Alan Moore

Brian Bolland

A graphic novel that tells the story of how and why the Joker turned to a life of crime.

The Killing Joke

Batman

the killing joke

Colton Ray

Not bad, just kind of slight and very dark (obviously). It was okay, but didn't really sick with me too much, though I definitely see how The Dark Knight movie was partially based on it.

maitha mana

Took me a while to get my hands on this, and then another while to actually read it as it was recommended by a good friend. The beginning was too good to skim through, and the ending left me speechless. The Joker does indeed have a blast from the past, which I would have never seen coming. Left me mesmerized. Will definitely read more comics alike.

Briar's Reviews

Batman: The Killing Joke is an excellent graphic novel following two of comics leading stars: Batman and the Joker.

Introduction: I have always loved superheroes - Adam West's Batman was a key staple of my childhood. Slowly as I got older and Marvel and DC were the beckoning lights at the movie theaters, I became totally obsessed with everything superheroes, super villains and comic books. I began collecting them, reading them, and trying to get my hands on every adaption possible. So, I decided to watch The Killing Joke animated movie. I was so enchanted and enthralled with the film that I had to see the famous comic/graphic novel it was based on. It was a short search - a local store had it in stock the first time I went to look for it, and the rest is history. 

Review:

This comic is so simple in theory, but so complex in art. A joker origin (of sorts), a splash of James and Barbara Gordon, some tragic ultimatums, Batman, and beautiful art. 

The introduction to the Joker's "back story" is so interesting. The Joker has always been this mysterious character, and the reader is welcomed into one theory of how the joker came to be. But the joker says it himself - he prefers his past as multiple choice. So is anything he tells us actually true? That's up to you to decide.

The Joker is cunning and intelligent, as well as insane and wild. The reader gets to see his thought pattern and how truly manipulative he is when he takes control of the plot and causes his destruction. But then, he makes it worse by not only physically torturing his victim, but try to mentally destroy him as well. How can someone be to cruel yet so smart? It's an incredible reading experience for fans of the Joker.

The ending leaves viewers with many questions - one that we may never know the true answer to. This cliff hanger wasn't as troubling as other cliffhangers have been for me in the past. It leaves it off at the perfect ending - the reader questioning the events that happened. This leaves the reader to interpret the ending in their own way. What truly happened and what are we to believe?

Brutal is one word to describe this novel - there are graphic scenes, ones that changed DC comics dramatically - and it's not for the lighthearted. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It changed my views on the Joker and Batman, and I really appreciated the little splash of Barbara Gordon (one of my personal favourite characters DC has ever created).

For those who are fans of the film / want to watch The Killing Joke animated film: The plot is very similar, but there are a few changes. These changes don't impact the end of the story, but it may change some of your personal feelings/understandings of the characters.

Five out of five stars.

Rakan

للأسف طريقة طرح الافكار كانت مملة جداً؛كانت بتكون افضل صراحة..

"One bad day. According to the grinning engine of madness and mayhem known as The Joker, that's all that separates the sane from the psychotic. Freed once again from the confines of Arkham Asylum, he's out to prove his deranged point. And he's going to use Gotham's top cop, Commissioner Jim Gordon, and his brilliant and beautiful daughter Barbara to do it. Now Batman must race to stop his archnemesis before his reign of terror claims two of the Dark Knight's closest friends. Can he finally put an end to the cycle of bloodlust and lunacy that links thes two iconic foes before it leads to a fatal conclusion? And as the horrifying origin of the Clown Prince of Crime is finally revealed, will the thin line that separates Batman's nobility and The Joker's insanity snap once and for all? '' -- dust jacket.

Leandro

Nesta HQ do Batman descobrimos como uma pessoa pode ficar insana em apenas um dia. todas as loucuras que o Coringa causa tem uma explicação que só ele entende. Por mais insano que ele possa ser TODAS AS SUAS INSANIDADES TÊM UM SENTIDO.

Haylie

"Again, it was never intended as a blanket approach for all comic books. It was just an experiment that I was trying, and it worked better in some cases than it did in others. Yeah, Marvelman and Watchmen—those are pretty good books. On the other hand, where I was doing the same things in The Killing Joke, it was entirely inappropriate...This has nothing to do with Brian Bolland’s artwork, which was of course exquisite. I’ve never really liked my story in The Killing Joke. I think it put far too much melodramatic weight upon a character that was never designed to carry it. It was too nasty, it was too physically violent. There were some good things about it, but in terms of my writing, it’s not one of me favorite pieces. If, as I said, god forbid, I was ever writing a character like Batman again, I’d probably be setting it squarely in the kind of “smiley uncle” period where Dick Sprang was drawing it, and where you had Ace the Bat-Hound and Bat-Mite, and the zebra Batman—when it was sillier. Because then, it was brimming with imagination and playful ideas. I don’t think that the world needs that many brooding psychopathic avengers. I don’t know that we need any." - Alan Moore 

I completely agree with Moore and his take on this ~iconic~ work. "The Killing Joke" gets two stars solely because Brian Bolland's art is gorgeous and is enough reason to buy this for a comic token to display on a coffee table. The story itself is so...mediocre to me. The Joker's backstory was something of interest, but the rest was so extra and unnecessary - ESPECIALLY the Barbara Gordon attack. The ending was just there and this whole discussion of "ooh, did Batman finally kill him or no?" is just eye-roll worthy. Personally, I think killing the Joker would've made the point (a very shaky one at that) moot and go against Batman's character. But this dumb buildup is exactly that - dumb.

