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Batman
Batman: The Killing Joke
For the first time the Joker's origin is revealed in this tale of insanity and human perseverance. Looking to prove that any man can be pushed past his breaking point and go mad, the Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane.
After shooting and permanently paralyzing his daughter Barbara (a.k.a. Batgirl), the Joker kidnaps the commissioner and attacks his mind in hopes of breaking the man.
But refusing to give up, Gordon maintains his sanity with the help of Batman in an effort to beset the madman.
After shooting and permanently paralyzing his daughter Barbara (a.k.a. Batgirl), the Joker kidnaps the commissioner and attacks his mind in hopes of breaking the man.
But refusing to give up, Gordon maintains his sanity with the help of Batman in an effort to beset the madman.
50 pages, Paperback
First published November 16, 1988
- Harvey Awards, Best Graphic Album, Best Single Issue or Story, Best Artist or Penciller (for Brian Bolland) & Best Colorist (for John Higgins) AND nominated for Special Award for Excellence in Presentation (for Richard Bruning) (1989), Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, Best Graphic Album, Best Writer (for Alan Moore), Best Artist (for Brian Bolland) (1989)
Alan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
Ratings & Reviews
Community Reviews
Edited March 29, 2020
(A) 85% | Extraordinary
Notes: A discomforting, audacious book that compels re-readings and focused, lingering looks at specific pages and panels.
Notes: A discomforting, audacious book that compels re-readings and focused, lingering looks at specific pages and panels.
Edited November 22, 2020
“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.”
Now this was good, and I mean good. It’s such a simple idea, but so real and powerful. I mean one bad day is all it takes. One push, one snap, one descent into chaos and it’s over. Once you’ve crossed that threshold then things will never be the same again. And the Joker, being the sly and brilliant villain that he is, wants to share the experience with the world. He wants to show humanity that they are not that far from him. The first man he wants to reduce is the stalwart Commissioner Gordon. But, I think we all know who is intended victim actually is.
The Joker was once normal. He had a girlfriend; he had a job, but the world shitted on him somewhat chronic. And like many people he was forced to turn to crime; he was forced to break society's rules in order to survive. That’s where it all began. That first step into the darkness led to many other steps down the road of corruption. It wasn’t long before petty crime turned to murder and butchery. The Joker became ruined and lost himself in his nasty deeds. This is a great origin story, one that fully lives up to the character immense personality. Allan More totally nails it.
"THERE IS NO SANITY CLAUSE!
SO WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF LOCKED ONTO AN UNPLEASANT TRAIN OF THOUGHT, HEADING FOR THE PLACES IN YOUR PAST WHERE THE SCREAMING IS UNBEARABLE, REMEMBER THERE'S ALWAYS MADNESS.
MADNESS IS THE EMERGENCY EXIT...
YOU CAN JUST STEP OUTSIDE, AND CLOSE THE DOOR ON ALL THOSE DREADFUL THINGS THAT HAPPENED. YOU CAN LOCK THEM AWAY...
FOREVER.”
And the ending, it’s all about the ending. The Joker’s personality is infectious. At least, he wants it to be. He’s always tried to bring down the good. He ruined Harvey Dent, and he has always wanted to ruin the bat. And he just may have. The end is suggestive of two things: firstly, Batman strangling the Joker in one final heroic act, there’s some irony in that sentence; secondly, Batman descending to the Jokers level and embracing the insanity of one bad day.
I'll leave you with this picture and see if you can decide:
__________________________________
You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
__________________________________
Now this was good, and I mean good. It’s such a simple idea, but so real and powerful. I mean one bad day is all it takes. One push, one snap, one descent into chaos and it’s over. Once you’ve crossed that threshold then things will never be the same again. And the Joker, being the sly and brilliant villain that he is, wants to share the experience with the world. He wants to show humanity that they are not that far from him. The first man he wants to reduce is the stalwart Commissioner Gordon. But, I think we all know who is intended victim actually is.
The Joker was once normal. He had a girlfriend; he had a job, but the world shitted on him somewhat chronic. And like many people he was forced to turn to crime; he was forced to break society's rules in order to survive. That’s where it all began. That first step into the darkness led to many other steps down the road of corruption. It wasn’t long before petty crime turned to murder and butchery. The Joker became ruined and lost himself in his nasty deeds. This is a great origin story, one that fully lives up to the character immense personality. Allan More totally nails it.
"THERE IS NO SANITY CLAUSE!
SO WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF LOCKED ONTO AN UNPLEASANT TRAIN OF THOUGHT, HEADING FOR THE PLACES IN YOUR PAST WHERE THE SCREAMING IS UNBEARABLE, REMEMBER THERE'S ALWAYS MADNESS.
MADNESS IS THE EMERGENCY EXIT...
YOU CAN JUST STEP OUTSIDE, AND CLOSE THE DOOR ON ALL THOSE DREADFUL THINGS THAT HAPPENED. YOU CAN LOCK THEM AWAY...
FOREVER.”
And the ending, it’s all about the ending. The Joker’s personality is infectious. At least, he wants it to be. He’s always tried to bring down the good. He ruined Harvey Dent, and he has always wanted to ruin the bat. And he just may have. The end is suggestive of two things: firstly, Batman strangling the Joker in one final heroic act, there’s some irony in that sentence; secondly, Batman descending to the Jokers level and embracing the insanity of one bad day.
