Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe

Batman Post-Crisis #45

by Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, Mark Waid

The groundbreaking Batman tale is back in a new deluxe edition. Looking to prove that any man can be pushed past his breaking point to madness, The Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. Refusing to give up, Gordon struggles to maintain his sanity with the help of Batman in a desperate effort to best the madman. Collects BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE #1 and stories from BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE #4 and COUNTDOWN #31, plus dozens of covers, pinups and sketches.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Fiction, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

94 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 16, 1988

About the author

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) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.

As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.

Reviews

[Jayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

(A) 85% | Extraordinary
Notes: A discomforting, audacious book that compels re-readings and focused, lingering looks at specific pages and panels.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

“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.”

Now this was good, and I mean good. It’s such a simple idea, but so real and powerful. I mean one bad day is all it takes. One push, one snap, one descent into chaos and it’s over. Once you’ve crossed that threshold then things will never be the same again. And the Joker, being the sly and brilliant villain that he is, wants to share the experience with the world. He wants to show humanity that they are not that far from him. The first man he wants to reduce is the stalwart Commissioner Gordon. But, I think we all know who is intended victim actually is.



The Joker was once normal. He had a girlfriend; he had a job, but the world shitted on him somewhat chronic. And like many people he was forced to turn to crime; he was forced to break society's rules in order to survive. That’s where it all began. That first step into the darkness led to many other steps down the road of corruption. It wasn’t long before petty crime turned to murder and butchery. The Joker became ruined and lost himself in his nasty deeds. This is a great origin story, one that fully lives up to the character immense personality. Allan More totally nails it.

"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.”



And the ending, it’s all about the ending. The Joker’s personality is infectious. At least, he wants it to be. He’s always tried to bring down the good. He ruined Harvey Dent, and he has always wanted to ruin the bat. And he just may have. The end is suggestive of two things: firstly, Batman strangling the Joker in one final heroic act, there’s some irony in that sentence; secondly, Batman descending to the Jokers level and embracing the insanity of one bad day.

I'll leave you with this picture and see if you can decide:



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[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

All it takes is one bad day.



This is one of the most iconic comics in the Batman/Joker mythos and arguably has a place as one of the most iconic comics out there period. I think most people will agree that Bolland's visuals are just unbelievable. The expressions on the faces, the body language, even the colors are as close to perfect as you can get.



And Moore is at the top of his game here. Wow. Just...wow!
The ripple effects of what happened here not only created Oracle but inspired a ton of other great storylines.



I would have thought that a Joker Origin story was maybe the stupidest idea ever before reading this, but I think Moore pulled it off beautifully. Mainly because this had such a wonderful hint of madness to it, that even with the Joker telling you about his past, it still leaves you wondering if that's really what happened.
And that ending.



Highly recommended.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

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. But as a story, it doesn't work.

Killing Joke is really two stories told in parallel. It provides an origin for the Joker while simultaneously following him on a scheme to drive Commissioner Gordon insane.

The origin is largely based on an old issue of Batman from the 50's: "The Man Behind the Red Hood." As much as I appreciate the nod to the past, the Red Hood origin of the Joker is one I could do without. While I am not in favor of attempts to make Batman "realistic," I do feel that some elements should be handled carefully if handled at all.

And that's really the problem here. Not only did Alan Moore use an absurd origin; he made it more so. In the original, the Red Hood was a hardened criminal before he became the Joker. In this version, he was a comedian having a really bad day.

I think I understand what Moore was trying to do here. I believe he wanted to create an element of pathos in the Joker's past while playing up the absurdity of the medium.

But the result felt sloppy. Instead of adding layers to the Joker's personality, it just made him less interesting.

The real problem with Killing Joke, however, is the other story line. The Joker takes Barbara Gordon by surprise, shooting and paralyzing her. Setting aside my personal objection to crippling one of DC's best (and, at the time, few) female characters, Moore missed a huge opportunity here. Had Oracle’s injury been sustained as Batgirl, the psychological effect on Batman could have been developed in great depth, as he’d have been responsible for placing her in harm’s way. As it was, the story only takes a toll on her father, and that's largely wrapped up by the end of the comic.

The Joker's motive for all this mayhem, to break Jim Gordon and prove that a bad enough day can drive anyone insane, comes to nothing. In part, he's foiled by Batman, but really he loses because he's wrong: Gordon is strong enough to survive his ordeal.

In the end, after everything, The Joker's comprehension of the human psyche is wrong. To me, this destroys the character’s credibility. The Joker has no superpowers, but madness is his expertise. For him to set to prove a point about insanity than fail, not due to Batman but rather his own assumptions, weakens him. Even after shooting Barbara, he ends the book less of a threat than he started.

Now, let's be honest: one star is a harsh rating, and were this book not commonly called "The Greatest Batman Story Ever Told" I'd almost certainly have been more lenient. There are certainly excellent aspects to the writing and the art; aspects that would buy any other book three stars.

But this isn't any other book. It's one of the most significant Batman stories written, having forever altered the continuity and status of several characters. It's Alan Moore's most famous Batman story.

And it really isn't that good.

[Mario the lone bookwolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course, there are no real life Arkham Asylums, because this would have some pretty bad implications for models of society in general besides the „It takes one bad day approach.“

For instance critical questions like
Who runs and makes money with these institutions, just as with prisons?
Why this high incarceration rate in the US?
Is there an open debate about restorative and retributive justice models?
Wouldn´t making much more people crazy on purpose produce more cash flow for the madhouse just as making stricter laws produce prison slave labor?

So let´s better stick with the cozy world of graphic novels and enter the lovely universe of… oh wait, there was something.
Good straight morality
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
getting contaminated
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
until it Jokers´ out
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This underlying question of morality, ethic, and who says what is ok (burning evil witches, killing evil infidels, investing in hedge funds and financial derivates) and not is what makes many great works, although just rarely with such fantastic manifestations as the Joker. Because he´s deep and the morality most appropriate for him might be https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
Batman or the Joker? And is it a BDSM Bromance that doesn´t just end with them laughing together, but an even bigger, unknown, inofficial ending before the police comes?
So there is this one guy fighting for the state, police, corporations, society, and all the mad criminals that are…born that way? Decided to do that because they realized that it made them hard? No, wait, it are the good ones, the superrich bat with his investments, the politicians with their lobbyists, the whole rotten system itself that produces these poor individuals themselves. That´s the postmodernist deconstruction of everything that was once nice and cozy and throwing back the body of proof to the ones who deem themselves judges.

