Batman: The Killing Joke
by Alan Moore, Brian Bolland
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alan Moore, Brian BollandArtist: Brian Bolland
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-03-19
ISBN: 1401216676
Number of pages: 64
Publisher: DC Comics
Book Reviews of Batman: The Killing Joke
Book Review: It is good, but not OMGWTFBBQ amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
I will start out by saying i am new to comics. and new to batman. i have read maybe 10 or so comics/tpb in my life prior to this book. what pulled me to this book, like some of you, is the movie Dark Knight.
so, is the killing joke good? yes, of course. this edition especially. the art is beautiful and an absolute pleasure to look at/read (i have a problem with comic book art of yesteryear, i think it looks incredibly childish, this book looks wonderful). this edition also contains a short 3 page comic in the end about good/evil which i absolutely loved, its a philosophical debate a man in going through in his head about who is good and who is evil and how does one truly know oneself. in fact this mini-comic goes great to explain how the joker can go from the person he was, to who he is now.
the killing joke itself is pretty good read, i found it to be short for a tpb but later understood its really just a slightly longer comicbook (not a collection of many comics). this book has been hyped up a lot before i bought it and i was expecting something incredible, it isnt incredible but extremely enjoyable and totally worth the price.
my biggest problem with it is that it leaves you craving more. more of the same art/writing/story telling. i found that it will be very difficult to get more as most other comics with the joker portray him as a laughing fool, rather than a truly insane, calculating murderer.
this book also has (in my opinion) one of the best origin stories for the joker (told via flashbacks) which is a little more grounded in reality and not the usual comicbook fantasy flair.
batman here is portrayed as an intelligent detective who is feared and respected. he seems very deep and troubled, possessing many internal demons and finding purpose in his life by doing what he does.
this book is pretty close to rational reality, without too much (or any) suspension of disbelief necessary. this has always been my favorite part of batman (and the reason i hated all the batman films between the original one and batman begins).
if anyone has any recommendations please put it in the comments.
Summary of Batman: The Killing Joke
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 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.
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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