Status
Available
Call number
Publication
DC Comics (2019), Edition: Deluxe, 96 pages
Description
Comic and Graphic Books. Fiction. HTML: One of the most famous Batman stories of all time is offered for the first time in hardcover in this special twentieth-anniversary edition. This is the unforgettable work that forever changed Batman's world, adding a new element of darkness with its unflinching portrayal of The Joker's twisted psyche. Writer Alan Moore, acclaimed author of WATCHMEN and V FOR VENDETTA, offers his take on the disturbing relationship between The Dark Knight and his greatest foe. The Clown Prince of Crime has never been more ruthless than in this brutal tale. This special new edition also includes a story written and exquisitely illustrated by Brian Bolland..
User reviews
LibraryThing member theokester
I've been a fan of Batman for as long as I can remember but only really via TV Shows, cartoons and movies. I never really got into the monthly comic book scene and haven't picked up many superhero graphic novels. But I've seen this graphic novel sitting on the store and library shelves for a long
Of the Batman villains, my favorite is the Riddler. Mostly this is due to my own penchant for riddles, puzzles, codes and random mind games. However, close behind Riddler's methods of toying with Batman, my next favorite antagonist is the Joker. Thus having the entire cover devoted to him, really made me eager to read this. Add to that the writing of Alan Moore and I was stoked to get into this.
Apparently the original novel had much less color (mostly black and white, from what I understand) but the one I read was the "remastered" (that's the term for movies...does it apply to books?) version with cleaned up art and color.
I really enjoyed the art style. It was a little greusome at times and there were a couple of scenes that I would have prefered a little less "graphic" in the graphic novel.
The story was very fast paced and the writing very tight. Rather than the long back stories and explanations from something like Watchmen or V for Vendetta, this book just jumped right through all the hoops and presented the story with clean, concise movements that kept the plot jolting forward.
Probably my favorite part in the whole book was during the actual joke at the end. The joke itself was alright, but having Batman give a half smirk really just cracked me up. The stoic, withdrawn Batman who never reveals his humanity let himself emit a small sense of appreciation at the Joker's joke. Not a laugh or a giggle...more just a slight exhale with even slighter motion at the corners of his lips, but enough to see Batman's humanity.
For Batman lovers, this is a fun book. It's definitely not for kids (violence, language and covered/implied nudity) but for the more mature Batman crowd, this is an enjoying read.
****
3.5 out of 5 stars
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while and it kept calling to me...until I finally read it.Of the Batman villains, my favorite is the Riddler. Mostly this is due to my own penchant for riddles, puzzles, codes and random mind games. However, close behind Riddler's methods of toying with Batman, my next favorite antagonist is the Joker. Thus having the entire cover devoted to him, really made me eager to read this. Add to that the writing of Alan Moore and I was stoked to get into this.
Apparently the original novel had much less color (mostly black and white, from what I understand) but the one I read was the "remastered" (that's the term for movies...does it apply to books?) version with cleaned up art and color.
I really enjoyed the art style. It was a little greusome at times and there were a couple of scenes that I would have prefered a little less "graphic" in the graphic novel.
The story was very fast paced and the writing very tight. Rather than the long back stories and explanations from something like Watchmen or V for Vendetta, this book just jumped right through all the hoops and presented the story with clean, concise movements that kept the plot jolting forward.
Probably my favorite part in the whole book was during the actual joke at the end. The joke itself was alright, but having Batman give a half smirk really just cracked me up. The stoic, withdrawn Batman who never reveals his humanity let himself emit a small sense of appreciation at the Joker's joke. Not a laugh or a giggle...more just a slight exhale with even slighter motion at the corners of his lips, but enough to see Batman's humanity.
For Batman lovers, this is a fun book. It's definitely not for kids (violence, language and covered/implied nudity) but for the more mature Batman crowd, this is an enjoying read.
****
3.5 out of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member danconsiglio
An actually disturbing take on The Joker that has become the primary model for Batman's archnemesis. Before Moore came along, the Joker was generally silly and rarely killed anyone or did anything actually destructive. After Moore, he is a character worth fearing. Moore's writing and imagery relies
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heavily on visual motifs, and this is a prime example of his style. It's not as meaty as Watchmen, but definitely worth a quick read or two! Show Less
LibraryThing member Jakeofalltrades
This was the first Batman story I truly cared about, and the one that stuck with me the longest. It's not so much its notoriety that makes it one of the most enduring stories in Batman lore, it's the fact that it depicts The Joker, one of the most often used villains in Batman lore, as not merely a
Having read both the original printed version of this story in a trade paperback of Alan Moore's DC stories, I have to say that this version of The Killing Joke will either win old fans over with its much darker and eerier colouring washouts, or confuse them about why the old art wasn't touched up and they'll like the original version better. However, since the original art is in the hands of collectors, touching up the original art was impossible, and I have to say I like both presentations of the tale for different reasons. I like this one because it's in hardcover, but I also like the original colouring job because of its retro feel.