The „It takes one bad day approach“ could evolve into boot camps for moneybags
Like many psychological real life studies, this is just not scientific. I´m sure that, repeated with loads of naked people in different vehicles and soft porn, there will be as many outcomes as stabilities of psyches themselves. Some might enjoy it, some get PTSD, and for some, it´s not even hardcore enough. But the idea of showing wealthy, protected people who don´t know what real life and suffering means the darkness of many existences is a nice idea to get them to start thinking. Maybe as kind of boot camps for the elite who have to work in average and low paying bone breaking jobs with breadline, poverty, violence, and discrimination. Wouldn´t that be fun?

Bleach the clown
I´m sure that there is certainly a deeper meaning too, something like that narcissism and egocentrism are so omnipresent in our society that, after many miseries have shattered the poor pal, his disfigurement is the missing puzzle piece to ultimate madness.

Joker speeches and mentality
They´re distillations of the underlying, mentioned themes and the most disturbing thing is the fact that he really has some points. While Batman is the sober, philistine moralizer who can´t get out of his skin, the Joker's argumentation is as flexible as possible and sometimes more realistic than the pathetic, patriotic approach that ignores vast parts of reality for the sake of a meaningless glorification of pathos. That´s why

Antagonists are sometimes the true rebels and freedom fighters
Especially in the historical context, this is a pretty freaking big history mind penetration. Close to all real life big heroes, national icons, be they kings or presidents, had blood on their hands and contamination in their brains because of the ideologies that fueled their periods. Most of these mutations of humanities are seen as inhumane, crazy, and destructive nowadays, but where agendas and commandments centuries and, more important, just decades ago. So everyone rebelling against these systems, no matter how violent and cruel, is somehow unwittingly making the world a better place by sensitizing and alerting the public. Our nowadays, violent and nonviolent resistance activists, modern Jokers, are just treated like the mad peasants criticizing duke and king, slaves wanting freedom, women wanting rights, etc. So it may be possible that they´re right and we just not crazy enough to understand and see the truth.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...

[Mohammed Arabey · Rating 5 out of 5]

الجوكر تقريبا من اكتر الأشرار اللي فاقت شعبيتهم شخصية البطل "السوبرهيرو" نفسه
ولو مش عارف ايه الكاريزما اللي وصلته لكدة..لازم تشوف الحكاية القصيرة العبقرية دي

العمل الفني ده، كوميكس مستقل -لا يتبع أعداد سلسلة- بيعرض وجهة نظر شخصيتين متناقضتين
اتنين الحياة المليئة بالشرور واليأس والظلم جعلتهما يجنّوا تماما

"صورة نادرة لباتمان يبتسم :)"

"كل ما يتطلبه الأمر هو يوم واحد سئ، ليخسف أعقل إنسان علي وجهة الأرض إلى الجنون. هذه هي الحياة بالنسبة لي، يوم واحد سئ"

أحدهما صار مقنعا غامضا، ذئبا وحيدا، أو كما قيل بالرواية فأرا يطير، يطارد المجرمين علي حساب حياته
والآخر مجهول غريب الأطوار تقبل جنون الحياة وضاعفه وحاول أن يجعل الجميع علي شاكلته
الاتنين لا يعرفا بعضهما البعض ولا شخصيتهما الحقيقية ولا سر ذلك اليوم السئ الذي أدي لكل هذا
ولكن الثاني يسعي في نشر جنونه وتنكيل رادعيه والأول يحارب أمثاله بالطبع
الإثنان وجهان لعملة واحدة...تلاقيهما معناه الجنون

والحكاية هنا واحدة من حكايات القط والفار ، بات مان والجوكر...ولكن بطلها الرئيسي هو الثاني...الجوكر، فهي حكاية النكتة القاتلة

في هذه الحكاية ، تلك الرواية المصورة ، ولأول مرة في الكوميكس يظهر ماضي الجوكر وأصله بذلك التفصيل.. وذلك اليوم السئ الذي تسبب لكل هذا الجنون
فمن المعروف أن منذ ظهور الجوكر في ثلاثينات القرن الماضي فإن دائما سر ماضيه غير واضح ويتغير أحيانا من حكاية لأخرى لفيلم لأخر لكن هنا المؤلف الان مور أحد أيقونات عالم الكوميكس "الناضج" قوي الحبكة السوداوية الأقرب للواقعية، بيقدم وجهة نظره في حكاية مختلفة لأصل الجوكر بعد حوالي 50 عاما من ظهوره الأول

ويعترف الفنان برايان بولاند -رسام تلك الحكاية- إنه واجه صعوبة في تقبل ان يتم كشف بهذا الوضوح للغز ماضي الجوكر بعد كل هذا الوقت ولكن ما أنقذه هو أعتراف المؤلف علي لسان الجوكر ، الشرير الاكثر جماهيرية أن الماضي طالما هو بهذا الجنون فإنه يفضل ان يكون له خيارات متعددة

“If I have to have a past, then I prefer it to be multiple choice.”

"الفنان برايان بولاند وهو يصور نفسه تحضيرا لرسم الغلاف الأيقوني"
-بعدها بعشرين عاما قدم كريستوفر نولان مخرج سلسلة فارس الظلام الجوكر وهو يحكي في كل مرة طوال الفيلم قصة مختلفة عن سر ماضيه وسبب التشوه الذي أصابه وقام ببطولته باقتدار هيث ليدجر

"النجم جاي لينو..احدث من يقدم الجوكر في السينما في صيف 2016 يقلد الغلاف الايقوني"
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كاريزما الحوار النفسي السوداوي عن ظلم الحياة وجنونها واشتعال الحروب لأسباب تافهة والذكريات الأليمة… انكسار المفتش جوردون بعد الإذلال الرهيب علي يد الجوكر ليكسره… كل هذا امتزج برسوم غاية في الدقة والجمال والوضوح جعلت من الصفحات الأربعين لتلك الحكاية متعة في القراءة

--------------
في مقدمة النسخة النسخة الجديدة الصادرة في 2008 بمناسبة 20 عاما يقدم لها مقدمة أحد رسامي الكوميكس ونجوم التمثيل "تيم سيل" ستشعر في المقدمة كيف جعلت الألوان المستخدمة في تلك النسخة الجديدة تجربة سينمائية فريدة ومتعة للعين في استخدام الألوان بالأخص في الفلاش باك
كما انها ذات اطارات كلاسيكية لا كتلك الصاخبة التي تميز الكوميكس الحديث

أعتقد ان مقدمته فعلا تصلح ريفيو للرواية..حتما ستدرك سر انبهاره... لم يبالغ الرجل في وصف الكادرات وإبداعها ولا تلك النهاية التي رفض الرسام توضيحها في النهاية

“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?”