I'll leave you with this picture and see if you can decide:
__________________________________
You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
__________________________________
Edited April 19, 2020
All it takes is one bad day.
This is one of the most iconic comics in the Batman/Joker mythos and arguably has a place as one of the most iconic comics out there period. I think most people will agree that Bolland's visuals are just unbelievable. The expressions on the faces, the body language, even the colors are as close to perfect as you can get.
And Moore is at the top of his game here. Wow. Just...wow!
The ripple effects of what happened here not only created Oracle, but inspired a ton of other great storylines.
I would have thought that a Joker Origin story was maybe the stupidest idea ever before reading this, but I think Moore pulled it off beautifully. Mainly because this had such a wonderful hint of madness to it, that it even with the Joker telling you about his past, it still leaves you wondering if that's really what happened.
And that ending.
Highly recommended.
This is one of the most iconic comics in the Batman/Joker mythos and arguably has a place as one of the most iconic comics out there period. I think most people will agree that Bolland's visuals are just unbelievable. The expressions on the faces, the body language, even the colors are as close to perfect as you can get.
And Moore is at the top of his game here. Wow. Just...wow!
The ripple effects of what happened here not only created Oracle, but inspired a ton of other great storylines.
I would have thought that a Joker Origin story was maybe the stupidest idea ever before reading this, but I think Moore pulled it off beautifully. Mainly because this had such a wonderful hint of madness to it, that it even with the Joker telling you about his past, it still leaves you wondering if that's really what happened.
And that ending.
Highly recommended.
March 15, 2008
It causes me no joy to give any comic written by Alan Moore one star, but this is how it has to be. Now, before I write a single word more, let me start with this simple disclaimer: I consider Alan Moore the best writer to have ever worked in comics. There are no qualifiers to that; no qualifications. Moore is unmatched.
But The Killing Joke? As a Batman book, it's just bad. That isn't to say there's nothing to like here: this book certainly has its moments; some of which are brilliant, in fact. But as a story, it doesn't work.
Killing Joke is really two stories told in parallel. It provides an origin for the Joker while simultaneously following him on a scheme to drive Commissioner Gordon insane.
The origin is largely based on an old issue of Batman from the 50's: "The Man Behind the Red Hood." As much as I appreciate the nod to the past, the Red Hood origin of the Joker is one I could do without. While I am not in favor of attempts to make Batman "realistic," I do feel that some elements should be handled carefully if handled at all.
And that's really the problem here. Not only did Alan Moore use an absurd origin; he made it more so. In the original, the Red Hood was a hardened criminal before he became the Joker. In this version, he was a comedian having a really bad day.
I think I understand what Moore was trying to do here. I believe he wanted to create an element of pathos in the Joker's past while playing up the absurdity of the medium.
But the result felt sloppy. Instead of adding layers to the Joker's personality, it just made him less interesting.
The real problem with Killing Joke, however, is the other story line. The Joker takes Barbara Gordon by surprise, shooting and paralyzing her. Setting aside my personal objection to crippling one of DC's best (and, at the time, few) female characters, Moore missed a huge opportunity here. Had Oracle’s injury been sustained as Batgirl, the psychological effect on Batman could have been developed in great depth, as he’d have been responsible for placing her in harm’s way. As it was, the story only takes a toll on her father, and that's largely wrapped up by the end of the comic.
The Joker's motive for all this mayhem, to break Jim Gordon and prove that a bad enough day can drive anyone insane, comes to nothing. In part, he's foiled by Batman, but really he loses because he's wrong: Gordon is strong enough to survive his ordeal.
In the end, after everything, The Joker's comprehension of the human psyche is wrong. To me, this destroys the character’s credibility. The Joker has no superpowers, but madness is his expertise. For him to set to prove a point about insanity than fail, not due to Batman but rather his own assumptions, weakens him. Even after shooting Barbara, he ends the book less of a threat than he started.
Now, let's be honest: one star is a harsh rating, and were this book not commonly called "The Greatest Batman Story Ever Told" I'd almost certainly have been more lenient. There are certainly excellent aspects to the writing and the art; aspects that would buy any other book three stars.
But this isn't any other book. It's one of the most significant Batman stories written, having forever altered the continuity and status of several characters. It's Alan Moore's most famous Batman story.
And it really isn't that good.
But The Killing Joke? As a Batman book, it's just bad. That isn't to say there's nothing to like here: this book certainly has its moments; some of which are brilliant, in fact. But as a story, it doesn't work.
Killing Joke is really two stories told in parallel. It provides an origin for the Joker while simultaneously following him on a scheme to drive Commissioner Gordon insane.
The origin is largely based on an old issue of Batman from the 50's: "The Man Behind the Red Hood." As much as I appreciate the nod to the past, the Red Hood origin of the Joker is one I could do without. While I am not in favor of attempts to make Batman "realistic," I do feel that some elements should be handled carefully if handled at all.
And that's really the problem here. Not only did Alan Moore use an absurd origin; he made it more so. In the original, the Red Hood was a hardened criminal before he became the Joker. In this version, he was a comedian having a really bad day.
