Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition

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

"The Killing Joke" is widely considered to be the be-all-end-all of Joker stories, so what better way to pay homage to the greatest comic book villain of all time near the eve of his re-unveiling in The Dark Knight than by reviewing his definitive story? This is the comic that (sort of) revealed the origin of The Clown Prince of Crime, humanizing him to an extent never before, and truly examined -with pictures rather than words- the antagonistic symbiosis that exists between Joker and his arch nemesis, The Batman. A beloved Gotham regular will never be the same and another will be put through hell before this story is done. Oh, and there are creepy little henchmidgets as well. Gotta love the henchmidgets. The art is outstanding, the storytelling superb, and the character examinations are vital to understanding both combatants. The "one bad day" premise highlights the "two sides of the same coin" argument that Batman and Joker are in fact more alike than dissimilar. As if Bruce Wayne took a right when his arch-nemesis took a left. The controversial ending leaves little doubt as to Alan Moore's take on the debate, and I like it like that. While many critics have strongly resisted both the comparison and the somewhat sympathetic look at The Joker's past, the truth is that every great character -villain or hero- needs that sort of intricacy to their story to remain relevant in the world of modern fiction. Comics are no longer for children and adults realize that the world is seldom black and white, that all monsters were once men, and that unspeakable darkness and insanity resides deep inside each human mind. It can take years of suffering to bring them out or it can take one bad day. One bad day could ruin your very existence and everything you were; it's a frightening reality that cannot be overlooked while reading this comic. The more the reader is willing to ponder the ideas put forth by this story, the more you are likely to appreciate "The Killing Joke". An outstanding achievement in storytelling any way you look at it. I was tempted to knock this down to four stars because with this book you are buying a single issue of a comic for what you could easily pay for a full trade paperback or graphic novel of equal quality like, say, Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns , which is so good it may very well cure cancer (can you prove it doesn't?). But the fact is no Batman fan should be without "The Killing Joke" and I would rather stick to reviewing based on quality rather than haggling over price. The bonus story at the end (written and illustrated by TKJ artist Brian Bolland) is a killer little mini-comic that serves as a perfect companion piece to the main story and definitely sweetens the pot for those wondering if they should get this hardcover edition. "The Killing Joke" is an absolute mindless must-have for fans of the comic book medium and even more so if you claim to be a follower of The Caped Crusader or his twisted nemesis. End of story.

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

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

Batman: The Killing Joke is by far one of the greatest one-shot graphic novels ever written, Moore is fortunate that it was of such caliber as to deserve inclusion in the mainstream Batman canon. The Joker is the single most evil non-superpowered being in the DC universe, and almost nothing is known about who he was before becoming the arch-nemesis of Batman. While curiosity abounds for fans, even more prefer that he maintain this aura of mystery since it is believed that his pre-villain life was not one that would have been considered anything worth writing about; it is because of he IS the Joker that he means anything in the DCU at all. All that aside, Alan Moore - the creative genius behind such works as V for Vendetta , Watchmen , From Hell , Swamp Thing , The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and many others - took a chance and in 1988 presented the comic community with what DC has accepted as the official Joker origin story. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD The Killing Joke is about madness. The Joker has escaped from Arkham Asylum and is setting about a new and truly evil scheme; unrivaled since he murdered Jason Todd/Robin #2 in Batman: A Death in the Family . While Batman is frantically trying to track him down, the Joker has purchased a dilapidated carnival (like something you'd expect to find in a 21st century teen slasher flick, but in his hands is decidedly worse) and is now off to secure his "main attraction". Later at the home of Commissioner Gordon, Barbara answers the door to find a sick fixed smile shooting her through her spine, crippling her; after several off-color disabled jokes, Gordon is kidnapped and spirited away to the the Joker's carnival of horrors. (Moore and DC received a hailstorm of praise and criticism for rendering Batgirl a parapellegic, but the decision stuck and arguably many good, if not great, stories came from it.) Gordon regains consciousness to find himself being stripped down by a host of sideshow freaks and lead at the Joker's behest to a House of Horrors ride filled with the Joker's own snap-shots of Barbara fully undressed and in pain and filled with the Joker and his cronies singing a sardonic song about lunacy (GOD I WISH I KNEW THE TUNE!!!); all of this intended to drive Gordon insane. Batman uncovers the Joker's plot and rushes to the carnival to stop him; a chase ensues through a booby-trap-laden house of mirrors in which the Joker states that he's proven his point with Gordon's unquestionable descent into madness: "All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy!" The joker goes on in his analysis with Batman, stating that he too is crazy, but won't admit it and tries to get him to accept it. The final confrontation between them is left a mystery, but it is clear that the Joker - after decades of campy portrayals - has most definitely re-earned the title of most evil comic book villain. Throughout the story, the Joker offers flashbacks to his life before becoming the monster he is today. He was once a technician at the ACE Chemical Plant who quit his job to become a stand-up comedian. Unfortunately he fails miserably and worries about how he's going to support his very pregnant-in-the-late-trimester wife and soon-to-arrive baby. He decides to make fast, easy money by throwing in his lot with criminals looking to rip off a playing card company next door to the chemical plant and he offers his services to get through unnoticed. So as to protect his own identity, the gangsters present him with his disguise: The Red Hood. While in discussion for the crime, a couple of cops show up to tell him that his wife has died while operating a defunct bottle heater. In his shock, he tries to back out of the crime since he no longer has a reason to go through with it; but the gangsters hold him to it. Later on, they break into the plant, but everything goes wrong as the cops show up and take down the gangsters and that Batman appears to apprehend who he believes to be the Red Hood. Whether he jumped, fell or was pushed is unclear, but the man landed in a vat of chemicals that washed him out of the factory. When he reaches shore and removes his disguise and sees his reflection in a puddle of rainwater, he begins to laugh, turns and reveals himself as the Joker. At the end of this story follows another one from the mini-series Batman: Black & White called here "An Innocent Guy" about a man - clearly disturbed, making the judgment that if anyone is to truly live a life devoted to good, then they must commit an act of evil to know that that is what they really want. After laying out his basic concept, he arrives at the conclusion that he must kill Batman. He lays out his plan in disturbing detail and closes with the a that after this one act of evil, he can go on to live a thoroughly good life and go to heaven when he dies. Masterfully written by Alan Moore and beautifully illustrated by Brian Bolland, Batman: The Killing Joke is a must have for all comic collectors.