كلها مزحة ! كل شئ أي أحد قدره أو كافح لأجله..كل هذا نكتة متوحشة ماجنة! لذا لم لا تري الجانب المضحك؟ لماذا لا تضحك؟

<><><><><><><><>

اذا كانت القصة والحبكة 4 نجوم فأن الرسوم نفسها تستحق الخمس نجوم بجدارة

ينبغي في النهاية ان اقول ان النكتة القاتلة في النهاية ، مليئة بالحزن إذا ما ركزت فيها لبعض الوقت
نكتة الثقة
الثقة المعدومة في عالم مظلم كهذا العالم
وقد تجعلك فعلا تدرك إنك قد تتعاطف مع الجوكر، رغم ان الماضي قد يكون كذبة، رغم كل شئ قد تلتمس له العذر

قد تفهم النكتة الأخيرة
القاتلة



"ملحوظة, لنفس الرسام له كوميكس في النسخة الحديثة عن رجل برئ, جمع برسومه المتقنة اشهر اشرار عالم باتمان في قصة قصيرة جدا تخيلية عن الخير والشر"

محمد العربي

"صورة نادرة لمحمد العربي وهو جوكر بس باتمان في القلب"
من 22 يوليو 2016
الي 23 يوليو 2016

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Batman (BM)/Joker (J) story ever! Alan Moore asks the question no one else ever wanted to ask: how much of who the J is can be attributed to BM? How much of who BM is can be attributed to the J? 'Primordial Unity' and the 'Tragic Birth' of both J and BM has never been explored more deeply - I think Nietzsche would have liked this story.

[Noah · Rating 2 out of 5]

We both know, the history of violence that surrounds you / But I'm not scared, there's nothing to lose now that I've found you (Honeymoon – Lana Del Rey).

I hope it's not a big upset when I tell you that I’ve never really liked The Killing Joke. I mean, this is the first time I’ve actually sat down and read it, but as someone who was already familiar with the story, I can't say I've ever been a fan. Call me soft, but I think it boils down to the fact that the subject matter was just too mean and ugly for me to ever give the material more than a passing glance. For those who don’t know, The Killing Joke's story gives us an in-depth look at the relationship between Batman and The Joker by getting all lofty and metaphorical with their dynamic in order to make a statement about… I don’t know… the nature of humanity or something. The basic premise centers around The Joker doing something so terrible and unforgivable in order to prove to Batman and Commissioner Gordon that anybody can become just like him if they have one bad day. It’s a sound foundation, and I liked the clean paneling, the dynamic coloring, and the emphasis on literary-esque dialogue, but I've always felt like this story focuses on the wrong people. The material likes to wax poetic about the pointlessness of life and then argue right back against said pointlessness by talking about hope and doing things “the right way,” but there's an underlying cynicism in the way it has endless consideration for the torturer while forgetting all about the tortured. In other words, this comic should be a Barbara Gordon story, and yet it instead throws her to the wayside to make the men in her life the focal point. The idea of “fridging” in regards to comic books is a popular term that examines sexism and the way comic writers often gruesomely kill off a superhero’s love-interest in order to further and even compliment the “brooding male” archetype. Apparently it comes from a Green Lantern comic where he finds his dead girlfriend stuffed in a fridge, though I personally wouldn’t know anything about that because the only Green Lantern that means anything to me is John Stewart from the Justice League animated show. Look, I know side characters in fiction literally only exist in addition to the protagonist, but a good writer knows how to mask that fact by giving everybody their own sense of identity without them coming across like they're an NPC who has run out of dialogue. This is especially important in relation to female characters, because it sends an uncomfortable message when they're only ever delegated to side character status, with the implication being that they only exist to orbit around a man. Take the death of Gwen Stacy for example! Comic historians are always going on about how important it was for the medium, and while I don't dispute that, I'm of the mind that she's a much more interesting character now that she's been given agency with her Spider-Gwen incarnation. Anyway, this blatant disregard and reliance on shock value surrounding the torture of female characters has always been why The Killing Joke’s near universal acclaim has always confused me, because isn't this comic just as distasteful as all the others? But I guess we should clap this time around because it was written by a prestige author. Woah, it's so deep how The Joker and Batman share a moment of lucidity against the backdrop of their batshit insane relationship! Ignore all that other stuff though.

I mean, I know a lot of people adore The Joker and think he’s some kind of deep thinker, but I believe that the character has never been as interesting as the writers clearly think he is, and it's all a smokescreen so he can be used as a cheap and lazy plot device to get around writing consistent characterization. Has anybody else seen that “As a kid you idolize Batman, but as you mature you realize The Joker was always right” post that makes the rounds on Facebook every couple of months? Or at least it did when I still had a Facebook (before it was a A.I. infested cesspool), but yeah, it’s funny how every popular media featuring the character, including this comic, goes to great lengths to explain how wrong and alone The Joker is in his nihilistic belief system, and yet he’s still used as a poster child for shitty meme templates where divorced dads can put whatever text they want complaining about their ex-wives over the face of Heath Ledger’s Joker. Pretty counter-culture, huh? I guess my point here is that this character has since evolved into some kind of champion for the bitter and angry man, and in doing so it's ironically made the character the worst thing he could possibly become... boring. Look, The Killing Joke is very popular and highly celebrated, and I know that comic book fans are very sensitive about their favorite hobby, second only gamers, I reckon, so I’m really not trying to ruffle any feathers here. I don't even think this comic is bad, it's just that I didn't like it! I can’t shake my opinion that this comic definitely has the appearance of something that’s saying something, but now that it's been sitting with me for a while, I found the themes so disparate and loosely connected, with the undercurrent of misogyny so rampant, that it stopped the material from resonating with me in any real way. Otherwise, I’m of the opinion that The Joker is always at his least interesting when he’s carrying out his most vile acts. Like how he somehow managed to blow up an entire city just to provoke Superman in Injustice, him getting the upper hand and killing a room full of guards with a shard of glass in Batman: Under the Red Hood, or him paralyzing Barbara Gordon right here in this comic book, I just think that the more untouchable the narrative makes this character, the less you can say or do with him. That’s why my favorite incarnation is the Mark Hamill one in the animated series; because the writers were constricted by the fact that they were writing for a children’s show, so they had to actually get creative with his plans without falling back on the crux of “oh, and here’s where The Joker does the most horrible thing imaginable” over and over again. I don't even hate the premise of this comic! There was a sequence of events similar to The Killing Joke in Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker and even though it was toned down quite a bit, I still found it much more horrifying than anything found here. It's about finding that balance, and it's ironic how the more erratic this character is written, the more predictable he becomes.