I think I understand what Moore was trying to do here. I believe he wanted to create an element of pathos in the Joker's past while playing up the absurdity of the medium.
But the result felt sloppy. Instead of adding layers to the Joker's personality, it just made him less interesting.
The real problem with Killing Joke, however, is the other story line. The Joker takes Barbara Gordon by surprise, shooting and paralyzing her. Setting aside my personal objection to crippling one of DC's best (and, at the time, few) female characters, Moore missed a huge opportunity here. Had Oracle’s injury been sustained as Batgirl, the psychological effect on Batman could have been developed in great depth, as he’d have been responsible for placing her in harm’s way. As it was, the story only takes a toll on her father, and that's largely wrapped up by the end of the comic.
The Joker's motive for all this mayhem, to break Jim Gordon and prove that a bad enough day can drive anyone insane, comes to nothing. In part, he's foiled by Batman, but really he loses because he's wrong: Gordon is strong enough to survive his ordeal.
In the end, after everything, The Joker's comprehension of the human psyche is wrong. To me, this destroys the character’s credibility. The Joker has no superpowers, but madness is his expertise. For him to set to prove a point about insanity than fail, not due to Batman but rather his own assumptions, weakens him. Even after shooting Barbara, he ends the book less of a threat than he started.
Now, let's be honest: one star is a harsh rating, and were this book not commonly called "The Greatest Batman Story Ever Told" I'd almost certainly have been more lenient. There are certainly excellent aspects to the writing and the art; aspects that would buy any other book three stars.
But this isn't any other book. It's one of the most significant Batman stories written, having forever altered the continuity and status of several characters. It's Alan Moore's most famous Batman story.
And it really isn't that good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Edited August 26, 2017
الجوكر تقريبا من اكتر الأشرار اللي فاقت شعبيتهم شخصية البطل "السوبرهيرو" نفسه
ولو مش عارف ايه الكاريزما اللي وصلته لكدة..لازم تشوف الحكاية القصيرة العبقرية دي
العمل الفني ده، كوميكس مستقل -لا يتبع أعداد سلسلة- بيعرض وجهة نظر شخصيتين متناقضتين
اتنين الحياة المليئة بالشرور واليأس والظلم جعلتهما يجنّوا تماما
"صورة نادرة لباتمان يبتسم :)"
والآخر مجهول غريب الأطوار تقبل جنون الحياة وضاعفه وحاول أن يجعل الجميع علي شاكلته
الاتنين لا يعرفا بعضهما البعض ولا شخصيتهما الحقيقية ولا سر ذلك اليوم السئ الذي أدي لكل هذا
ولكن الثاني يسعي في نشر جنونه وتنكيل رادعيه والأول يحارب أمثاله بالطبع
الإثنان وجهان لعملة واحدة...تلاقيهما معناه الجنون
والحكاية هنا واحدة من حكايات القط والفار ، بات مان والجوكر...ولكن بطلها الرئيسي هو الثاني...الجوكر، فهي حكاية النكتة القاتلة
في هذه الحكاية ، تلك الرواية المصورة ، ولأول مرة في الكوميكس يظهر ماضي الجوكر وأصله بذلك التفصيل.. وذلك اليوم السئ الذي تسبب لكل هذا الجنون
فمن المعروف أن منذ ظهور الجوكر في ثلاثينات القرن الماضي فإن دائما سر ماضيه غير واضح ويتغير أحيانا من حكاية لأخرى لفيلم لأخر لكن هنا المؤلف الان مور أحد أيقونات عالم الكوميكس "الناضج" قوي الحبكة السوداوية الأقرب للواقعية، بيقدم وجهة نظره في حكاية مختلفة لأصل الجوكر بعد حوالي 50 عاما من ظهوره الأول
ويعترف الفنان برايان بولاند -رسام تلك الحكاية- إنه واجه صعوبة في تقبل ان يتم كشف بهذا الوضوح للغز ماضي الجوكر بعد كل هذا الوقت ولكن ما أنقذه هو أعتراف المؤلف علي لسان الجوكر ، الشرير الاكثر جماهيرية أن الماضي طالما هو بهذا الجنون فإنه يفضل ان يكون له خيارات متعددة
