holds up, this is a classic Batman book for a reason. What I forgot was how slim a book it is - it's 46 pages long! The other Bat-classics, Returns, Year One, Long Hallowe'en, they're all at least 100 pages, the last one I think is nearly 300 pages. 46 pages!

It's a testament to Alan Moore's skilful plotting and Brian Bolland's superb artwork and layouts then that the two of them are able to fit so much and develop it so well in such a limited frame. And here's the other surprise about this book, even though Alan Moore's name is on the book, Brian Bolland is far and away the real reason anyone, whether they like superhero comics or not, should pick up this book. The artwork is GORGEOUS!

Look at that iconic cover - Joker looking perfect, his pose fit snugly within the rectangular cover; it says so much and is such a beautiful cover. I've got a large print of this framed in my house I love it so much. Looking through the book though are so many other frames that are utterly fantastic - the Joker smiling a winning smile to the Carnival property owner; Joker's gun as it points at Barbara Gordon; the Heart of Darkness-esque shot of Joker sitting on a bumper car atop a pile of (fake) dead babies; the design of the red hood; the half page image of the Joker becoming the Joker for the first time; the first panel of the last page when Joker begins laughing at his own punch-line - and Batman joins in!

Yes this is an origin story of one of the most interesting villains in fiction ever created, but I choose to believe it isn't, that it's one version of Joker's origin, one of many swirling around the calliope of his deranged mind, in the same way that the ending could be seen as imaginary. I mean, could you see Batman laughing with the Joker? But I loved Moore's choice of ending the story on a joke, that was a master stroke.

Bolland writes the afterword and he makes an interesting point about Moore, that "The Killing Joke" is never mentioned among his great works (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, From Hell) and I think that, while Moore is a tremendous writer (especially in the 80s), the writing here is not his best. Sure he does a decent job but it's not his best work. No, the real reason this book is so revered is the artwork. Really, I can't praise it enough. And it's a damn shame that Bolland hasn't drawn another Batman comic since then, or any comic really, instead illustrating book covers exclusively.

Any Batman fan will already have this on their "to-read list" or else already own it, but I think comics fans who don't usually go in for superhero comics will find plenty to enjoy here too. This is the book that influences a lot of things that follow it: Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie (Jack Napier in the factory being chased by cops), the Batman games "Arkham Asylum" and "Arkham City" (see the fight sequences between Batman and Joker and tell me you don't recognise a few moves there), but most of all what happened to poor Barbara Gordon and how her character would develop over the years.

Also, if you can, buy the Deluxe Edition as it features the colour work of Bolland himself instead of John Higgins the original colourist. Bolland's approach is markedly different particularly in the flashback sequences of Joker-before-he-was-Joker. It also comes with an introduction by Tim Sale (artist of Haunted Knight, The Long Hallowe'en, and Dark Victory), and an afterword by Bolland along with a bonus strip written and drawn by Bolland of a murderous delusional fantasising about killing the Caped Crusader.

A wonderful achievement by two talented artists, taking an iconic figure in an iconic series and making him seem new. Nearly 30 years later and it still reads fresh. Even if you've read it before but it's been a few years since you last picked it up, go read it again, you'll find little bits you missed all those years ago, like me.

I've got one: so, a bat and a clown go to the fair and.... (less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Levana rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: holy-comics-batman

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Let's admit it--Moore can't write women. At all. I don't know him as a person but he seems to have very little respect for them in his writing. And his treatment of Barbara--the Joker shoots her in the spine, paralyzing her--is evidence of that. She's the only woman in this whole book.

Babs joins the long list of superheroines with ugly, violent demises (see 'Women in Refrigerators,' by writer Gail Simone), and she suffers the most violent and debilitating fate for a comic book character. (update...more Let's admit it--Moore can't write women. At all. I don't know him as a person but he seems to have very little respect for them in his writing. And his treatment of Barbara--the Joker shoots her in the spine, paralyzing her--is evidence of that. She's the only woman in this whole book.

Babs joins the long list of superheroines with ugly, violent demises (see 'Women in Refrigerators,' by writer Gail Simone), and she suffers the most violent and debilitating fate for a comic book character. (update: Having read Birds of Prey, also written by Gail Simone, Barbara was remade into a hero of her own, just as strong, beautiful and deadly, and her role in the DC universe before the New 52 was original and so inspiring. The problem is not how Barbara was reinvisioned as a character--it's that she is violently shot and paralyzed in the first place, without even being in costume, without even getting the chance to defend herself.