Still, since this story's been out of print for years, pick up this hardcover and read it for yourself.
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cold-hearted evil clown who commits terrible deeds, but as a broken and utterly irredeemable man. He gets your sympathy, only to twist the knife into you in the end, refusing to be rehabilitated, perhaps out of malice towards Batman, or perhaps out of fear that he will be controlled. Alan Moore wasn't satisfied with how this story turned out, but it's certainly my favorite Batman story ever.Having read both the original printed version of this story in a trade paperback of Alan Moore's DC stories, I have to say that this version of The Killing Joke will either win old fans over with its much darker and eerier colouring washouts, or confuse them about why the old art wasn't touched up and they'll like the original version better. However, since the original art is in the hands of collectors, touching up the original art was impossible, and I have to say I like both presentations of the tale for different reasons. I like this one because it's in hardcover, but I also like the original colouring job because of its retro feel.
Still, since this story's been out of print for years, pick up this hardcover and read it for yourself.
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LibraryThing member wilsonknut
This was an innovative and shocking book in the late 80s. It is part of the darker comics that became popular during that time period. It is perhaps the first time the Joker gets really sick and twisted. It also has a unique Joker origin story. The main storyline seems a little dated now because it
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slips back into comic sentimentality at the end. The artwork is still beautiful, and the introduction to the deluxe edition points out some great stuff about the structure of the storyline and art. Show Less
LibraryThing member comfypants
I guess comics had a lot to prove in the 80s, and that hasn't helped them age well. While it's an artful story (especially the artwork, which has been redone), every page is desperately screaming, "I'm not for kids," without enough quality writing to make up for that. It's too dark to be any fun,
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and there's no excuse for a Joker story to not be fun. Show Less
LibraryThing member ragwaine
Really this was just too short to be that involving for me. The idea was great, I liked the Joker origin story, the art was great. It just seemed like it cut off short. The little story at the end was cool but again ultimately not that satisfying.
LibraryThing member kmaziarz
Classic Batman villain the Joker has been enjoying somewhat of a renaissance lately, it seems. Given the late lamented Heath Ledger’s astonishing performance as Joker in “Batman: The Dark Knight,” it’s easy to see why. Jack Nicholson’s Joker, while certainly still darkly crazy in many
“The Killing Joke” contains a Joker origin story…one of many, as the Joker himself has been known to state that he does not remember his own past clearly. In this particular origin story, however, the man that Joker used to be had one very bad day…everything in his life went wrong all at once, ending with a dunk in a chemical bath that produced the Joker’s characteristic crazed red grin, green hair, and dead white skin. It was this one very bad day that pushed him over the line into insanity, and now, in present day, he decides to prove that even the sanest of men is only one very bad day away from becoming just as mad as he himself became. To that end, he kidnaps Commissioner Gordon— after shooting his daughter Barbara (also known as Batgirl) in the spine and paralyzing her from the waist down—and drags the Commissioner to a twisted carnival funhouse of the Joker’s own design and shows him just how bad life can get in the course of just one day. Of course, Batman intervenes, and in the end…well, the Joker’s own day gets a heck of a lot worse.
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ways, was still somewhat more sane than not…at least where his motives for crime were concerned. But Ledger’s performance was much more in line with the classic portrayal of the Joker as a force of pure insanity, driven to inflict his own madness upon the world. The graphic novel “Batman: The Killing Joke,” first published over twenty years ago and now republished in an anniversary edition, should be of interest to any fans of the recent movie as well as to long-time Batman readers.“The Killing Joke” contains a Joker origin story…one of many, as the Joker himself has been known to state that he does not remember his own past clearly. In this particular origin story, however, the man that Joker used to be had one very bad day…everything in his life went wrong all at once, ending with a dunk in a chemical bath that produced the Joker’s characteristic crazed red grin, green hair, and dead white skin. It was this one very bad day that pushed him over the line into insanity, and now, in present day, he decides to prove that even the sanest of men is only one very bad day away from becoming just as mad as he himself became. To that end, he kidnaps Commissioner Gordon— after shooting his daughter Barbara (also known as Batgirl) in the spine and paralyzing her from the waist down—and drags the Commissioner to a twisted carnival funhouse of the Joker’s own design and shows him just how bad life can get in the course of just one day. Of course, Batman intervenes, and in the end…well, the Joker’s own day gets a heck of a lot worse.
