Batman: Killing Joke - Books (Alan Moore, Paperback)

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Customer Reviews of Batman: Killing Joke

JimDiGriz1975
Leicester, England
24th October 2008

A beautifully drawn, but very dark, tale.
This was my first introduction to more "adult orientated" graphic novels (as opposed to comics). I bought it on a whim after seeing the cover featured in a TV programme hyping the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie, and it was a real eye-opener. The tone is certainly much darker than the image of Batman which I'd grown up with (ie Adam West in all his campness) and provides a fascinating origin for the Joker. He comes across as an ordinary man driven beyond his capacity for reason, instead of the stereotypical insane clown of lazier Batman stories. (In fact the entire story is based around his "one bad day is all it takes" philosophy...)
The story itself is short but all the more effective for it, with some beautifully - if chillingly - drawn characters. The Joker is especially well rendered, with several large and extremely detailed frames - which is hardly surprising given that much of the book focuses on him and his "past life".
All in all, "A Killing Joke" is a worthy complement to "Batman: Year One" and "Dark Knight Returns", as it gives the reader a solid - and believable - origin to Batman's most enigmatic adversary. Highly recommended.

John Hughes

24th October 2008

Return of a classic
This was the first comic i ever bought,twenty or so years ago and it is still one of my favourites.The story is probably the best Joker tale and the art is un-paralled.This edition is if anything an improvement on the original having Brian Bolland's own colours which are a delight in themselves.This book might be the definitive version of this seminal graphic novel.

dugfinger
Northants, UK
1st September 2008

It was OK.
I was really looking forward to this, having heard so much praise. I guess I missed something, but I was expecting a really deep, complex story, like so many reviews and articles had described, and didn't find anything of the sort. The artwork's flawless, but the story really did nothing for me, especially the Joker's back story, which seems to be the most raved about part. I felt no attachment to any characters, and having only recently read Watchmen for the first time, and being so blown away by that, I couldn't see how this was the same writer. I also found it shockingly short, which I don't expect from a graphic novel. As I said before though, awesome artwork. I still love that cover!

R. T. Southgate
UK
29th August 2008

A Feast for the Eyes; A Drain On the Mind
Okay, let's keep this brief and informal lest I start taking myself far too seriously. After all, it is only a comic book to which I am referring regardless of how good or bad this particular one may be.
As an addition to the Batman Legend, 'The Killing Joke' is something of a let down, and not least due to the 1980's "think outside of the box" storyline. In my opinion it will warp your perception of the Caped Crusader and Smiles-McGee as it did mine with it's painting of the pair as something of an old married couple who may fight but deep down are the best of friends (and thankfully like an old married couple they are not sexually attracted to each other either). It has to be said though that The Joker's crimes depicted here are less master-criminal and more sick-bastard. Whilst inventive, they lack the subtlety and genius you'd expect from the character. It would be far too easy to confuse his antics with that of 'Lord Pumpkin' in his origin one-shot as the freaky carnival setting and deformed minions are not Joker-like in my mind. I'd also suggest that the "definitive origin story" for the Joker is an ideal that should have died long ago, way before the 80's ever hit, and it's inclusion here makes the Joker seem weak and unjustified (in some senses) in his madness. Basically, as in the short version, Alan Moore's story is cleverly gimmicky at best with scripting that is just plain awful. Sorry to all the fans of the piece out there, but it reads more like a romance comic with Batman being the hysterical woman moreover Dark Knight.
What you will take away from reading this (and despite what I just said, you must buy and read this!) is that Brian Bolland is highly revered for a reason. The artwork is simply phenomenal, and the newly revamped colouring is stunning. You may never see a depiction of classic Batman or Joker looking this good anywhere else again. With the added bonus of Bolland's 'Innocent Man' (which he also wrote) sitting quietly at the back, this package must adorn your bookcase. I would recommend this to anyone.

Alan
Edinburgh United Kingdom
24th August 2008

"I know you're a mass murderer, but can't we be friends?"
Alan Moore provides the reader with plenty motivation for us to hate the Joker in this short story; so much in fact that it make's Commisioner Gordon's response largely unbelievable, and Batman's 'let's be friends, I can help you' reaction somehow cowardly. The villain is elevated to such a level of cruelty and malice that Batman's idealistic moral outlook has no counter. The result is Batman comes off as a wimp.

The artwork by Boland is wonderful, but probably the worst story I've read of Moore's.