If Batman, Robin, or Superman was paralyzed in a one-shot, do you really think they'd keep it that way? Oh yeah--Batman's back was broken by Bane and he got it fixed up in a jiffy! There's nothing biased here! Way to go, Alan Moore.

There are two other reasons why I can't stand this book, even amid its incessant praise:

1) Giving the Joker a backstory was a terrible idea. If you've seen The Dark Knight, you know that one of the most terrifying moments of the Joker is not when he tells Rachel his origin story, but when he tells someone else something completely different. The idea that we have no idea who the Joker is--that he's a maniacal sociopath who, then, can come from anywhere, that he's told so many different stories that maybe he doesn't even know who he truly is. That's scary. And Moore undoes all of that--this Red Hood 'origin story' has been retold so many different times that it's pretty much canon.

2) Jim Gordon. Not only does Moore do away with Barbara's integrity, he tosses Jim's out the window too. Jim's experience in this book is every parent's ultimate nightmare: his daughter is shot, he is captured, and then the Joker shows Jim pictures of Barbara in various states of undress, bleeding and broken on the floor.

How in the WORLD does that not break you as a parent? Let me tell you something. It does. As soon as the Joker was captured, Jim would have grabbed the nearest gun and shot him. Maybe not in the heart, but somewhere where it would have caused pain. He wouldn't have gone crazy, like the Joker was hoping for--but there is no way that Jim would have just stood back and let Batman take care of it.

I seriously don't know why everyone loves this book.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 25, 2009 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels

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

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 12, 2008 Jackie "the Librarian" rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Batman fans

Shelves: graphicnovels, adultfiction, fantasy

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 power. And I th...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2009 Izlinda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels-comics

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.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 13, 2008 Joanna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel

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

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 01, 2008 Israel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 trata sobre el origen del bufón del cri...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 15, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel

The third in my series of Batman stories is “The Killing Joke.” This is a Batman verses Joker story. As I mentioned in my last review, the joker is unoriginally my favorite Batman villian. I think he is everyone’s favorite, and for a reason. He is mad, pure and simple. The acts he commits are not carried out to gain something, like wealth or revenge. He is chaos at his core. That makes him completely unpredictable and fun to read.

In the story he aims to spotlight the differences he sees in himse...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2013 Jacob rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. No Laughing Matter...

Easily the greatest Joker story ever told, Batman: The Killing Joke is also one of Alan Moore's finest works. Originally released in 1988, The Killing Joke tells the origin of the Joker -- or at least one version of the origin. The Clown Prince of Crime himself admits even he can't be sure which version of his beginnings is true. The origin is the underpinning for the psychological drama, rather than being mere filler. True to his psychosis, the Joker doesn't want to accept...more No Laughing Matter...

Easily the greatest Joker story ever told, Batman: The Killing Joke is also one of Alan Moore's finest works. Originally released in 1988, The Killing Joke tells the origin of the Joker -- or at least one version of the origin. The Clown Prince of Crime himself admits even he can't be sure which version of his beginnings is true. The origin is the underpinning for the psychological drama, rather than being mere filler. True to his psychosis, the Joker doesn't want to accept responsibility for his actions and goes about attempting to prove that any man put under proper duress would go bonkers.

The Joker's experiment leads to one of the most shocking moment's in DC history, an event that affects Batman continuity for the next 15 years and it's done as casually as a Joker killing spree.

Those who focus on the Joker's origin are missing the point. The Killing Joke isn't about how the Joker came to be, it's an examination of human nature. If Joker can turn his captive, Commissioner James Gordon, into a raving lunatic, then it's proof that any man in Joe Kerr's position would have gone a little nutty. However, should Gordon survive with sanity intact, it serves as proof that there is something buried deep within each lunatic, a nugget of insanity, that is simply waiting for the right moment to spring forth. Is it the horrors of a particular event that make a man insane or is it something deep within the man himself?

Outside of the psychological and sociological undertones, The Killing Joke is a masterfully told story. Each scene features perfect transitions, allowing the story to easily weave between present and past as the Joker attempts to force his insanity on James Gordon. Brian Bolland's art is a rarity for comics. It features no set-ups, no heavily-reused poses. Everyone's face is full of expression, no muscle is left unused throughout the short tale. Together Moore's rhythmic dialogue and Bolland's organic art create a unique story often mimicked but never matched.