"الفنان برايان بولاند وهو يصور نفسه تحضيرا لرسم الغلاف الأيقوني"
-بعدها بعشرين عاما قدم كريستوفر نولان مخرج سلسلة فارس الظلام الجوكر وهو يحكي في كل مرة طوال الفيلم قصة مختلفة عن سر ماضيه وسبب التشوه الذي أصابه وقام ببطولته باقتدار هيث ليدجر
"النجم جاي لينو..احدث من يقدم الجوكر في السينما في صيف 2016 يقلد الغلاف الايقوني"
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كاريزما الح��ار النفسي السوداوي عن ظلم الحياة وجنونها واشتعال الحروب لأسباب تافهة والذكريات الأليمة… انكسار المفتش جوردون بعد الإذلال الرهيب علي يد الجوكر ليكسره… كل هذا امتزج برسوم غاية في الدقة والجمال والوضوح جعلت من الصفحات الأربعين لتلك الحكاية متعة في القراءة
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في مقدمة النسخة النسخة الجديدة الصادرة في 2008 بمناسبة 20 عاما يقدم لها مقدمة أحد رسامي الكوميكس ونجوم التمثيل "تيم سيل" ستشعر في المقدمة كيف جعلت الألوان المستخدمة في تلك النسخة الجديدة تجربة سينمائية فريدة ومتعة للعين في استخدام الألوان بالأخص في الفلاش باك
كما انها ذات اطارات كلاسيكية لا كتلك الصاخبة التي تميز الكوميكس الحديث
أعتقد ان مقدمته فعلا تصلح ريفيو للرواية..حتما ستدرك سر انبهاره... لم يبالغ الرجل في وصف الكادرات وإبداعها ولا تلك النهاية التي رفض الرسام توضيحها في النهاية
كلها مزحة ! كل شئ أي أحد قدره أو كافح لأجله..كل هذا نكتة متوحشة ماجنة! لذا لم لا تري الجانب المضحك؟ لماذا لا تضحك؟
<><><><><><><><>
اذا كانت القصة والحبكة 4 نجوم فأن الرسوم نفسها تستحق الخمس نجوم بجدارة
ينبغي في النهاية ان اقول ان النكتة القاتلة في النهاية ، مليئة بالحزن إذا ما ركزت فيها لبعض الوقت
نكتة الثقة
الثقة المعدومة في عالم مظلم كهذا العالم
وقد تجعلك فعلا تدرك إنك قد تتعاطف مع الجوكر، رغم ان الماضي قد يكون كذبة، رغم كل شئ قد تلتمس له العذر
قد تفهم النكتة الأخيرة
القاتلة
"ملحوظة, لنفس الرسام له كوميكس في النسخة الحديثة عن رجل برئ, جمع برسومه المتقنة اشهر اشرار عالم باتمان في قصة قصيرة جدا تخيلية عن الخير والشر"
محمد العربي
"صورة نادرة لمحمد العربي وهو جوكر بس باتمان في القلب"
من 22 يوليو 2016
الي 23 يوليو 2016
ولو مش عارف ايه الكاريزما اللي وصلته لكدة..لازم تشوف الحكاية القصيرة العبقرية دي
العمل الفني ده، كوميكس مستقل -لا يتبع أعداد سلسلة- بيعرض وجهة نظر شخصيتين متناقضتين
اتنين الحياة المليئة بالشرور واليأس والظلم جعلتهما يجنّوا تماما
"صورة نادرة لباتمان يبتسم :)"
"كل ما يتطلبه الأمر هو يوم واحد سئ، ليخسف أعقل إنسان علي وجهة الأرض إلى الجنون. هذه هي الحياة بالنسبة لي، يوم واحد سئ"أحدهما صار مقنعا غامضا، ذئبا وحيدا، أو كما قيل بالرواية فأرا يطير، يطارد المجرمين علي حساب حياته
والآخر مجهول غريب الأطوار تقبل جنون الحياة وضاعفه وحاول أن يجعل الجميع علي شاكلته
الاتنين لا يعرفا بعضهما البعض ولا شخصيتهما الحقيقية ولا سر ذلك اليوم السئ الذي أدي لكل هذا
ولكن الثاني يسعي في نشر جنونه وتنكيل رادعيه والأول يحارب أمثاله بالطبع
الإثنان وجهان لعملة واحدة...تلاقيهما معناه الجنون
والحكاية هنا واحدة من حكايات القط والفار ، بات مان والجوكر...ولكن بطلها الرئيسي هو الثاني...الجوكر، فهي حكاية النكتة القاتلة
في هذه الحكاية ، تلك الرواية المصورة ، ولأول مرة في الكوميكس يظهر ماضي الجوكر وأصله بذلك التفصيل.. وذلك اليوم السئ الذي تسبب لكل هذا الجنون
فمن المعروف أن منذ ظهور الجوكر في ثلاثينات القرن الماضي فإن دائما سر ماضيه غير واضح ويتغير أحيانا من حكاية لأخرى لفيلم لأخر لكن هنا المؤلف الان مور أحد أيقونات عالم الكوميكس "الناضج" قوي الحبكة السوداوية الأقرب للواقعية، بيقدم وجهة نظره في حكاية مختلفة لأصل الجوكر بعد حوالي 50 عاما من ظهوره الأول
ويعترف الفنان برايان بولاند -رسام تلك الحكاية- إنه واجه صعوبة في تقبل ان يتم كشف بهذا الوضوح للغز ماضي الجوكر بعد كل هذا الوقت ولكن ما أنقذه هو أعتراف المؤلف علي لسان الجوكر ، الشرير الاكثر جماهيرية أن الماضي طالما هو بهذا الجنون فإنه يفضل ان يكون له خيارات متعددة
“If I have to have a past, then I prefer it to be multiple choice.”
