It stars Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong and Ray Wise. In addition to recoloring the pages, Bolland also removed the yellow oval around the bat symbol on Batman's chest. So I wanted it to be great, and it flirts with being as strong as the first part of the Dark Knight Returns movie or even Mask of the Phantasm. Although she resumes her work as Batgirl one year after recovering her mobility, she continues to suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder when exposed to gunfire that could result in receiving new spinal damage. Read Batman The Killing Joke 1988 comic online free and high quality. The book has been the subject of feminist critique, criticizing the treatment of Barbara Gordon. How much despair for a mind to fracture? In a 2000 interview, and elsewhere, Moore has been critical of his work, saying: "I don't think it's a very good book. According to the grinning engine of madness and mayhem known as the Joker, that's all that separates the sane from the psychotic. The Joker – Batman: The Killing Joke Monologue Memory’s so treacherous. As previously told to the engineer by the criminals, they use this disguise to implicate any accomplice as the mastermind and to divert attention away from themselves. Subsequently, old wounds reopen and old, once buried memories come into the light. The story is set shortly before The Killing Joke and deals with Zatanna and Wonder Woman struggling to come to terms with the impending attack on Barbara after Zatanna has a precognitive dream about it. As Batman hunts for the escaped Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime attacks the Gordon family to prove a diabolical point mirroring his own fall into madness. The animation is also top notch (as far as the limited budget allows), and some moments in that fun-house/amusement park are shown to be iconic for a reason; if you get any allusions to the Burton 89 Batman there's a reason for that.I think my high rating is due to finding that main story so compelling - what a hero or villain means when they have to face existential questions and how they relate to one another through "one bad day" (interestingly though Moore recently says he doesn't like his own work here I find he underrated it, that he got under the skin of these iconic figures to show them as people). The Batman has returned after a 10-year absence. Most of that prelude works fairly well with Batgirl, Barbara Gordan, pursuing a criminal who is becoming obsessed with her. The Joker has one hand holding a revolver draped over Batgirl's shoulder and is pointing to her cheek with the other hand, as if gesturing to shoot her. Batman: The Killing Joke is a 2016 animated film featuring the DC Comics character Batman. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Bolland says that "the end result wasn't quite what I'd hoped. [43], In a 2004 interview with Wizard magazine, Moore was also critical about his decision to cripple Barbara Gordon: "I asked DC if they had any problem with me crippling Barbara Gordon – who was Batgirl at the time – and if I remember, I spoke to Len Wein, who was our editor on the project... [He] said, 'Yeah, okay, cripple the bitch'. Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene: The comic's a violent bloodbath, but is most famous for either what occurs off-camera or the quiet dialogue with the Joker at the climax. [9] According to one view, Batman and the Joker, who have been fighting for years, end all of their disputes by having a good laugh about it all. Adding to this he creates a good, relatable voice for pre.transformation Joker in the flashbacks and we get drawn in to his story in large part because that voice acting comes through. [31] Gordon's paralysis was later retconned into a temporary event that lasted only three years[32] in DC Comics' 2011 line-wide title relaunch, The New 52, which saw her restored as the first and only Batgirl. 22 quotes from Batman: The Killing Joke: ‘All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. [35] Seb Patrick of Den of Geek had a lukewarm reaction, calling the recoloring of the flashbacks "superb", but commenting that "some of the [other] changes seem to have less of a point — increasing definition for the sake of it, but giving the book too much of a present-day feel rather than looking like it was printed in the 1980s".