What Moore understands that so many writers seem to overlook is that clowns are inevitably pitiable people. Behind every clown's smile is a sad story, they say and the Joker is no different. Though an unforgiving and brutal mass-murderer, the Joker is shown as a vulnerable and pathetic figure, trapped in a cycle of violence just like Batman.

If you haven't read The Killing Joke, you have no right to call yourself a Batman fan. You may not find it to be the greatest Batman story of all time, but you'll be hard-pressed not to laugh at the end. Re-printed more times than almost any other comic in history, The Killing Joke is still readily available, meaning you have no excuse. If you've read it before, go back and read it again. You owe it to yourself.(less)

like · see review

Feb 26, 2013 Abdul Hair rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel-grafis

Ini adalah komik ketiga karya Alan Moore yang saya baca. Sebelumnya, saya sudah membaca dua karya Alan Moore yang lain, Watchmen dan V for Vendetta. Komik ini pertama kali diterbitkan tahun 1988

Banyak yang bilang kalau cerita Batman terbaik adalah The Dark Knight, film yang disutradarai Cristopher Nolan. Film tersebut menjadi menarik tentu saja karena karakter Joker. Joker dalam cerita Nolan adalah seseorang yang datang entah dari mana. Tak ada yang tahu asal usulnya, bahkan baju yang dipakainya...more Ini adalah komik ketiga karya Alan Moore yang saya baca. Sebelumnya, saya sudah membaca dua karya Alan Moore yang lain, Watchmen dan V for Vendetta. Komik ini pertama kali diterbitkan tahun 1988

Banyak yang bilang kalau cerita Batman terbaik adalah The Dark Knight, film yang disutradarai Cristopher Nolan. Film tersebut menjadi menarik tentu saja karena karakter Joker. Joker dalam cerita Nolan adalah seseorang yang datang entah dari mana. Tak ada yang tahu asal usulnya, bahkan baju yang dipakainya pun tak ada yang tau dibeli di mana, karena memang baju yang dia kenakan tak punya merek.

Tapi, setelah saya membaca komik ini, ternyata karakter Joker nya sama dengan karakter Joker yang dibuat Nolan, seseorang yang datang entah dari mana. Ketika ngopi dengan seorang penggemar berat Alan Moore, saya tanya: "Siapa orang yang pertama kali menciptakan karakter Joker yang seperti itu?" Dia menjawab dengan mantap, "Alan Moore."

Melihat tanggal pembuatannya (The Killing Joke dibuat tahun 1988, sedang The Dark Knight dibuat tahun 2008), jelas Nolan terpengaruh dengan cerita The Killing Joke. Banyak hal yang sama dari dua cerita tersebut. Diantaranya, Joker yang sama2 ingin membuktikan pada orang lain bahwa semua orang di dunia bisa menjadi seperti dirinya hanya dengan sedikit "push". Jika di "The Dark Knight" Joker ingin membuktikan kalau Harvey Dent bisa menjadi pembunuh sadis seperti dia, maka di "The Killing Joke" Joker ingin membuktikan bahwa Jim Gordon bisa menjadi gila seperti dia.

Membaca komik ini, saya berkesimplan bahwa Joker adalah pengagum berat John Locke, dia yakin dengan teori tabularasa, bahwa manusia seperti kertas kosong, bahwa pengalamanlah yang menulis di kertas kosong tersebut. Sedangkan Batman, dia pengagum berat Socrates, bahwa dia yakin jika ada "suatu pengetahuan" yang dibawa manusia sejak dia lahir.