"الفنان برايان بولاند وهو يصور نفسه تحضيرا لرسم الغلاف الأيقوني"
-بعدها بعشرين عاما قدم كريستوفر نولان مخرج سلسلة فارس الظلام الجوكر وهو يحكي في كل مرة طوال الفيلم قصة مختلفة عن سر ماضيه وسبب التشوه الذي أصابه وقام ببطولته باقتدار هيث ليدجر
"النجم جاي لينو..احدث من يقدم الجوكر في السينما في صيف 2016 يقلد الغلاف الايقوني"
-------------
كاريزما الح��ار النفسي السوداوي عن ظلم الحياة وجنونها واشتعال الحروب لأسباب تافهة والذكريات الأليمة… انكسار المفتش جوردون بعد الإذلال الرهيب علي يد الجوكر ليكسره… كل هذا امتزج برسوم غاية في الدقة والجمال والوضوح جعلت من الصفحات الأربعين لتلك الحكاية متعة في القراءة
--------------
في مقدمة النسخة النسخة الجديدة الصادرة في 2008 بمناسبة 20 عاما يقدم لها مقدمة أحد رسامي الكوميكس ونجوم التمثيل "تيم سيل" ستشعر في المقدمة كيف جعلت الألوان المستخدمة في تلك النسخة الجديدة تجربة سينمائية فريدة ومتعة للعين في استخدام الألوان بالأخص في الفلاش باك
كما انها ذات اطارات كلاسيكية لا كتلك الصاخبة التي تميز الكوميكس الحديث
أعتقد ان مقدمته فعلا تصلح ريفيو للرواية..حتما ستدرك سر انبهاره... لم يبالغ الرجل في وصف الكادرات وإبداعها ولا تلك النهاية التي رفض الرسام توضيحها في النهاية
“It's all a joke! Everything anybody ever valued or struggled for... it's all a monstrous, demented gag! So why can't you see the funny side? Why aren't you laughing?”
كلها مزحة ! كل شئ أي أحد قدره أو كافح لأجله..كل هذا نكتة متوحشة ماجنة! لذا لم لا تري الجانب المضحك؟ لماذا لا تضحك؟
<><><><><><><><>
اذا كانت القصة والحبكة 4 نجوم فأن الرسوم نفسها تستحق الخمس نجوم بجدارة
ينبغي في النهاية ان اقول ان النكتة القاتلة في النهاية ، مليئة بالحزن إذا ما ركزت فيها لبعض الوقت
نكتة الثقة
الثقة المعدومة في عالم مظلم كهذا العالم
وقد تجعلك فعلا تدرك إنك قد تتعاطف مع الجوكر، رغم ان الماضي قد يكون كذبة، رغم كل شئ قد تلتمس له العذر
قد تفهم النكتة الأخيرة
القاتلة
"ملحوظة, لنفس الرسام له كوميكس في النسخة الحديثة عن رجل برئ, جمع برسومه المتقنة اشهر اشرار عالم باتمان في قصة قصيرة جدا تخيلية عن الخير والشر"
محمد العربي
"صورة نادرة لمحمد العربي وهو جوكر بس باتمان في القلب"
من 22 يوليو 2016
الي 23 يوليو 2016
Edited December 12, 2019
I asked a GR friend: Marvel or DC?
Her response made me think. She said, “Marvel over all. But DC has the better villains.”
Whu - ?
Well.
Yeah, I’ll be damned, I think she’s right.
Looking at all of the Marvel villains, I think maybe only Red Skull or Bullseye come close to matching the lunatic force of DC’s lineup. Magneto and Doctor Doom are powerful and bad, but also have some incongruous redeeming qualities. Lex Luthor, Deathstroke, Brainiac, Bane, Harley Quinn and all the Batman bad guys headlined by The Joker are more nefarious, scarier, and just plain bad.
I think a cogent argument could be made that The Joker is THE comics villain. He’s evil, insane and damn it all interesting as hell.
Just as Milton’s most enduringly intriguing player is not God or the Archangels but Satan, DC has in The Joker created an enigma (Sorry Riddler) of a criminal source that defies logic and is simply an opposing force for our heroes, motives and reason be damned. The Joker is a personification of the chaos waiting out in the dark beyond the firelight, and his is a blindly malevolent force. As Michael Caine’s Alfred in the 2008 film The Dark Knight said, “some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.”
In his attempt to madden Gordon and lure Batman to his doom, The Joker also provides a tenuous connection to humanity. Just as Shakespeare’s Richard III is all the more terrible because he is a man, so too is The joker all the more villainous because for all his insanity and bad intent, he is one of us and closer than some Melvillian beast or Lovecraftian old god. In the context of the Batman story, the theatrical irony the reader gets is that Joker and Batman are more alike than they realize, both transformed from what they would have been by a traumatic loss.
Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s 1988 sympathetic backstory to the Joker’s origin story is a MUST read for Moore fans, Batman devotees and all enthusiasts of the genre. The influence on later comics and even on the films (particularly Tim Burton’s vision) is unmistakable.
Grim, violent, sometimes difficult to look at, this is nonetheless a graphic novel at the apex of the genus. Moore’s writing is engaging and relentless, Bolland’s art is mesmerizing.
Highly recommended.
Her response made me think. She said, “Marvel over all. But DC has the better villains.”
Whu - ?
Well.
Yeah, I’ll be damned, I think she’s right.