Besides, the harder the writers go on how terrible The Joker is, the worse Batman looks in comparison. He has his little “no kill” rule and that’s great, but if this guy is going around doing the most at every opportunity, I’m sorry, but you’ve just got to bite the bullet and take care of him. That's why trying to apply real life morality to these larger than life comic book characters always falls flat for me, because it's like... obviously someone like The Joker should be given some kind of treatment or whatever, but we're in comic book land where the writers will do whatever they can to keep to the status quo. The Joker will always be hectic and evil, and Batman will always be steadfast and immovable. And if I’m honest? In general I find high concept ideals and themes attributed to outrageous comic book characters pretty silly, because at least something like the 1960’s Batman show knew what it was and decided to have fun with it. “Oh, I want a Batman story that's darker!” Do you? Or is this just another way of applying Philosophy 101 rhetoric to iconic caped heroes in order to make these concepts more easy to digest without the need to pick up a book. I love comics, but every time I read an elevated comic, I always think back to that one embarrassing video of Kevin Smith (director of the acclaimed movie, Cop Out) where he’s recounting the entire plot of Avengers: Endgame and just bawling his eyes out the whole time. Sorry, but… get it together dude. Anyway, and this is a spoiler, but it turns out that even the fact that this comic literally spells out its theme was too much for some, because there was a popular theory going around about this comic claiming that Batman just straight up kills The Joker. There’s a panel where if you squint hard enough, it almost looks like Batman puts his fist through the other guy’s heart, and like, does that not go against the entire point of the story? You know, the theme that people can't stop gassing up. It’s funny how so many people defend this story for its deep and dark themes and somehow still manage to headcanon any and all of the nuance away. Don't get me wrong, I don't fault this comic for trying to mean something, but I am a little bitter that it set a precedent for the clown where it feels like every edge-lord writer thereafter has tried to outdo the previous on how evil and crazy The Joker can be. I guess in that regard it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise to me when they made The Joker into a stand-in for all the incels out there in the 2019 movie Joker, where the film somehow misses the very easy to hit mark by saying very loudly and clearly that it was society's fault for making him the way he is. Sure whatever, write what you want, but it's important to remember that first and foremost... The Joker should be entertaining, the whole "enlightened philosopher spouting nonsense" part should come second! So yeah, I didn’t really like this, but I still understand why people found The Killing Joke groundbreaking. It’s a story that grew up with its readers featuring two iconic characters in an edgier space discussing “adult” themes, and it ends on a low-key climax full of dialogue hinting at emotional poignancy. But I will say that it’s a little sad because even though the intended messaging is to highlight the banality and hopelessness to Batman and The Joker’s eternal conflict, a lot of fans will instead take comfort in their forever. Don't worry, our favorite characters will always be like this, never changing and their story never ending.

“Why aren’t you laughing?”
“Because I’ve heard it all before. And it wasn’t funny the first time.”

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I asked a GR friend: Marvel or DC?

Her response made me think. She said, “Marvel over all. But DC has the better villains.”

Whu - ?

Well.

Yeah, I’ll be damned, I think she’s right.

Looking at all of the Marvel villains, I think maybe only Red Skull or Bullseye come close to matching the lunatic force of DC’s lineup. Magneto and Doctor Doom are powerful and bad, but also have some incongruous redeeming qualities. Lex Luthor, Deathstroke, Brainiac, Bane, Harley Quinn and all the Batman bad guys headlined by The Joker are more nefarious, scarier, and just plain bad.

I think a cogent argument could be made that The Joker is THE comics villain. He’s evil, insane and damn it all interesting as hell.

Just as Milton’s most enduringly intriguing player is not God or the Archangels but Satan, DC has in The Joker created an enigma (Sorry Riddler) of a criminal source that defies logic and is simply an opposing force for our heroes, motives and reason be damned. The Joker is a personification of the chaos waiting out in the dark beyond the firelight, and his is a blindly malevolent force. As Michael Caine’s Alfred in the 2008 film The Dark Knight said, “some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

“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.”

In his attempt to madden Gordon and lure Batman to his doom, The Joker also provides a tenuous connection to humanity. Just as Shakespeare’s Richard III is all the more terrible because he is a man, so too is The joker all the more villainous because for all his insanity and bad intent, he is one of us and closer than some Melvillian beast or Lovecraftian old god. In the context of the Batman story, the theatrical irony the reader gets is that Joker and Batman are more alike than they realize, both transformed from what they would have been by a traumatic loss.

Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s 1988 sympathetic backstory to the Joker’s origin story is a MUST read for Moore fans, Batman devotees and all enthusiasts of the genre. The influence on later comics and even on the films (particularly Tim Burton’s vision) is unmistakable.

Grim, violent, sometimes difficult to look at, this is nonetheless a graphic novel at the apex of the genus. Moore’s writing is engaging and relentless, Bolland’s art is mesmerizing.

Highly recommended.

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Alan Moore classic, with this seminal volume set as the perfect synopsis of the yin and yang of the Batman and Joker relationship. For the first time ever, there are insights into the Joker's origin included. A DC Comics universe must-read! 8 out of 12.

2012 read

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly masterpiece of the comic books!


This is a prestige format stand-alone story.


Creative Team:

Writer: Alan Moore

Illustrator: Brian Bolland

Colorist: John Higgins


HAVE COURAGE

Nothing’s going to be the same… …not ever again.

A writer should have balls, and I don’t mean the organic meat sacs, since a female writer is the same entitled to have balls. But if you aren’t confortable with the “male metaphor”, I am confident that you already got that I am talking about writing with courage.

A writer without courage never will be able to impact the readers.

Madonna commented many years ago that there is not such thing as bad publicity, that any publicity is good publicity.

So, fitting that concept into writing, I think that there isn’t such thing as “bad impact”, that any impact is good impact. Since if people talk about a book, about a story, not matter their intention, the story becomes famous, it provokes curiousity, people got aware of it.

Alan Moore never thought that DC Comics would approve his proposal about this Batman’s story involving the crippling of Barbara Gordon. But it was approved by the editorial staff, and a surprised Alan Moore started to write… with courage.

I am not insensitive, and I can understand why so many people got angry to the nasty stuff that the character of Barbara Gordon suffered in this story. However, sometimes a bad thing happened for a good reason.

Barbara Gordon was Batgirl. But, to be honest, how much difference can she does as such heroine? She was just yet another bat-costumed crime-fighter and trust me, for Batman, that he’s supposed to be a “lonely crusader”, he has too many bat-costumed crime-fighters around. However, due her awful episode in The Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon proved her value as character… proved her courage.