Jika di film "The Dark Knight" Batman tetaplah yang jadi pemenang, lalu siapakah yang jadi pemanang di komik ini, Joker atau Batman? Silahkan baca sendiri :p. Yang jelas, endingnya sangat tidak terduga.(less)

like · see review

Jan 26, 2013 Atya Mahatmya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's a short comic book created by Alan Moore. The first time I look this comic, I kinda feel funny. It's a batman comic, then why would Joker be the one in the cover. This in Alan Moore Comics, there's always a surprise. I read it page by page and I found the old school Alan Moore that always fascinating for me. This comic tells us about not what crime the Joker do, but how society makes a villain like the Joker. As I quote a dialogue that the Joker says, "I've proved my point. I've demonstrate...more It's a short comic book created by Alan Moore. The first time I look this comic, I kinda feel funny. It's a batman comic, then why would Joker be the one in the cover. This in Alan Moore Comics, there's always a surprise. I read it page by page and I found the old school Alan Moore that always fascinating for me. This comic tells us about not what crime the Joker do, but how society makes a villain like the Joker. As I quote a dialogue that the Joker says, "I've proved my point. I've demonstrated there's no difference between me and everyone else! All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. You had a bad day once, am I right? I know I am. I can tell. You had a bad day and everything changed. Why else would you dress up as a flying rat? You had a bad day, and it drove you as crazy as everybody else... Only you won't admit it! You have to keep pretending that life makes sense, that there's some point to all this struggling! God you make me want to puke. I mean, what is it with you? What made you what you are? Girlfriend killed by the mob, maybe? Brother carved up by some mugger? Something like that, I bet. Something like that... Something like that happened to me, you know. I... I'm not exactly sure what it was. Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another... If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice! Ha ha ha! But my point is... My point is, I went crazy. When I saw what a black, awful joke the world was, I went crazy as a coot! I admit it! Why can't you? I mean, you're not unintelligent! You must see the reality of the situation. Do you know how many times we've come close to world war three over a flock of geese on a computer screen? Do you know what triggered the last world war? An argument over how many telegraph poles Germany owed its war debt creditors! Telegraph poles! Ha ha ha ha HA! It's all a joke! Everything anybody ever valued or struggled for... it's all a monstrous, demented gag! So why can't you see the funny side? Why aren't you laughing?". It is very cynical. If I were allowed to lend some film term to explain this comic, it is a comic noir.
Next thing that fascinate me is the graphic. Brian Bolland did the graphic and it successfully take us to the labyrinth of Joker mind. Maybe for those who never read Alan Moore comics, this kind of graphic is disturbing for you, but that it is, the mind of a lunatic always disturbing, right.(less)

like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: disturbing, comics

If the fact that it's by Alan Moore wasn't enough to tip you off, here's a warning: this is not a fun comic book to read to your children.

While I've read some of the other Batman graphic novels and have found the darker side of them to be a little unsettling, "The Killing Joke," by far, as disturbed me the most. This story isn't about Batman, it's about the Joker. It's an origin story of sorts, though it's not clear if the origin story is true. It's also a commentary by the Joker on how everyon...more

like · see review

Jan 12, 2013 Helen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: comic

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and
strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

-Howard Phillips Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror In Literature

Yes, yes, I know. Technically, Joker's origin presented here is supposed to be "multiple choice". That argument would have much more weight if we were presented by some more choices.

Why not have Joker try to drive Gordon crazy by making him filter through truth and lies while attempting to figure which story is true instead of making the hack move of stuffing yet another female character into the refrigerator?

Let's face it: the main appeal of Joker as a villain is his appearance, that invokes the fear of the clowns, and his grotesque level of insanity. Inhumanity is what makes him scary. I enjoy villains with a cause, but in the case of Joker, I can't see it working out. Besides, while PTSD does happen, even if we dismiss the story presented here as a lie and something more traumatic actually happened, I just cannot see the level of derangement here as anything but inborn disorder. I guess it's another multiple-choice possibility...but like I said, that argument kind of comes off as weak. Some things cannot simply be understood. That which evades our grasp causes more dread than things that we can pin down and dissect. I remember trying to think about borders of the universe when I was younger and I would always begin to feel unplesant after a while. It's not technically scary or anything, but it's simply beyond the limits of human comprehension and it causes discomfort. In my opinion, Joker should be like that.

I care even less for Batman's portrayal here. I don't mind troubled heroes. However, the level of "troubled" I'm willing to take for Batman is Nolan's movie trilogy level. Likes of All-Star Batman and Robin or this book are too much for my tastes. Now, I did say I liked the new movies, but I'm not overly fond of the "Batman and Joker are two sides of the same coin" theory. Yes, one could argue that masking yourself as a bat does imply shaky grip on the sanity. Yes, I know that popular origin nowadays is that he fell into the cave filled with bats, but older story was that he picked bat as a symbol on the purpose "to strike fear into the hearts of the criminals". Yes, he could be suffering from PTSD. But he doesn't really exhibit any definitive symptoms. He doesn't get triggered. There are different kinds of vigilantism. He was based on Zorro, who in turn was based on The Scarlet Pimpernel, not lynch mobs. While I normally enjoy a moral dilemma, the analogy here just doesn't work for me.