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LibraryThing member 59Square
Kearsten says: Wow. This was incredibly disturbing! I'm not deeply familiar with Batman and his history, but this installment feels very dark and I wonder how much of *this* Joker influenced The Dark Knight... Lots, methinks!
LibraryThing member atia
It took me ages to finally get this book. It was somehow consistently out of print, but thanks to the wonders of amazon marketplace, I was finally able to get my hands on a copy. And I am glad I did.
There's this constant warring in my chest about who I love more - Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore. At the
Although I had read a bit about the book before and thus should have known what to expect, I was quite shocked. It was very brutal and cruel, and mostly just altogether unexpected, I think that's the thing. What happened to the Gordon's was extremely hard for me to read, but since that's how it should be I'm not complaining.
I love the Joker's theory about the "one bad day" one has to have, one thing that could change the balance. I also love how his backstory is still left unsure, and how his theory is challenged both by Batman and Gordon. (Who I love. With every single Batman thing I read or watch, I fall more and more in love with Jim Gordon.) And I loved the ending. It's absolutely brilliant.
I always feel odd talking about the art of a comic, because I don't feel qualified to judge (although I think I would notice if the artwork was bad). But Brian Bollands work is amazing to look at.
So yeah, this was definitely worth waiting for.
There's this constant warring in my chest about who I love more - Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore. At the
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end of the day it'll always be Neil, I suspect, but every time I read something by Alan Moore it feels like - I don't know, like a punch into my stomach that leaves me breathless, except with less physical pain. He's just so good. (I reread Watchmen last weekend and yeah. That's what I'm talking about.) But since I have more than enough love to give, I don't have to decide, I just can enjoy myself and love them both.Although I had read a bit about the book before and thus should have known what to expect, I was quite shocked. It was very brutal and cruel, and mostly just altogether unexpected, I think that's the thing. What happened to the Gordon's was extremely hard for me to read, but since that's how it should be I'm not complaining.
I love the Joker's theory about the "one bad day" one has to have, one thing that could change the balance. I also love how his backstory is still left unsure, and how his theory is challenged both by Batman and Gordon. (Who I love. With every single Batman thing I read or watch, I fall more and more in love with Jim Gordon.) And I loved the ending. It's absolutely brilliant.
I always feel odd talking about the art of a comic, because I don't feel qualified to judge (although I think I would notice if the artwork was bad). But Brian Bollands work is amazing to look at.
So yeah, this was definitely worth waiting for.
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LibraryThing member rsamet
This graphic novel is indeed graphic, and intended for older teens and up, but it is one of the best Batman graphic novels ever produced and is a must for a teen or adult graphic novel collection. The story written by the famed Alan Moore is a dark and violent imagining of the Joker's origins, and
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is gorgeously depicted by Brian Bollard. The new edition has been re-colored to perfection by Bollard, to reflect his original vision. His line art is detailed and bold, and captures the characters and their expressions of agony and torment. A cliff-hanger ending will leave readers wanting more...absolutely put this one into your older teen/adult collection, but don't steer young Batman fans toward it due to its graphic (torture) scenes and implied nudity. Show Less
LibraryThing member etznab
Another Joker origin story. Beautifully drawn. I think the madness of the Joker was captured quite well. But I think Gordon's reaction was understated and not believable at all.
LibraryThing member FFortuna
A good Batman comic, but I don't understand the hype it's received. It's not one of Moore's best works. It's not long enough, mainly... The meat was there, the balance between The Joker and Batman etc., but I didn't get a chance to get my teeth into it.
On the plus side, I have the deluxe,
On the plus side, I have the deluxe,
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recolored, partially redrawn edition and at least in this one, the art is really good. Dark, yet stylish. I especially love the full-body drawings of Batman, he has a great silhouette and the cape is fantastic on him. Show Less
LibraryThing member mynameisLukas
I bought this book when I was a kid, and had no idea who Alan Moore was. As an adult, being re-introduced to great comics I had missed as a youth, I was thrilled to find this still sitting in my box of old books. A short story that doesn't leave much room for the typical Moore-ish threads and
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diversions, but instead focuses directly on the relationship between Batman and the Joker in a way that has been as definitive a character study as Frank Miller's Dark Knight stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member HippieLunatic
My husband gave me Batman: The Killing Joke as required reading before we went to see Dark Knight. I am thankful for the introduction to this version of the Joker before seeing him on the screen.