Ryan LaFerney

The Killing Joke is a 1988 DC Comics one-shot graphic novel featuring the characters Batman and the Joker written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the supervillain the Joker, loosely adapted from the 1951 story arc "The Man Behind the Red Hood!". The Joker's origin is presented via flashback, while simultaneously depicting his attempt to drive Jim Gordon insane and Batman's desperate attempt to stop him.

Created by Moore and Bolland as their own take on the Joker's source and psychology, the story became famous for its origin of the Joker as a tragic character; a family man and failed comedian who suffered "one bad day" that finally drove him insane. Moore stated that he attempted to show the similarities and contrasts between Batman and the Joker. The story's effects on the mainstream Batman continuity also included the shooting and paralysis of Barbara Gordon (a.k.a. Batgirl), an event that laid the groundwork for her to develop the identity of Oracle.

While this comic remains influential, I personally did not care for the Joker's back story as it takes away from his menace and allure. However, this comic greatly influenced Tim Burton's take on the character as well as the upcoming film The Joker.

Mohammed Moussa

One of the best Graphical novels ever, and unforgettable story about Joker...

Amr Khater 

My first ever batman comic... Absolutely loved it.

Nada Ghanim

"Memories can be vile, repulsive little brutes.. but can we live without them? Memories are what our reason is based upon. If we can't face them, we deny reason itself..."

Charles Siboto

This is the graphic novel that had me fall in love with the Joker. He is truly Gotham's Clown Prince :)

Eleanor Luhar

I went to London Super Comic Con on Friday and bought a few image books/graphic novels (I can't wait to read them!) and decided to start taking advantage of my boyfriend's extensive comic/graphic novel collection. As I've been intending to read The Killing Joke for ages now, I decided to start with that.

The edition I read included an introduction by Tim Sales, an afterword by Brian Bolland, and a final scene written and illustrated by Bolland.

This is one of the most famous and successful novels - and I can see why. The story is just fantastic - the Joker tries to prove that anyone can go insane after just one bad day, using Jim Gordon as his example. The colour palettes are so cleverly thought out, giving an eerie, creepy tone to most scenes, while the Joker's (possible) origin story is mostly black and white with just small details in red.

Batman is obviously included, but is not a massive character in this story. The focus is on the Gordons and the Joker.

I really loved this. The origin story for the Joker that's included can be taken as true or false - the Joker makes a comment about not actually remembering his past, and liking it to be "multiple choice". This gives the reader the choice of believing it or not. And the Joker's ways of putting Jim Gordon through hell are definitely in line with his character.

The Joker always fascinates me, and I would love to read all his stories. But whether you're a "fan" of his or not, this book is definitely worth the read. 5 stars; an fantastic novel.

Tiffany Robinson

I thought I would reread this before the movie came out. This is one of my favorite Joker comics. It's pretty much perfect.

Riley

The quintessential Batman vs. Joker volume. A necessary read for DC fans, though its cult status is the source of its value more than the story itself.

I personally am not a fan of the Joker's origin as it is presented in this volume and choose to view it as one of many potential options, one of many conflicting origin stories that could be true but probably aren't. The inherently unknowable nature of the Joker is the basis of his appeal; he is a true wildcard, he is barely a person, and providing a definite backstory allows for explanation of his actions and mental processes when they are simply unexplainable. We all know he's mad - he is the very concept of dangerous insanity personified. Humanising that on any level detracts from the effect.

I am a big fan of character work and I would never say this of any other character or story, but making any attempt at insight into the Joker's psyche is futile; it weakens his presence and offers no understanding in return because he still does not act or react in a normal human way.

Other than that, the story does a good job of reminding us of Jim Gordon's integrity and vulnerability, Batman's compulsion and subsequent desperation to save his allies (which are as close to friends or family as the big bat gets, at least in the pre-52 and Rebirth days), and establishes a critical part of Barbara Gordon's own backstory that introduced a new era of the Oracle and continues to define her character and her role as Batgirl to this day.

Jade Flynn

“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."

Emma Tickner

I liked this as a DC and Batman fan, even if I prefer Marvel. There is something that drew me into the story, and kept me reading it. It just made the Joker seem crazier and I love it.

Mari

"See, There were these two guys in a lunatic asylum..."

Neveen Badr

I loathe the Joker.
I fear the Joker.
I pity the Joker.

Daniela V.

The greatest Joker story EVER and a turn of screw for the Batman story. Another masterpiece by Alan Moore.

Zoe Smolen

I really like the story that this book told. The relationship between the Joker and Batman is fascinating, and this book created an interesting story off of their relationship with each other. A must read for Batman fans.

aila kira 

Nia C

That was some spectacular artwork

The Joker's origin was brilliantly done. I think I need t enter the Batman universe and read and watch more about this guy.

4.5 Stars and a B.

Batman The Killing Joke