Barbara Gordon became a handicapped person, but hardly of disappearing from the pages of comics, she evolved into “Oracle”, and as such persona, she turned to be one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe. From her wheelchair, using her intelligence, hacking skills and information searches, she became a key ally to not only the Bat-family but also the Titans and even the Justice League.

And then… due social pressure from people that never really understood the value of Barbara Gordon, DC Comics devolved her to be Batgirl again. Yipee, hurray (using Droopy’s voice tone). Yet another bat-costumed throwing-batarangs character again, one of many others. All her courage overcoming a monumental tragedy, just erased.

And curious that people raged against what Barbara suffered but nobody gave a crap about James Gordon’s own suffering and humiliation, but of course, if you are a heterosexual caucasian man (even if you are an imaginary character reflecting that type of person)… you’re screwed, since nobody will defend your dignity. (and hey, I am a latin man, so since I am part of a “minority” group, if you attack my review, I am in my “right” of accusing you of a racist/ethnic hate act… geez! What a crazy world where we live in!)

It seems that villains can do all the harm and killing that they wish, BUT only if they target heterosexual caucasian men, since it seems that any other type of people in this world is under the label of some “minority” group and therefore, there will be rage riots about it.

I think that “labels” instead of unite us, they just keep away the distance between each other in this little blue planet. People see me as a heterosexual latin man. And I can’t deny that. That’s what I am in the eyes of society. I born that way…

…However, I’d prefer to be a “citizen of the world”. But maybe I am crazy, since it looks like everybody else feels confortable under the safety of their particular sex/ethnic labels.

And call me crazy again, but it seems that in real life, criminals just pick any kind of victim, regardless of their sexual preferences or ethnic origins, just watch the news anyday, so I don’t understand why literature should present politically correct villains only.

Writers! Don’t lose your courage! It’s not an easy path, but true born writers aren’t meant to travel in safe roads. We, readers, are an unthankful species, we don’t deserve you. However, I hope that you, writers, still being willing to impact us, to make us think, and to provoke us feelings.


ONE (VERY) BAD DAY

How can two people hate so much without knowing each other?

Batman is a cause of order. Joker is a force of chaos. Right?

Therefore, they are totally different. Right?

THAT is the killing joke…

…they aren’t that different.

One bad day. That was all they needed to get crazy.

You may tell me: “Oh! But only Joker is crazy!”. Right. Since disguising as a bat is clearly a sanity’s proof.

Joker’s origins are unknown (since you can’t trust what you read in this tale about his past, after all, those are the memories of an insane killer), but you can be sure that something bad, something very bad, happened to him, one day, and the following day, he turned to be The Joker.

Bruce Wayne had a bad day, a very bad day, his parents died in front of him while he was still just a defenseless kid, and the following day, he turned to be The Batman (training could take years, but he was The Batman since that moment).

The Joker kills people in very theatrical ways.

The Batman protects people in very theatrical ways.

Gotham City is in the middle…

…in the hands of murdering clowns and costumed vigilantes…

…in the hands of mad men.

The only one that keeps Gotham City from falling deep into madness?

James Gordon.

The Joker will do everything (and I mean EVERYTHING!) to give to James Gordon, a bad day, a very bad day, and turned him crazy.

But that’s not the scariest thing…

…oh, no…

…that isn’t the killing joke.

The scariest thing is when two people, supposed to be opposites…

…they laugh for the same joke.

BOOM!

Mic drop, and I’m outta here!

[Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Killing Joke does much more for the iconic symbolism & stylistic edge of the Batman mythology than the serious-as-a-heart attack (overrated) Christopher Nolan films. But I am admittedly really in no position to analyze,* I leave this to the millions and lkegions of fans. The afterward by maestro illustrator**- his representation the most demonic and therefore probably my favorite interpretation of the Joker--is correct when he says that Alan Moore has written better stuff. (Watchmen, From Hell, even Fashion Beast...)

* Well, I will say I do have the fondest memories of the fox animated series-the Mad Hatter being my favorite (underutilized) villain.

** This cover is probably as iconographic as Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' at this point.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should some origin stories be better left untold?

Comic publishers will embellish the backstory of character more than necessary or drag it out and milk it, or they’ll retcon the character one too many times until the reader doesn’t know which way is up. If there’s a month, a week, a day, a couple of minutes left undocumented in a character’s background, it’ll be fodder for a future story.

Does the Joker need an origin story?

Some basic facts are presented here: He was once “normal”. He became a small time criminal out of necessity. He inadvertently gets dumped into a vat of Kool-Ade chemicals by Batman. As a result, he goes stark, raving bonkers.



How much more of the Joker’s backstory do we want to be privy to? Do we need to add the fact that he was a struggling stand-up comedian and had a pregnant wife to the mix? Is sympathy necessary to appreciate and like the character even more?



The Joker’s persona is established as a homicidal loon, but do we have to be there at square one? Can his “accident” really turn him from an ordinary guy to a criminal mastermind, divorced of all humanity? Can the collective comic reader brain fill in the blanks themselves, leaving something to the imagination and not have it spoon fed to us? Do we need the complete story?

Back in the ‘80’s, before the ‘90’s when collectors nearly killed off the industry (Psst. Hey mister, you wanna buy a truckload of alternate foil #1 issues of Spider-Man 2099?), comic book creators were expanding the kiddie-geared bounds of storytelling by getting edgy and no one was more on board with the movement to more mature themes than Alan Moore, hence his interest in the Joker’s story.

This isn’t a Batman book. Bats comes off as weak, conciliatory, a step behind the Joker, his arch-nemesis. Sure I get the oft presented theory that they’re two parts to a whole, ying to the yang, “you complete me”, “let’s stop the madness, because one of us is going to die” yada, yada, yada… Here, Batman is a second banana.



The Joker even gets the better of Batman in combat! More than once!



C’mon Bats, you didn’t see that coming with your ninja skillz and training?

Brian Bolland’s art is exceptional and sells the story far better than Moore’s writing. That said, this a graphic novel that fans of Batman and the super hero genre should check out, if they haven’t done so already. It’s a defining moment in the Batman family legend and a game changer for Barbara Gordon -> Batgirl -> Oracle.

Bottom line: This book has some panels that will be burned into your brain for the rest of your life. The Joker shooting Barbara Gordon usually makes top five lists of most memorable comic moments.



Seeing Commissioner Gordon trussed up naked and led around an abandoned amusement park by creepy, deranged midgets and driven to the edge of insanity is something I’d like to mind wipe.



“Top of the pile of dolls, Ma!!”