Without firsthand knowledge, I can only assume that this is a terrific portrayal of criminal insanity.
Without firsthand knowledge, I can only assume that this is a terrific portrayal of criminal insanity.
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It made me cringe and sent shivers up my spine, while showing me a much more devastating clash between good and evil than Jack Nicholson's Joker had been able to do for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member yak_lukestwin
I bought this book when I was a kid, and had no idea who Alan Moore was. As an adult, being re-introduced to great comics I had missed as a youth, I was thrilled to find this still sitting in my box of old books. A short story that doesn't leave much room for the typical Moore-ish threads and
Show More
diversions, but instead focuses directly on the relationship between Batman and the Joker in a way that has been as definitive a character study as Frank Miller's Dark Knight stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member luketest4
I bought this book when I was a kid, and had no idea who Alan Moore was. As an adult, being re-introduced to great comics I had missed as a youth, I was thrilled to find this still sitting in my box of old books. A short story that doesn't leave much room for the typical Moore-ish threads and
Show More
diversions, but instead focuses directly on the relationship between Batman and the Joker in a way that has been as definitive a character study as Frank Miller's Dark Knight stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member tiamatq
Wow... just wow! This short story was recently updated, with Brian Bolland recoloring (and apparently sketching in a few new details) the original comic. This is a Joker-origin story, though as the Joker himself admits, he doesn't remember his own past well. In his words, "Sometimes I remember it
Like I said before, the story is brief and to the point. Between moments of the story we see flashes of the Joker's past, of what he did to support himself and how he had his first run-in with Batman. Bolland has washed out these flashbacks, leaving shades of red to stand out, tying in nicely with the Joker's first criminal persona. I guess some people thought the ending was ambiguous... it does end with a joke, and I like how the moment was shared between the two of them. I suppose if you were to take away the text in the box, it would look a different way, but I didn't really find it confusing.
There! That's fairly spoiler-free! I did enjoy the Joker's lines about a coffee-table edition... being a librarian myself, I hope to never be in the same situation. :P
For a little added oomph, Brian Bolland included his short story "An Innocent Guy." I enjoyed the giant typewriter.
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one way, sometimes another... If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" The short summary is that the Joker escapes from Arkham, only to have Batman discover he's missing when he goes to try and offer something resembling a peace treaty. This escape isn't about crime or money... it's about proving a point. One bad day is all it takes to go from being an average person to a maniac or even a masked vigilante. Before the Joker is through, two of Batman's closest friends and allies will have had their lives changed forever.Like I said before, the story is brief and to the point. Between moments of the story we see flashes of the Joker's past, of what he did to support himself and how he had his first run-in with Batman. Bolland has washed out these flashbacks, leaving shades of red to stand out, tying in nicely with the Joker's first criminal persona. I guess some people thought the ending was ambiguous... it does end with a joke, and I like how the moment was shared between the two of them. I suppose if you were to take away the text in the box, it would look a different way, but I didn't really find it confusing.
There! That's fairly spoiler-free! I did enjoy the Joker's lines about a coffee-table edition... being a librarian myself, I hope to never be in the same situation. :P
For a little added oomph, Brian Bolland included his short story "An Innocent Guy." I enjoyed the giant typewriter.
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LibraryThing member schatzi
I'm a relatively new fan of comics (thank you Maus and Watchmen), and I find myself drawn to Alan Moore's work. That said, this isn't the best that I've read from him; it's not even close. I would probably give the storyline 2.5 or 3 stars.
I've never been a "Joker fangirl" by any stretch of the
Oh, but the art! That's what really saves this comic for me. It's gorgeously colored, and the Joker's facial expressions are just perfect. It may be a short book, but I spent several hours drooling over the panels (figuratively, of course). It deserves more than five stars.
It certainly doesn't hurt that the deluxe edition is simply beautiful.
I've never been a "Joker fangirl" by any stretch of the
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imagination (which surprises me, since I usually love the psychos), but I don't particularly think this backstory fits him very well. In The Killing Joke, he has A Very Bad Day, and maybe that is the point of Moore's story - one bad day can make you go quite mad. But it falls flat for the Joker. It just doesn't fit him.Oh, but the art! That's what really saves this comic for me. It's gorgeously colored, and the Joker's facial expressions are just perfect. It may be a short book, but I spent several hours drooling over the panels (figuratively, of course). It deserves more than five stars.