Looking at all of the Marvel villains, I think maybe only Red Skull or Bullseye come close to matching the lunatic force of DC’s lineup. Magneto and Doctor Doom are powerful and bad, but also have some incongruous redeeming qualities. Lex Luthor, Deathstroke, Brainiac, Bane, Harley Quinn and all the Batman bad guys headlined by The Joker are more nefarious, scarier, and just plain bad.
I think a cogent argument could be made that The Joker is THE comics villain. He’s evil, insane and damn it all interesting as hell.
Just as Milton’s most enduringly intriguing player is not God or the Archangels but Satan, DC has in The Joker created an enigma (Sorry Riddler) of a criminal source that defies logic and is simply an opposing force for our heroes, motives and reason be damned. The Joker is a personification of the chaos waiting out in the dark beyond the firelight, and his is a blindly malevolent force. As Michael Caine’s Alfred in the 2008 film The Dark Knight said, “some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.”
In his attempt to madden Gordon and lure Batman to his doom, The Joker also provides a tenuous connection to humanity. Just as Shakespeare’s Richard III is all the more terrible because he is a man, so too is The joker all the more villainous because for all his insanity and bad intent, he is one of us and closer than some Melvillian beast or Lovecraftian old god. In the context of the Batman story, the theatrical irony the reader gets is that Joker and Batman are more alike than they realize, both transformed from what they would have been by a traumatic loss.
Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s 1988 sympathetic backstory to the Joker’s origin story is a MUST read for Moore fans, Batman devotees and all enthusiasts of the genre. The influence on later comics and even on the films (particularly Tim Burton’s vision) is unmistakable.
Grim, violent, sometimes difficult to look at, this is nonetheless a graphic novel at the apex of the genus. Moore’s writing is engaging and relentless, Bolland’s art is mesmerizing.
Highly recommended.
Edited January 7, 2022
The best Batman/Joker story ever! Alan Moore asks the question no one else ever wanted to ask: how much of who the Joker is can be attributed to Batman? How much of who Batman is can be attributed to the Joker? 'Primordial Unity' and the 'Tragic Birth' of both the Joker and Batman has never been explored more deeply - I think Nietzsche would have liked this story.
Edited July 26, 2016
A truly masterpiece of the comic books!
This is a prestige format stand-alone story.
Creative Team:
Writer: Alan Moore
Illustrator: Brian Bolland
Colorist: John Higgins
HAVE COURAGE
Nothing’s going to be the same… …not ever again.
A writer should have balls, and I don’t mean the organic meat sacs, since a female writer is the same entitled to have balls. But if you aren’t confortable with the “male metaphor”, I am confident that you already got that I am talking about writing with courage.
A writer without courage never will be able to impact the readers.
Madonna commented many years ago that there is not such thing as bad publicity, that any publicity is good publicity.
So, fitting that concept into writing, I think that there isn’t such thing as “bad impact”, that any impact is good impact. Since if people talk about a book, about a story, not matter their intention, the story becomes famous, it provokes curiousity, people got aware of it.
Alan Moore never thought that DC Comics would approve his proposal about this Batman’s story involving the crippling of Barbara Gordon. But it was approved by the editorial staff, and a surprised Alan Moore started to write… with courage.
I am not insensitive, and I can understand why so many people got angry to the nasty stuff that the character of Barbara Gordon suffered in this story. However, sometimes a bad thing happened for a good reason.
Barbara Gordon was Batgirl. But, to be honest, how much difference can she does as such heroine? She was just yet another bat-costumed crime-fighter and trust me, for Batman, that he’s supposed to be a “lonely crusader”, he has too many bat-costumed crime-fighters around. However, due her awful episode in The Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon proved her value as character… proved her courage.
Barbara Gordon became a handicapped person, but hardly of disappearing from the pages of comics, she evolved into “Oracle”, and as such persona, she turned to be one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe. From her wheelchair, using her intelligence, hacking skills and information searches, she became a key ally to not only the Bat-family but also the Titans and even the Justice League.
And then… due social pressure from people that never really understood the value of Barbara Gordon, DC Comics devolved her to be Batgirl again. Yipee, hurray (using Droopy’s voice tone). Yet another bat-costumed throwing-batarangs character again, one of many others. All her courage overcoming a monumental tragedy, just erased.
And curious that people raged against what Barbara suffered but nobody gave a crap about James Gordon’s own suffering and humiliation, but of course, if you are a heterosexual caucasian man (even if you are an imaginary character reflecting that type of person)… you’re screwed, since nobody will defend your dignity. (and hey, I am a latin man, so since I am part of a “minority” group, if you attack my review, I am in my “right” of accusing you of a racist/ethnic hate act… geez! What a crazy world where we live in!)
It seems that villains can do all the harm and killing that they wish, BUT only if they target heterosexual caucasian men, since it seems that any other type of people in this world is under the label of some “minority” group and therefore, there will be rage riots about it.
I think that “labels” instead of unite us, they just keep away the distance between each other in this little blue planet. People see me as a heterosexual latin man. And I can’t deny that. That’s what I am in the eyes of society. I born that way…
…However, I’d prefer to be a “citizen of the world”. But maybe I am crazy, since it looks like everybody else feels confortable under the safety of their particular sex/ethnic labels.