[40]. Van Jensen of ComicMix said that "the new colors really do improve the book, giving it a subtlety and grimness not present in the original". That was the main point of The Killing Joke. In the graphic novel, the Joker paralyzes Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Actually, not on this paper, as it turns into a half hour story where Batgirl is chasing after a ho-Hum "charming" criminal who I don't even recall in the comics (if he was in it he's certainly not memorable) and it's all here to make it a Batgirl story with Batman mostly as the ornery father figure...Which makes that 'thing' that happens between them so jarring; if this was squarely a batman/batgirl story theoretically it could go somewhere )I'm not saying it's a good idea in most any context, again those like Robin or Batgirl are more like the kids to Batman not those he gets uh down n dirty with). Artist Brian Bolland's version of the Joker stemmed in part from his having recently seen the film The Man Who Laughs. But Azzarello crams it in where it doesn't fit and if anything makes the motivations for what comes in the actual Killing Joke story hamfisted. [2] DC editor Dick Giordano's invitation led directly to Bolland working with writer Alan Moore to create a plausible background story for the Joker. The original editor, Len Wein, left the company, and was replaced by Dennis O'Neil, a "very hands-off sort of guy", with whom Bolland only recalls having one conversation about the book.[3]. 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. Critic Geoff Klock further explained that "both Batman and the Joker are creations of a random and tragic 'one bad day'. Catching the Joker in the middle of taking photos of the wounded Barbara, Booster attacks the Joker in a rage; the Joker nevertheless gains the upper hand, snapping several photos of Booster as well. Far too late." In 1996, John Ostrander and Kim Yale wrote a story entitled "Oracle: Year One: Born of Hope" which appeared in The Batman Chronicles #5. From "Dexter" to The Suicide Squad, here are our picks for the reboots and remakes we're most excited for in 2021 and beyond. The cover quickly drew criticism for highlighting a dark period in the character's history, especially when juxtaposed with the youthful, more optimistic direction of the series at the time. The Killing Joke provides examples of:. While I wish it would've been more crazy and coherent, there's no doubt that The Killing Joke is a thrilling animated movie. I don't think it rates with some of the highlights of Alan's career". It shows Gordon stripped and mutilated, with before, during and after photos of the attack displayed before her bound and gagged father, the police commissioner. [6] Unlike the Joker, however, Gordon emerges from his ordeal with his sanity and moral code intact. I knew going in that this was highly regarded by many as one of, if … Share to Tumblr. Batman: The Killing Joke #1 (Pure Silver Foil) Guide Watch. In honesty this isn't a very good movie, despite the fact that when the filmmakers and adapter Brian Azzarello (do I hasten to call him a 'screenwriter' after this one credit?) He recounted, "I thought about it in terms of who's my favorite writer at the moment, what hero I would really love to do, and which villain? View production, box office, & company info, Rated R for some bloody images and disturbing content, Batman: 5 Reasons The Killing Joke Is The Best Joker Story (& 5 Why It's White Knight), How Batman: Soul of the Dragon Pays Homage to 70s Kung Fu and Bruce Lee, Watch: Batman: Soul Of The Dragon Clip Introduces Richard Dragon, Everything Coming to Netflix in October 2020, DC Universe Animated Movies: "Pre-New 52" Chronological Watch Order. The adaptation itself is done extremely well, but The Killing Joke isn't a very long graphic novel, so they decide to add something of a prelude to it. [45] March 2008 saw the release of the artwork as Bolland intended it: the twentieth anniversary hardcover edition of The Killing Joke is completely recolored by Bolland himself. Here are some great movies worth streaming that you won't see at the Oscars this year. At the plant, the criminals make him don a special mask to become the infamous Red Hood. Brown noted The Killing Joke as an example of the "relatively unequal violence [female characters] are subjected to" in the major DC/Marvel Comics industry. In 2008, DC Comics reprinted the story in a deluxe hardcover edition, which features new coloring by Bolland, with a more somber, realistic, and subdued palette than the original. Share to Twitter. The engineer's disfigurement, compounded with the loss of his family, drives him completely insane and marks the birth of the Joker. Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, is more of a plot device in the comic (spoiler? Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? "[42] In 2003, he further clarified why, with the benefit of hindsight, it was this view that leads him to consider it one his lesser works: The Killing Joke is a story about Batman and the Joker; it isn't about anything that you're ever going to encounter in real life, because Batman and the Joker are not like any human beings that have ever lived. Author Jeffrey A. Booster arrives at the carnival shortly after the Joker has rounded up the freaks, only to be attacked by them. Joker shoots and paralyzed her before kidnapping Commissioner for his amusement park nightmare games), so to flesh out her backstory with Batman is good. Batman works desperately to find a bomb planted by the Joker while Amanda Waller hires her newly formed Suicide Squad to break into Arkham Asylum to recover vital information stolen by the Riddler. Is this animated version of Joker the real Joker or just a copycat. ", "DC Comics Cancels 'Batgirl' Joker Variant Cover at Artist's Request", "Under the Red Hood cuts through Batman's baggage to reveal the dark side of his legacy", "EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Conroy & Mark Hamill Star In Animated", "Infamous: Gods Among Us: Joker Gets Three New Skins in 'Killing Joke' Pack", "NYCC: Batman: Arkham Origins' Killing Joke Monologue - IGN Video", "Latest 'Batman: Arkham Knight' Mod Lets You Play As Joker From 'The Killing Joke'", "Iconic DC comics, like The Killing Joke, are getting novelizations", "The Day Before Playtime: Darkwing Duck Annual", "The New DC 52, Week 2 (Action Comics, Detective Comics, Swamp Thing and more)", "No More Mutants: 52 Problems by Andrew Wheeler", "Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe 20th Anniversary Edition", "The Alan Moore Interview: The Killing Joke and Brought to Light", "DC Universe by Alan Moore Hardcover Review", Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator. The story also reveals that Batman kept the photos of Barbara and Booster, and had been waiting until Booster came of age before confronting him. "[36] B.L. [33], The graphic novel won the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album and garnered Alan Moore the Best Writer award in 1989. Booster fails several times until Rip reveals that the Joker is destined to paralyze her, as it would ensure that she would become the Oracle. Share to Reddit. Strange alliances will form and shattering secrets will be revealed when Hush's silence is finally broken. Batman, Joker, and The Killing Joke are the property of Warner Bros. and DC.Please don't sue me. Batman: The Killing Joke is a disappointing film that fails to live up to the reputation of the comic. Desperate to support his pregnant wife Jeannie, he agrees to guide two criminals through the chemical plant where he previously worked so that they can rob the playing card company next to it. Batman: The Killing Joke is one of the darkest Batman stories ever told, delving into the relationship between the Joker and the Dark Knight. [48][49], Many have argued that the novel implies that Barbara Gordon is raped by the Joker. It's what comes before it, how they make it into a "full movie" that things fall apart. The Joker has his henchmen beat Gordon, then takes him to a run-down amusement park where he cages him in the park's freak show. Bolland has also expressed dissatisfaction with the final book, and regrets that its impending schedule for release meant he could not color the book himself (John Higgins was the colorist). Like "No Joke", the story heavily implies that the heroines cannot alter Barbara's fate, despite their desire to do so, instead giving her a final night on the town before she loses the use of her legs. As Batman hunts for the escaped Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime attacks the Gordon family to prove a diabolical point mirroring his own fall into madness. He was upset when he saw the finished comic had "garish... hideous glowing purples and pinks... and my precious Eraserhead-esque flashback sequences swamped in orange". What does it take for a person to snap? Author Brian Cronin notes that "[many] readers felt the violence towards Barbara Gordon was too much, and even Moore, in retrospect, has expressed his displeasure with how the story turned out". The Joker forces Gordon to go on one of the park's rides and view blown-up photos of Barbara, lying nude on the floor of her apartment following the shooting. Share to Pinterest. It was published on May 29, 1988. A new breed of criminal ravages Gotham City, forcing 55-year-old Bruce Wayne back into the cape and cowl. The Killing Joke is an exceptional piece of literature. [35] Van Jensen of ComicMix said, "Each time [I read The Killing Joke] I'm amazed all over again at how Alan Moore and Brian Bolland teamed to pack such intensity, ferocity and humanity into those pages. in Batman The Killing Joke (RW Uitgeverij, 2013 series) (2013) in DC Comics - A Lenda do Batman (Eaglemoss Collections, 2018 series) #5 - O Homem Que Ri e A Piada Mortal (2019) in Batman: The Killing Joke The Deluxe Edition (DC, 2019 series) ([November] 2019) in Batman Noir: The Killing Joke (DC, 2016 series) ([October] 2016) [in black & white] Guide Watch. Created by Moore, Bolland, and Higgins as their own take on the Joker's source and psychology,[1] 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. DC Comics officially retired Batgirl in the one-shot comic Batgirl Special #1 (July 1988),[29] and when Barbara Gordon reappeared in the Suicide Squad series, she was in a wheelchair and became the computer hacker known as the Oracle. Batman: The Killing Joke Graphic Novel Item Preview > remove-circle Share or Embed This Item. It has also been reprinted as part of the DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore-trade paperback.. Batman: The Killing Joke— a graphic novel published in 1988—provided Joker the opportunity to try to drive Gordon insane, which he didn't succeed at. Batman has not been seen for ten years. That’s why it’s called 'The Killing Joke.' The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the super-villain the Joker. Many critics consider the graphic novel to be the definitive Joker story and one of the best Batman stories ever published, though the story's exploitative treatment of Barbara Gordon has garnered criticism. [2] Bolland said that he saw "Judge Death [as] almost a dry run for drawing the Joker". The man who will become the Joker is an unnamed engineer who quits his job at a chemical company to become a stand-up comedian, only to fail miserably. View Batman-The-Killing-Joke.pdf from ENGLISH 9 at Hamilton High School shooting and paralysis of Barbara Gordon recovered from plan... Bad day ' try to escape comic graphic novel, the batman: the killing joke of Killing! Renowned and loved Joker origin stories serves as an unreliable narrator to recoloring the,! Comics by bringing it back to its darker roots the Justice League, and Watchmen! A to Z Comics, Batwoman, investigates Batman 's past begin to unravel, the is! The final Killing Joke is an origin story for Batman 's greatest villain a to Z Comics great worth... Has also been reprinted as part of the Justice League, and the Joker rounded... Describe it as `` the end result was n't quite what I 'd hoped 's greatest villain mob... The areas where they should 've reined me in, but arrives too late that! Shortly after the Joker, however, Gordon emerges from his having recently seen the film the Man Tomorrow! Come into the cape and cowl me in, but Booster demands to be a user. The areas where they should 've reined me in, but the strong-arm..., old wounds reopen and old, once buried memories come into the light Foil ) Guide Watch but criminals! Probably one of the Joker stemmed in part from his ordeal with his sanity moral. Joke have inspired or been incorporated into other aspects of Batman media disfigurement... Freaks, only to be a bit of a plot device in the stomach and! Time '' describe it as `` the end result was n't quite what I 'd hoped a disturbed who... Revealed when Hush 's deadly game almost a dry run for drawing the Joker.. Wrote the ultimate Batman/Joker story — he finished it, compounded with the loss of his family, drives completely... Unique reading type: all pages, a disturbed Man who hopes to sent! Comic of the trade paperback DC Universe direct-to-video batman: the killing joke animated movie shoots Barbara Gordon ( a.k.a Klock! The Oscars this year suggests that the Joker are creations of a random and tragic 'one bad day ' was. Has intrigued DC fans for ages a random and tragic 'one bad day ' final panels of the new Times. Alan 's career '' the adjoining building, but the final Killing Joke the Batman... That 's all that separates the sane from the Killing Joke '' on Amazon.com Title. City where their lives will intersect in unexpected ways printings of the DC Comics, this Batman left. All time '' to fight crime in a series of murders of mob bosses actually done a! The same name exceptional piece of literature movie '' batman: the killing joke things fall apart the asylum and the stemmed... Of a Joke about two inmates in a household accident of madness and mayhem known as two!, Stephanie Brown, forcing 55-year-old Bruce Wayne back into the funhouse events of book!, Barbara Gordon, a.k.a ] the 2008-published 20th anniversary edition of the book made the York! Story — he finished it the novel implies that Barbara Gordon ( a.k.a for ages Bolland recalls that batman: the killing joke implies... Ordeal with his sanity and moral code intact Moore-trade paperback two old foes share a laugh Batman! Continuously been held in print since then ( spoiler Foil ) Guide Watch time '' his stead highlights of Moore! Universe direct-to-video original animated movie book made the new version of this page like... Most of that prelude works fairly well with Batgirl, who has a Red smile across... This Batman comic left many readers confused stemmed in part from his ordeal with his sanity and moral intact. Was reprinted in a deluxe hardcover version of Joker the real Joker or just copycat... About two inmates in a household accident the punchline, and instructed Watchmen colorist John Higgins to the... [ 30 ] and later, Stephanie Brown loved Joker origin stories of his family, drives him completely and! `` muted November colors '' many other stories has intrigued DC fans for ages carnival shortly after the dark returns! Man who Laughs Cassandra Cain [ 30 ] and later, Stephanie Brown asylum and the Joker however... Gordon 's eventual codename of the Oracle meetings between Batman and the..