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

OMG! THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME! THE STORY LINE! THE GRAPHICS ARE FREAKING AMAZING!

I'm sure everyone and their cousin has already read this book, but I haven't so here we go. This is about how the joker turned nutsy cuckoo! He had a good job but left it thinking he could be a stand up comedian and support his wife and unborn baby. Well.... that didn't happen, he apparently wasn't funny --->who knew?

Then he goes and tries to get some crime job with some idiots so he could have the money until he could figure something out. Being out in a warehouse with said "idiots".. he has some stupid mask on, they get chased by security, he falls in some chemical crap and comes out whackadoo. I think it's brilliant.

Then he goes and shoots batgirl, kidnaps the commissioner and puts him in some freak show at a carnival he bought (or stole). It's just all so freaky and cool! I'm going to leave it at that and close with some awesome graphics! :-)









My favorite is when they are laughing at his joke in the picture above ↑ :-D



We are all mad here! Fin

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the classic and most brutal Joker vs Batman graphic novels, The Killing Joke is a Batman classic and should be considered one of the essential canonical books in the genre. The Joker is as sinister and terrifying as ever and Batman is pushed to his limits and beyond. A fantastic fast-moving and beautifully drawn epic!

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.5 stars!!!

OH…MY…GOD…



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 the greatest and most disturbing “Batman” stories to ever be created!

What is the story?

When it turns out that the Joker, one of Batman’s greatest foes, breaks out of Arkham Asylum, Batman must stop this evil doer at all costs. Unfortunately, the Joker then comes after Commissioner Gordon and his daughter Barbara and performs some of the most vile and disturbing acts in his villainous career (starts by shooting Barbara Gordon, paralyzing her and then twisting Commissioner Gordon’s mind to make him crazy) and Batman must stop the Joker before it is too late. Also, we are introduced to the back story of the Joker and how he became the villain he is known as today.

What I loved about this comic:

Alan Moore’s writing: WOW! I mean, I thought that I have read some of the best Batman stories around (“Batman: Year One” for starters), but I think that “Batman: The Killing Joke” has nearly beaten some of the best “Batman” stories I had read! I had read some of Alan Moore’s works (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), but I can easily say that this graphic novel is easily one of his best works! I loved the way that Alan Moore made this story extremely disturbing and dark and I was actually cringing during the scene where Barbara Gordon is shot and then tortured, which proved how demented the Joker really is. I also loved the way that Alan Moore portrayed the relationship between Batman and the Joker since it is rare that I see a hero and a villain have a sort of understandable relationship seeing as how they both had lost people dear to them, but viewed life in a different life. I enjoyed the psychological message that Alan Moore was presenting in this story as the Joker sees life as being a huge awful joke (meaning that life is miserable) while Batman is truly trying to see the reality of the situations in life. I really enjoyed seeing the back story of the Joker as we learn what he was like before he became the villain he is known today and that really added so much depth to the story and to the character of the Joker. The ending of this story was truly terrifying yet amazing to see at the same time (I will not spoil it for you, but let us just say it is the confrontation between Batman and the Joker).

Brian Bolland’s artwork: Brian Bolland had done a truly amazing job at providing the artwork of this story as all the characters look truly realistic and colorful. I loved the attention in details that Brian Bolland gives to the characters’ facial expressions, especially the Joker as he is seen smiling dementedly, which makes him a truly menacing character to look at. My favorite artwork in this graphic novel was of the images of the rain drops making small circles in the ground, as they look truly beautiful and yet give this story a truly ominous feel as these images appear at the beginning of the book towards the end of the book.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

The only issue with this graphic novel that some readers would have problems with is the fact that the story is extremely dark and disturbing for your average “Batman” story. For one thing, there is a scene where Barbara Gordon is shot and then tortured which would disturb many readers (it definitely disturbed me a bit). Also, as in many “Batman” stories, the atmosphere of this story is extremely dark and brooding and that might be a bit uncomfortable for many readers who are not used to reading dark stories to handle.

Final Thoughts:

So what is my final verdict on this story? “Batman: The Killing Joke” is easily one of the most disturbing yet most amazing stories I have ever read and I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this story to “Batman” fans everywhere who love a good dark and intelligent story about the follies of life.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the perfect Batman story. It’s got several weird choices, some extremely offensive moments and one of the most infamous scenes of violence towards a female character in comic history (story goes that when Moore mentioned the idea of damaging Barbara Gordon’s spine, the higher ups at DC responded to him with “Fine, cripple the bitch”). Flaws aside, it is the perfect Joker story.

These random acts of violence, these weird choices and offensive mockeries… they fit the Joker’s twisted sense of humor. It shows him at his cruelest.

It also shows him at his most sympathetic.

Alan Moore took his considerable talents and applied it to reworking the Joker’s backstory; to making it absolutely depressing and then adding in the element that the Joker himself is not even sure if it's correct. What’s important is that he believes it… at least at the time.

The artwork is stunning (especially in the recolored version that is currently in print) and shows the Joker, while almost always grinning, always with sad eyes. I mean seriously, just look at him.





This is one of those comics that needs to be experienced. I could go on at length, but could never do it justice. My suggestion is to just check it out for yourself.

Let me close though with the Joker’s monologue. It’s long, but says more about his character than I ever could, and is one of the best written I’ve ever seen in a comic.

"So... I see you received the free ticket I sent you. I'm glad. I did so want you to be here. You see it doesn't matter if you catch me and send me back to the asylum... Gordon's been driven mad. 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?"

5/5 stars

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished rereading this. It’s still such a cool comic!

*Batman voice* "WHERE IS HE?"

I can see why this is so popular. The story is great and the illustrations are phenomenal. I love the Joker, he's my favourite batman villain (and possibly my all-time favourite comic/superhero villain too). He is just completely insane and I love it.

I love getting backstories so I loved getting to see an adaptation of why the Joker was the way he was. It was really well done. However, after reading this I felt a little conflicted. One big reason why I love the Joker is because he is quite mysterious. He's insane and because you don't know why, it makes him scarier. So Moore wrote this great back story BUT part of me wasn't really completely satisfied. I only realised after I read this, that the mystery was a big issue for me.

Batman was such a douche in this (even more than usual). I love Batman but I don't think Moore wrote him as a very likeable character. I actually liked the ending a lot. I was smiling because I thought it was sweet. I know the ending is ambiguous and open to interpretation but I consider it a happy ending. This comic was actually quite philosophical. I kept reading things that reminded me of different philosophers I've studied. I especially liked the Joker's speech about insanity and reason.