And call me crazy again, but it seems that in real life, criminals just pick any kind of victim, regardless of their sexual preferences or ethnic origins, just watch the news anyday, so I don’t understand why literature should present politically correct villains only.
Writers! Don’t lose your courage! It’s not an easy path, but true born writers aren’t meant to travel in safe roads. We, readers, are an unthankful species, we don’t deserve you. However, I hope that you, writers, still being willing to impact us, to make us think, and to provoke us feelings.
ONE (VERY) BAD DAY
How can two people hate so much without knowing each other?
Batman is a cause of order. Joker is a force of chaos. Right?
Therefore, they are totally different. Right?
THAT is the killing joke…
…they aren’t that different.
One bad day. That was all they needed to get crazy.
You may tell me: “Oh! But only Joker is crazy!”. Right. Since disguising as a bat is clearly a sanity’s proof.
Joker’s origins are unknown (since you can’t trust what you read in this tale about his past, after all, those are the memories of an insane killer), but you can be sure that something bad, something very bad, happened to him, one day, and the following day, he turned to be The Joker.
Bruce Wayne had a bad day, a very bad day, his parents died in front of him while he was still just a defenseless kid, and the following day, he turned to be The Batman (training could take years, but he was The Batman since that moment).
The Joker kills people in very theatrical ways.
The Batman protects people in very theatrical ways.
Gotham City is in the middle…
…in the hands of murdering clowns and costumed vigilantes…
…in the hands of mad men.
The only one that keeps Gotham City from falling deep into madness?
James Gordon.
The Joker will do everything (and I mean EVERYTHING!) to give to James Gordon, a bad day, a very bad day, and turned him crazy.
But that’s not the scariest thing…
…oh, no…
…that isn’t the killing joke.
The scariest thing is when two people, supposed to be opposites…
…they laugh for the same joke.
BOOM!
Mic drop, and I’m outta here!
This is a prestige format stand-alone story.
Creative Team:
Writer: Alan Moore
Illustrator: Brian Bolland
Colorist: John Higgins
HAVE COURAGE
Nothing’s going to be the same… …not ever again.
A writer should have balls, and I don’t mean the organic meat sacs, since a female writer is the same entitled to have balls. But if you aren’t confortable with the “male metaphor”, I am confident that you already got that I am talking about writing with courage.
A writer without courage never will be able to impact the readers.
Madonna commented many years ago that there is not such thing as bad publicity, that any publicity is good publicity.
So, fitting that concept into writing, I think that there isn’t such thing as “bad impact”, that any impact is good impact. Since if people talk about a book, about a story, not matter their intention, the story becomes famous, it provokes curiousity, people got aware of it.
Alan Moore never thought that DC Comics would approve his proposal about this Batman’s story involving the crippling of Barbara Gordon. But it was approved by the editorial staff, and a surprised Alan Moore started to write… with courage.
I am not insensitive, and I can understand why so many people got angry to the nasty stuff that the character of Barbara Gordon suffered in this story. However, sometimes a bad thing happened for a good reason.
Barbara Gordon was Batgirl. But, to be honest, how much difference can she does as such heroine? She was just yet another bat-costumed crime-fighter and trust me, for Batman, that he’s supposed to be a “lonely crusader”, he has too many bat-costumed crime-fighters around. However, due her awful episode in The Killing Joke, Barbara Gordon proved her value as character… proved her courage.
Barbara Gordon became a handicapped person, but hardly of disappearing from the pages of comics, she evolved into “Oracle”, and as such persona, she turned to be one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe. From her wheelchair, using her intelligence, hacking skills and information searches, she became a key ally to not only the Bat-family but also the Titans and even the Justice League.
And then… due social pressure from people that never really understood the value of Barbara Gordon, DC Comics devolved her to be Batgirl again. Yipee, hurray (using Droopy’s voice tone). Yet another bat-costumed throwing-batarangs character again, one of many others. All her courage overcoming a monumental tragedy, just erased.
And curious that people raged against what Barbara suffered but nobody gave a crap about James Gordon’s own suffering and humiliation, but of course, if you are a heterosexual caucasian man (even if you are an imaginary character reflecting that type of person)… you’re screwed, since nobody will defend your dignity. (and hey, I am a latin man, so since I am part of a “minority” group, if you attack my review, I am in my “right” of accusing you of a racist/ethnic hate act… geez! What a crazy world where we live in!)
It seems that villains can do all the harm and killing that they wish, BUT only if they target heterosexual caucasian men, since it seems that any other type of people in this world is under the label of some “minority” group and therefore, there will be rage riots about it.
I think that “labels” instead of unite us, they just keep away the distance between each other in this little blue planet. People see me as a heterosexual latin man. And I can’t deny that. That’s what I am in the eyes of society. I born that way…
…However, I’d prefer to be a “citizen of the world”. But maybe I am crazy, since it looks like everybody else feels confortable under the safety of their particular sex/ethnic labels.
And call me crazy again, but it seems that in real life, criminals just pick any kind of victim, regardless of their sexual preferences or ethnic origins, just watch the news anyday, so I don’t understand why literature should present politically correct villains only.