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

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

This is a great collection. I actually think The Killing Joke is the worst part of it. It's weird, it's controversially violent, it's more weird, and then it ends with a questionable reaction from Batman, in my opinion. I like Alan Moore's work in the 80s as much as anyone but I think this is one of his weaker efforts. While Jim Starlin's run in general is very good, with an interesting ongoing story about a slasher killer, the highlight is Ten Night of the Beast, the 4-part story in Batman 417-420 with the introduction of the KGBeast. Along with the first Ventriloquist, Corrosive Man (the second version), and Ratcatcher stories, this collection has some really great introductions in general. All these early Alan Grant stories are fantastic and the start of a very long run on Batman that goes through 1999.

Brilliant writing, art and quality! It's amazing how much story and emotions can be packed in less than 50 pages. I'll definitely revisit this piece of art again and again and I must recommend it to anyone who is into Batman and/or comics in general.

Para gente que le gusta leer una buena historia, o que se quieran introducir en el mundo de las novelas gráficas para adultos. Edición perfecta, con tapa dura y dibujos y bocadillos en su máxima expresión. De la historia, me sorprende lo bien hilada que está realizada a nivel argumental, las transiciones entre las diferentes escenas, o esos personajes que demuestran su naturaleza en toda viñeta y en toda sus acciones. Si estás buscando una historia adulta y te gusta Batman, no busques más y disfruta del guión original en inglés de Moore y los dibujos con toda nitidez de Bolland. Es de las mejores obras por méritos propios.

Before this I had red the Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told collection of short batman stories and so as I wanted to read more, this was the first thing I found from the net. And I was totally surprised. You can read reviews of the comic story itself elsewhere but I'll give you a little opinion: The art is aboslutely amazing, very detailed, considered and vibrant, Joker looks just totally sickening and some frames just make your heart stop for . And the story might be one of the best and deepest stories I have ever heard. It's simple but really toughtful as the story explains the motives of joker. Is he trying to prove that the humanity is a hopeless, sickening joke just to get attention and help, or is he gone totally insane, or something else? It's all about characters and their psychologies; what would you do after somebody you really cared about was suddenly taken away from you? How would you survive? In this way Batman's and Joker's characters mirror each other and make you think about the real people who try to prove that their lives are sad and worthless because the world is evil and incurable. In the ending of the Killing Joke there's one frame where Joker's shell starts to brake and for a second this evil character transforms into something sad, or even sympathetic. And it ends with Joker telling a joke that perfectly captures the relationship between batman and joker. And Batman understands. The introduction by Tim Sale and the afterword by Brian Bolland are written with sincerity and are totally worth a read. It also includes a morally questionable short story (8 pages) written and drawn by Brian Bolland that is surprisingly good and effective short story, even though it's pretty shocking and off-putting (even more than the actual Killing Joke story) as a boy implies that he would be ready to tie up a little girl and do perverted things to her just to ruin the lives of her family. But it's still a pretty neat extra. The book also includes a double page with some sketches for the Killing Joke as well as for the extra short story and every picture includes a caption from the artist himself. It's good as long as it lasts: I would have liked to see even more character concepts and sketches, but I'm glad that they included some of them anyway. The overall design of the book is black and beautiful, the iconic art on the dust jacket (which you'll really get only after reading the book)and the black-and-purple hard cover art are just as good as it gets. I think this might be the best comic I'll ever encounter. Or maybe that's going to be Watchmen after I get my hand on that.

You don’t even have to like this story but you absolutely need to have an opinion on this legendary story by Allan Moore if your into comics at all. However, if you don’t like it, you should go see a doctor cuz this story is awesome. Product arrive on time and undamaged.

Amazing book. All fans of comics should read it. Arrived quickly. Very satisfied. Was looking for the graphic novel after having watched the film, the novel is even better.