THE BEST thing about this was 100% the artwork. It is absolutely beautiful. It's crisp, clean, very detailed and the colours are just perfect. I was fangirling at how great the art was in every single panel. Brian Bollard is brilliant.

I would recommend this and I'll definitely be reading more from Moore and Bollard.

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up.
This book was much better than "The Watchmen" to me. I may just not be a fan of Alan Moore's writing.
I mean it has this guy!

and I still didn't fan-girl over it.

It was an okay book for me though. You get the origins of the Joker..who I think is one of the best villains ever.

It's a dark one though for those of you who don't like dark. Barbara Gordan (aka-Batgirl) gets shot by the joker and he doesn't stop there. He pulls out full assholeness for this one.

The artwork is frigging awesome though. (Had to throw that in)

[saania jamal ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accurate depiction of what these 45 minutes felt like:



Nolan's movies are the reason I got hooked into the world of Batman. Not only did they become some of my favourite films of all time, but they also gave me one of my favourite villains of all time: The Joker.

And I figured it was about damn time I took a leap into where it all actually began– the comics.

There's no doubt that this green-haired madman is universally hailed as perhaps the best antagonist to have ever been created, and one can easily see why that is. The Killing Joke presents us with his backstory: a deeper insight into the man the Joker once was, and the events that led to the loss of his sanity.

Whether or not you like the inclusion of this origin is entirely subjective but as for me, I feel like it only further added to this brilliant criminal mastermind's many layers and complexities (and dare I say it, even a strong sense of sympathy).

The story centrally revolves around the Joker's sadistic quest to prove that all it takes is "one bad day" for a person to lose their mind, whilst flickering between flashbacks and current events, using beautifully done match-cut techniques.







More than that, this graphic novel showcased some incredibly smart dialogue, iconic Batman moments and commendable artwork from Brian Bolland. And can I just say how pleased I am at his decision to recolour the deluxe version? It does wonders in setting the right, creepy atmosphere, just take a look!



While it does a spectacular job at representing the turbulent relationship shared between Batman and his ultimate archenemy, I do feel it shouldn't have been the book to pop my DC comics cherry– had I read previous editions first, I would have relished it even more.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm probably risking a lynching from the fanboy mob but I liked this a whole lot more than the other well-regarded bat-book, The Dark Knight Returns. It nicely illustrates the Batman/Joker dynamic as well as highlights their similarities. Joker seemed like a psychopath rather than the buffoon he was normally portrayed as at the time. Shooting *spoiler* in the spine and taking pictures in order to try to break *spoiler*. Awesome. My favorite part was the Joker and Batman sharing a laugh while waiting for the cops to show up at the end.

[Tawfek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was this real?
My word this was an awesome journey!
I wanted to sleep so much but then, I thought let's start a new comic and finish reading it when I wake up, But I couldn't leave it!
It's too awesome to be true!
And It ends with a joke what about that?!
A lot of feelings a lot of dark emotions...
This is the second best comic I ever read after x men god loves man kills.

[Coos Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y así me abro camino a un mundo completamente desconocido para mí. Disfruté muchísimo de este comic, y agradezco haber podido conectar con él, ya que temía sentirme perdida de a momentos, cosa que afortunadamente no ocurrió. Es una historia cruel y desgarradora en todos los sentidos, que le da un buen contexto a la grandiosa película de Joaquín Phoenix.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 5 out of 5]

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....

[Ahmed Ejaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy."--Joker

Wow! It's good! I liked this comic. I admit I was afraid because I thought it was published in 1988 and the work of graphics wouldn't be good. But at the same time I wanted to know the origin of Joker. In spite of its release date, the graphics were quite good. I enjoyed reading it. The Joker in this one was portrayed better than that in The Man Who Laughs.
The origin of Joker is heart breaking and pretty typical for our time. I didn't know about him much before this comic. Now I know there is one similarity between Batman and Joker. They both faced ONE bad day in the past. And THAT day determined their personality. The only difference between them is of the choice they made.
Now I have read both of their origin. They are good. Now I can read Batman comics without getting much hurdles.

One more thing. Am I the only one who faced little problem with the ending? How it makes sense that Batman grabs the Joker and BAMM! Here is the end!

18 December, 2017

[Lenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Update 2024: I need to say something. I reviewed TKJ over a decade ago, and it is for some reason my most popular review. It is also a cringy review that I wrote poorly, and I'm only keeping it at the bottom because I want to respect the folks who have replied to me over the years. So, here's a better, tl;dr version:

I'll readily admit there's a lot to like about TKJ. It's an epic, classic Batman/Joker showdown. The art, if memory serves, was good, and of course Moore's dialogue was well done.

I gave The Killing Joke a one star rating because the book is problematic at best, and at the time, I was too enraged by its inherent sexism to enjoy anything else. For some people, they can still appreciate and enjoy the story despite that. That doesn't make them sexist or bad people. I just personally couldn't get around it or see beyond it, and it didn't help that I was very attached to Barbara as my favorite DC character.

And yes folks, there is inherent sexism in the book. There is one singular woman in this story, and the story is not about her. This story is about men: Batman, Joker and Jim. That's not the problem. The problem is that Barbara is kidnapped, harmed, violated, and rescued in order to push the story, the story about men, forward. Moore doesn't center or value Barbara's emotional state or give her agency: she appears, becomes a victim of violence, disappears. I feel this is basic literary analysis, rather than an opinion.

Contrary to many comments from my review, it is not my job to defend the mountainous, well-documented field of feminist literature and analysis, and how it operates as a reflection of our lived reality.

Will I ever read it again? I don't know. I have every confidence that my opinion might change if I were to read it again. But for now, I have other things on my list. (If you're a GR friend of mine and feel strongly about this though, reach out to me. I'm not above growth.)

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And now, my poorly written review from many years ago: By now, Killing Joke is a book you have to read if you want to cover all the Batman "classics." And while the Joker/Batman matchup might be the greatest hero and villain superhero matchup of all time, and this is considered an iconic story of the two.

BUT, let's admit it--Moore can't write women. At all. (For more evidence, read Watchmen.) I don't know him as a person but he seems to have very little respect for women 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,and is violently broken, like an object, with no other roles in the story than to BE broken and lure the (male) heroes to the (male) villains.

Barbara joins the long list of superheroes 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. Even though it isn't permanent in the DC mythos, that doesn't change the overt sexism of this story.