It certainly doesn't hurt that the deluxe edition is simply beautiful.
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LibraryThing member theboylatham
Eight out of ten. CBR format.
The Joker intends to drive Jim Gordon insane to prove his point that even the most decent citizen is capable of going made after having "one bad day". The theme is relevant to the Joker and his descent into villiany as the definitive origin story (as told through
The Joker intends to drive Jim Gordon insane to prove his point that even the most decent citizen is capable of going made after having "one bad day". The theme is relevant to the Joker and his descent into villiany as the definitive origin story (as told through
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flashbacks) is also explained. Show Less
LibraryThing member nesum
I was really enjoying this one almost to the end. I mean, I was loving it. It had the Joker's personality so perfect, and the whole tale was just dark enough to make it sing.
And then we get to the end, and we lose all sense of the Batman universe and instead get some pseudo-psychological group hug
And then we get to the end, and we lose all sense of the Batman universe and instead get some pseudo-psychological group hug
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that seemed more in line with Alan Alda's Hawkeye in the finale of MASH than with Batman. One of Moore's failings is that he tries so hard to fit his politics into his work. Most of the time it doesn't make a big difference, but here he just rips apart the entire character of Batman to make him more touchy-feely. As much as I liked 90% of the book, I can't quite follow it through those last few pages. Show Less
LibraryThing member minifig
One of the weakest things I've read by Moore. Unsatisfying, badly scripted, and essentially ending-free, the main problem is that it just doesn't *work*.
LibraryThing member CareBear36
Very well done. Great graphics and coloring. I really liked the spotlight effect used in the flashback scenes. Good story and nice dialogue throughout. I personally could have done with less mistreatment of Barbara as I felt uncomfortable with the sexualized violence, but the rest of the graphic
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novel was well done. Show Less
LibraryThing member kayceel
Wow. This was incredibly disturbing! I'm not deeply familiar with Batman and his history, but this installment feels very dark and i wonder how much of *this* Joker influenced The Dark Knight...
LibraryThing member brayzinski
Dark, intense and intriguing ending....
LibraryThing member Alixtii
If this graphic novel is anything (and I suppose it is many things), it is "stark." That can be used to describe both the art and the overall aesthetic, but also that The Killing Joke is quite starkly what it is, and people will either love it or hate it for that as they will. It cannot be denied
This is a story about one day (two, if one counts the day of the Joker's origin which parallels the main narrative) and three men: Batman, Joker, and Commissioner Gordon. Everything else--including the female characters, unfortunately--is simply prop dressing for the horrible moment these three must endure. This is the moment which will ultimately, in the hands of writers who are not Alan Moore, turn Batgirl into Oracle, one of the most inspiringly empowered heroines in the DC universe, but here Barbara's being crippled and photographed naked are simply fairly cheap vehicles for adding to her dad's angst.
Still, Moore brings all his talent to rendering that moment as starkly and as powerfully as he can, and it is easily understandable why those who love this title think it is so great. Moore strips everything else away until one is left with nothing but pure catharsis. (The problem is that if one isn't interested in that particular type of catharsis, there's nothing left to keep one's interest.) The Joker is convinced that it only takes one bad day to make someone insane, and Moore is as intent on seeing the experiment through to the end as is his villain.
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that this story is a classic and a pivotal moment in DC continuity, but those are more facts about the way people responded to the tale, both as comic book readers and as comic book writers and artists picking up the mythos after Moore.This is a story about one day (two, if one counts the day of the Joker's origin which parallels the main narrative) and three men: Batman, Joker, and Commissioner Gordon. Everything else--including the female characters, unfortunately--is simply prop dressing for the horrible moment these three must endure. This is the moment which will ultimately, in the hands of writers who are not Alan Moore, turn Batgirl into Oracle, one of the most inspiringly empowered heroines in the DC universe, but here Barbara's being crippled and photographed naked are simply fairly cheap vehicles for adding to her dad's angst.
Still, Moore brings all his talent to rendering that moment as starkly and as powerfully as he can, and it is easily understandable why those who love this title think it is so great. Moore strips everything else away until one is left with nothing but pure catharsis. (The problem is that if one isn't interested in that particular type of catharsis, there's nothing left to keep one's interest.) The Joker is convinced that it only takes one bad day to make someone insane, and Moore is as intent on seeing the experiment through to the end as is his villain.
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Awards
Eisner Award (Winner — 1989)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2008-04
Physical description
96 p.; 11.18 inches
ISBN
1401294057 / 9781401294052