Batman: The Killing Joke | 
| Authors: Alan Moore, Brian Bolland
Publisher: DC Comics
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
Buy New: $9.33
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Avg. Customer Rating:  146 reviews
Sales Rank: 25
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Deluxe
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 64
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 11.1 x 7.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 1401216676
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5941
EAN: 9781401216672
ASIN: 1401216676
Publication Date: March 19, 2008
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Amazon.com
The Killing Joke, one of my favorite Batman stories ever, stirred a bit of controversy because the story involves the Joker brutally, pointlessly shooting Commissioner Gordon's daughter in the spine. This is a no-holds-barred take on a truly insane criminal mind, masterfully written by British comics writer Alan Moore. The art by Brian Bolland is so appealing that his depiction of the Joker became a standard and was imitated by many artists to follow.
Product Description
The Killing Joke, one of my favorite Batman stories ever, stirred a bit of controversy because the story involves the Joker brutally, pointlessly shooting Commissioner Gordon's daughter in the spine. This is a no-holds-barred take on a truly insane criminal mind, masterfully written by British comics writer Alan Moore. The art by Brian Bolland is so appealing that his depiction of the Joker became a standard and was imitated by many artists to follow.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 141 more reviews...
 Jokes on you Batman July 25, 2008
This is one you can read in 30 minutes but it certainly is an entertaining 30 minutes. Alan Moore offers a short yet sinister glimpse into the abysmal mind of the Joker. This isn't for little kids.
 Amazing, but very...short July 24, 2008
There are far too many people out there clamoring about this book. Why? Because there is a new Batman film in theaters. Admittingly, this is one of the Joker's finest moments, albeit darkest. And yes, it is one of the greatest Batman books ever.
That being said, it is very short. The story itself is only 46 pages. The extras aren't really that good. I liked Brian Bolland's re-coloring of his Batman: Black and White piece, but otherwise, they are pretty corny. Not enough to buy the hardcover. The re-coloring of the story itself is nice and gives it a cleaner, more up-to-date look, but the original coloring gave it more of a gritty feeling.
This is one of the best Batman books, and definitely is The Joker's finest moment. It is Joker at his darkly funniest, and most malicious. Perhaps short of killing Jason Todd, this is the sickest the Joker has ever been. The origin story pushes the point of the "One bad day" that the Joker is trying to convey. Not totally necessary, but cool.
Alan Moore's weakest work, but it is Alan Moore, who is greater than any other writer in his sleep. You really cannot go wrong. This book is a must for any Batman fan, and for a easy look at the mentality of the Joker, pick it up.
 A woman-hating, pointless Batman story July 21, 2008
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
The art in this book is quite good. However, the story lacks something.
Okay, the Joker had a rough life, and then goes crazy? Got it. Batman tracks his arch-enemy and captures him, and somehow finds time for a hearty laugh with Joker while Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, lies in the hospital with a shattered spine? Got it. And Batman's friend Jim Gordon was pretty much driven to the brink of insanity, but the character is just fine the next time we see him? Got it.
This comic was basically an excuse to make sure Barbara Gordon never became Batgirl again, or Batwoman, for that matter. And the book glorifies the Joker's violence to an almost sickening point. It's not intelligent; it's not artistic. It's just that: violence.
If I were going to make a list of classic Batman comics, this would never make the list. It's a mess, and it's not good writing.
One REALLY bad day. July 14, 2008
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3CAS7DS48K807 "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.
If you haven't read it yet, the joke's on you July 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Batman: The Killing Joke" is one of the seminal Batman comics as well as one of the finest comics ever published. That's hardly a surprise considering that it was written by Alan Moore, the Shakespeare of comic books, who the year before had written "Watchmen," the greatest comic of all time. For "The Killing Joke," he teamed with artist Brian Bolland to craft a psychological look at what made the Joker, what makes him who he is now, and how the threads of Batman's fate are inextricably woven between those of the Joker.
In "The Killing Joke," the Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum. He then proceeds to cripple Barbara Gordon and kidnap her father, Commissioner James Gordon, and hold him hostage. Meanwhile, Batman frantically searches for the Clown Prince of Crime. As one of the many comics published in the 1980s which upgraded the medium from children's entertainment to serious literature, "The Killing Joke" is very mature and very disturbing. Unlike the Joker of Tim Burton's "Batman" or of the legendary animated series, this Joker's jokes are not amusing to us. They are disturbing. As if the crippling of Barbara Gordon was not heartbreaking enough, the Joker takes disturbing photographs of her nude -- in a pool of her own blood -- then kidnaps and abuses the naked and chained Jim Gordon, laughing all the way. This is not Caesar Romero's mischievous clown from the 60's TV series.
Through a series of flashbacks, we see how the Joker came to be. Moore cleverly draws from the original origin tale created for the Joker in the 1950's. Initially intended as a throwaway story, now that tale becomes something meaningful and intriguing, an important piece of a tragic puzzle. The Joker is such an interesting character in "The Killing Joke" because at once one is appalled by him, by his ghastly actions, by his complete disregard for humanity, and yet, at the same time, one feels horrible for him. He became the horror he is after one bad night -- and, as the Joker points out, so did Batman.
Introducing that notion was just one of the ways that "The Killing Joke" influenced the future of Batman comics. The notion that Batman was a similar creature to the Joker, perhaps even the same, had never been explored before. But that's just what Moore did. "The Killing Joke" suggests that Batman needs the Joker and vice versa, as though they are yin and yang, two pieces of a puzzle, neither of which can exist without the other. Batman needs to put the Joker in his place, just as the Joker needs to be put in his place by Batman. At first it seems like an insane idea -- but out of that apparent insanity comes the frightening realization that that may be the most sane idea yet.
Moore himself has distanced himself from the books since its publication, saying that he felt that the book was devoid of "real human importance," and that the characters felt like just that: characters. He may be right in some regards. "The Killing Joke" hasn't the "human importance" of "Watchmen," but its examination of what makes these two unusual humans tick, what created them, and its suggestion that one should step back and see the big picture, makes it important enough in my book. It's true that some of the characters with less scenes, such as Barbara Gordon or even Batman himself, do come off as characters more than people, but those characters that Moore focuses on, namely the Joker and Jim Gordon, come across as real human beings.
Bringing additional depth to the story is Brian Bolland, whose eerie, muted artwork perfectly compliments Moore's chilling story. When the book was first published in 1988, it was colored by John Higgins, who used a sort of rainbow-tinged brightness in his coloring, which didn't quite fit the story. This edition is re-colored by Bolland, so all the artwork looks the way it was intended to look: splendid. Most noticeably, he's sucked most of the color out of the flashback scenes, which adds an additional bitterness to them. Bolland's muted colors are utterly perfect for Moore's writing. The Joker may never have looked so good as he does when Bolland draws him.
"The Killing Joke" was highly influential. For one thing, it brought about the creation of the crippled Barbara Gordon's alter-ego, Oracle, who would be one of the leads of the "Birds of Prey" comics (and TV series). For another, it inspired both Tim Burton's depiction of the Joker in his film and Christopher Nolan's depiction of the character in "The Dark Knight." And while Moore and Bolland have often questioned the relevancy and overall quality of the book, it remains a fan favorite.
So for those looking to acquaint themselves with Batman comics, or those who want to know just what the comic fuss is about, "The Killing Joke" is a must. It remains the greatest Joker story ever told, as well as one of the best Batman stories told, period. It's dark, disturbing, thoughtful, and revelatory. If you're interested in comics and you haven't read it, well -- the joke's on you.
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