The edition I read had another short story about some psycho dreaming about killing Batman at the end. I have no idea what is supposed to be its purpose beyond making this even edgier. Yes, superheroes are men of flesh and blood at the end of the day and could be offed by a gunshot in reality.

Then why are you writing about them? Go and write about "real people".

The only things I liked here are Gordon and technical execution. It's well scripted and drawn. But I don't care for the story proper.(less)

like · see review

Jan 05, 2013 Brian K. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The good: Brian Bolland's art is exquisite, as always! He even pays homage to other artists that went before him as the story unfolds.

The story, until the final page, is very, very good. Alan Moore does his masterful job of creating firm plotting structure, exciting dialogue and giving insight to each character ... until the final page where despite his effort, the book is ruined.

The bad: that final page. Batman behaves so out-of-character ... so WRONGLY, especially given the violations of two o...more

like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Boots rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, endlessly-rereadable, batman

i am a huge fan of alan moore but have never felt the need to be completist about his works. in truth, some of his stuff just doesn't interest me. that said, i don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading this now infamous work of his. maybe i was waiting for the uproar to die down. maybe i was hoping to forget that i already pretty much knew everything about it from word of mouth.

all the praise for this slim book is warranted (even spoilered as it was for me). the story is sublime...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Graphic Novel Rea...: Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore	35	100	6 de Abr 16:07

combine
Other Editions (19)

More editions...

Genres

Sequential Art > Comics

1,455 users

Sequential Art > Graphic Novels

1,340 users

Dc Comics > Batman

241 users

Comics > Comic Book

127 users

Graphic Novels Comics

104 users

Comics > Superheroes

90 users

Superheroes > Dc Comics

71 users

Mystery > Crime

41 users

Fantasy

31 users

Sequential Art > Comix

27 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Alan Moore

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Alan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces)...more

More about Alan Moore...

Books by Alan Moore

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 2

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Batman: The Killi...

1 trivia question
2 quizzes

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Batman: The Killing Joke

“MEMORY'S SO TREACHEROUS. ONE MOMENT YOU'RE LOST IN A CARNIVAL OF DELIGHTS, WITH POIGNANT CHILDHOOD AROMAS , THE FLASHING NEON OF PUBERTY, ALL THAT SENTIMENTAL CANDY-FLOSS ...

THE NEXT , IT LEADS YOU SOMEWHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO GO...

...SOMEWHERE DARK AND COLD, FILLED WITH THE DAMP, AMBIGUOUS SHAPES OF THINKS YOU'D HOPED WERE FORGOTTEN.

MEMORIES CAN BE VILE, REPULSIVE LITTLE BRUTES. LIKE CHILDREN, I SUPPOSE. HAHA.

BUT CAN WE LIVE WITHOUT THEM? MEMORIES ARE WHAT OUR REASON IS BASED UPON. IF WE CAN'T FACE THEM, WE DENY REASON ITSELF!

ALGHOUGH, WHY NOT? WE AREN'T CONTRACTUALLY TIED DOWN TO RATIONALITY!

THERE IS NO SANITY CLAUSE!

SO WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF LOCKED ONTO AN UNPLEASANT TRAIN OF THOUGHT, HEADING FOR THE PLACES IN YOUR PAST WHERE THE SCREAMING IS UNBEARABLE, REMEMBER THERE'S ALWAYS MADNESS.

MADNESS IS THE EMERGENCY EXIT...

YOU CAN JUST STEP OUTSIDE, AND CLOSE THE DOOR ON ALL THOSE DREADFUL THINGS THAT HAPPENED. YOU CAN LOCK THEM AWAY...

FOREVER.” — 99 people liked it

“So when you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought, heading for the places in your past where the screaming is unbearable, remember there's always madness. Madness is the emergency exit.” — 81 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Batman: The Killing Joke
avg rating	preview: Batman: The Killing Joke Goodreads rating: 4.33 (43201 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2233549.Batman?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348569467l/2233549.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2233549.Batman?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore[/url]

Batman: The Killing Joke (Batman)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website