Writers! Don’t lose your courage! It’s not an easy path, but true born writers aren’t meant to travel in safe roads. We, readers, are an unthankful species, we don’t deserve you. However, I hope that you, writers, still being willing to impact us, to make us think, and to provoke us feelings.
ONE (VERY) BAD DAY
How can two people hate so much without knowing each other?
Batman is a cause of order. Joker is a force of chaos. Right?
Therefore, they are totally different. Right?
THAT is the killing joke…
…they aren’t that different.
One bad day. That was all they needed to get crazy.
You may tell me: “Oh! But only Joker is crazy!”. Right. Since disguising as a bat is clearly a sanity’s proof.
Joker’s origins are unknown (since you can’t trust what you read in this tale about his past, after all, those are the memories of an insane killer), but you can be sure that something bad, something very bad, happened to him, one day, and the following day, he turned to be The Joker.
Bruce Wayne had a bad day, a very bad day, his parents died in front of him while he was still just a defenseless kid, and the following day, he turned to be The Batman (training could take years, but he was The Batman since that moment).
The Joker kills people in very theatrical ways.
The Batman protects people in very theatrical ways.
Gotham City is in the middle…
…in the hands of murdering clowns and costumed vigilantes…
…in the hands of mad men.
The only one that keeps Gotham City from falling deep into madness?
James Gordon.
The Joker will do everything (and I mean EVERYTHING!) to give to James Gordon, a bad day, a very bad day, and turned him crazy.
But that’s not the scariest thing…
…oh, no…
…that isn’t the killing joke.
The scariest thing is when two people, supposed to be opposites…
…they laugh for the same joke.
BOOM!
Mic drop, and I’m outta here!
Edited July 17, 2020
Batman: The Killing Joke (Batman), Alan Moore, Brian Bolland (Illustrator), Tim Sale (Introduction)
Batman: The Killing Joke is a 1988 Comic graphic novel featuring the characters Batman and the Joker written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the super-villain 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.
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. During the planning, the police inform him that his wife and unborn child have died in a household accident.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 2005 میلادی
عنوان: بتمن: شوخی مرگبار؛ نویسنده: آلن مور؛
بتمن: شوخی مرگبار، یک رمان گرافیکی از شرکت آمریکایی «دی.سی کامیکس» است، که برپایه دو شخصیت «بتمن» و «جوکر» نوشته شده، و نخستین بار در ماه مارس سال 1998میلادی منتشر شده است؛ داستان رمان، توسط «آلن مور» نگاشته شده، و «برایان بالند»، کار تصویرسازی را انجام داده است.؛ در این کامیک، تمرکز اصلی بر روی ریشه ی پیدایش «جوکر»، و گذشته ی ایشان است، و این شخصیت، از زوایای گوناگون از جمله روانشناسی، مورد بررسی قرار میگیرد؛ در «شوخی مرگبار»، «جوکر» به عنوان یک کمدین شکست خورده توصیف شده، که پس از رسیدن به مرز جنون، وارد مبارزه با «گاتهام» شده، و «بتمن» به همراه «کمیسر گوردون»، کوشش برای متوقف کردن او دارند؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 26/04/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Batman: The Killing Joke is a 1988 Comic graphic novel featuring the characters Batman and the Joker written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the super-villain 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.
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. During the planning, the police inform him that his wife and unborn child have died in a household accident.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 2005 میلادی
عنوان: بتمن: شوخی مرگبار؛ نویسنده: آلن مور؛
بتمن: شوخی مرگبار، یک رمان گرافیکی از شرکت آمریکایی «دی.سی کامیکس» است، که برپایه دو شخصیت «بتمن» و «جوکر» نوشته شده، و نخستین بار در ماه مارس سال 1998میلادی منتشر شده است؛ داستان رمان، توسط «آلن مور» نگاشته شده، و «برایان بالند»، کار تصویرسازی را انجام داده است.؛ در این کامیک، تمرکز اصلی بر روی ریشه ی پیدایش «جوکر»، و گذشته ی ایشان است، و این شخصیت، از زوایای گوناگون از جمله روانشناسی، مورد بررسی قرار میگیرد؛ در «شوخی مرگبار»، «جوکر» به عنوان یک کمدین شکست خورده توصیف شده، که پس از رسیدن به مرز جنون، وارد مبارزه با «گاتهام» شده، و «بتمن» به همراه «کمیسر گوردون»، کوشش برای متوقف کردن او دارند؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 26/04/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Edited March 16, 2020
The Killing Joke does much more for the iconic symbolism & stylistic edge of the Batman mythology than the serious-as-a-heart attack (overrated) Christopher Nolan films. But I am admittedly really in no position to analyze,* I leave this to the millions and lkegions of fans. The afterward by maestro illustrator**- his representation the most demonic and therefore probably my favorite interpretation of the Joker--is correct when he says that Alan Moore has written better stuff. (Watchmen, From Hell, even Fashion Beast...)
* Well, I will say I do have the fondest memories of the fox animated series-the Mad Hatter being my favorite (underutilized) villain.
** This cover is probably as iconographic as Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' at this point.
* Well, I will say I do have the fondest memories of the fox animated series-the Mad Hatter being my favorite (underutilized) villain.
** This cover is probably as iconographic as Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' at this point.
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