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 aspects of the Joker is not when he tells Rachel his origin story, but when he tells someone else something completely different, and it's just as believable. He's a maniacal sociopath who, therefore, can come from anywhere, and he's told so many different stories that maybe he doesn't even know who he truly is. That's scary. Yet Moore undoes all of that--the enigma behind Joker is no more. And the Red Hood origin story has been retold so many different times, and tying into future stories (a la Jason Todd) 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 him 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? It should. No question. As soon as the Joker was captured, Jim should have grabbed the nearest weapon and done something. Maybe not shoot him in the heart or the head, but somewhere where it would have caused tremendous pain. It's believable that Jim didn't go crazy, like the Joker was hoping for. But there is no way that Jim, not as commissioner but as a father, and a human being, would have just stood back and let Batman take care of it.

I seriously don't understand why everyone loves this book. There are far better Batman stories to read.

[محمد خالد شريف · Rating 4 out of 5]

المُزحة القاتلة هي واحدة من أهم القصص المصورة في عالم دي سي.. ولما لا؟ وهي تتناول موضوع مُهم للغاية وهو نشأة الجوكر!

Why so serious?

بكل تأكيد الجوكر له مكانة كبيرة وسط مُحبي الكوميكس والمُهتمين بالأفلام والمُسلسلات المُقتبسة عنها.. فالجوكر بعيدأ عن أنه الشرير الذي نُحب.. ولكن ألم تسأل نفسك لماذا نُحبه؟
لأن لديه وجهة نظر فريدة، وجهة نظر فلسفية حول كُل شيء.. وما يُميز هذا الكوميكس.. هو وجهة نظره في الحياة، في الصراع الأزلي بينه وبين باتمان.. وإلى أي نتيجة سينتهي هذا الصراع؟ يقتله باتمان فيشعر باتمان بالذنب طوال حياته لأن هذا ليس أسلوبه؟ أم يقتل باتمان فيشعر بالملل لعدم وجود الغريم الأزلي؟ فهم بشكلاً ما يعلمون جيداً أن كلاً منهم مُتمم للآخر. مُعادلة بسيطة، ولكنها مُضحكة.. إلى حد القتل!

رغم قلة الصفحات بالكوميكس لكن المُتعة لم تكن غائبة أبداً.. فيحاول الجوكر تطبيق نظرية ما، فكرة مجنونة يُريد دفع بها باتمان إلى الجنون إلى أقصى درجات الغضب ليقتله.. تخيلوا معي أنه يضع خطة إذا نجح فيها سيكون مقتولاً حينها!
ولكن باتمان.. سيظل باتمان.. هو واحد من أعظم الشخصيات الخيالية بفلسفته المُثيرة للإعجاب.. ليعرض على الجوكر عرض مُفاجئ.. حتى الجوكر نفسه تفاجئ بذلك.. ليُخبره بتلك المُزحة.. المُزحة التي تلخص كُل شيء.
المُزحة التي أضحكت باتمان.. ولهو شيئاً جليل ولو تعلمون!

ونصيحة أخيرة.. فن الكوميكس لا يعتمد فقط على القصة ولكن يعتمد أيضاً على الرسومات وتصميماتها.. فأحياناً تنقل الكثير من القصة بدون ولا كلمة!

يُنصح بها بكل تأكيد.

[Scarlet Cameo · Rating 5 out of 5]

English review at the bottom

¿Que puedo decir de esta historia que no se haya dicho ya? ¿Qué es un obra maestra? Lo es, el dialogo es increíble, la deconstrucción del Joker también, pocas historias nos han mostrado tantas capas de este personaje ¿Porqué? Fácil, tenemos su parte más vulnerable, una que pocas veces se había explotado, también tenemos al clásico Joker,al que, como diría Alfred, "Quiere ver arder al mundo"...pero hay otra capa, la que poco se atreven a mostrar y es ¿Porque Batman? (y por favor no digan que porque es el otro enmascarado) en respuesta a esa pregunta las últimas dos páginas las ame...

La manera en que Alan Moore lleva esta historia es fantastica porque sí, tiene su sello, el personaje tiene profundidad, pierde ese velo de idealización que ha cubierto al Joker desde hace años...y el dibujo es ideal.





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What can I say about this story that has not already been said? That is a masterpiece? It is, dialogue is amazing, the deconstruction of the Joker too, few stories have shown us so many layers of this character Why? Easy, we have his underbelly, one that rarely had exploded, we also have the classic Joker, who, like Alfred would say, "Wants to see the world burn" ... but there is another layer, which few people dare to show and it is, Why Batman? (And please don't say "because it is the other masked") in response to that question the last two pages are the most georgeous thing ...

The way that Alan Moore takes this story is fantastic because yes, has its stamp, the character has depth, it loses that veil of idealization that has covered the Joker for years ... and the drawing is ideal.

[Anirudh · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hahahahahahaha"
- Batman and Joker.

The unstoppable force and the immovable object can share a moment of levity...huh, who'd've thunk?

Probably the most famous (infamous) and dark Batman and Joker tale, this comic delves into the origin story of the (arguably) most villainous villain of DC.

The comic channels Joker's "evil for the sake of evil" malevolence so horrifyingly, calling it a "comic", would be inappropriate.

The flashbacks cohesively bring out Joker's origins and are substantial to the development of his darkness. The Joker of the immediate sermonises, philosophises, and tries to sway readers and the Bat with his woebegone monologue of futility.

The comic becomes more dreadful when audience realise that the cover is Joker snapping pictures of his victim (Barbara)...so, is the audience a victim, the next joke of the...comedian? (Damn, that's messed up). The characterisation of the Joker proves why this depiction of the baddie is so influential and impactful.

The final joke is actually quite funny (punny too) and, through a different perspective, can be interpreted as Joker refusing Batman's proffered help lest Batman leave him hanging ("switch off the light") when he needs him the most.

Batman: The Killing Joke is dark as (K)night (lol) and an essential work in the plethora of DC comics.

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've decided to explore the world of superhero comics. First on my list, Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore.

The story opens on a dark and stormy night. We're heading into Arkham Asylum with Batman. After passing a few famous inmates, we're outside inmate #0801, Name Unknown's cell.

A shadowy figure is playing solitaire within the barred room. It's The Joker.

By far, one of the creepiest villains of the Batman pantheon.

"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..."

He is mad, yes, but brilliant in his insanity. And, in that, is he so different from the rest of the human race?

"Faced with the inescapable fact that human existence is mad, random and pointless, one in eight of them crack up and go stark slavering buggo! Who can blame them? In a world as psychotic as this... any other response would be crazy!"

Recommended for the more mature graphic novel readers because of some disturbing content and images, Batman: The Killing Joke is no joke and one heck of a ride.

Watchmen, also by Alan Moore, is one of my all time favorite graphic novels, so I was expecting to enjoy this one. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, it's another must-read for the graphic novel fan.