Batman: The Killing Joke
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Brian Bolland
The Best way to let go of those awful memories is to simply go mad!
Ranking: 5 stars
That is what the Joker believes. That all it takes to go completely insane is one bad day. And the Joker is out to prove it by hurting those Batman cares about the most!
It may not be the greatest Batman story ever told (what else can surpass KNIGHTFALL or THE LONG HALLOWEEN), but it is without a doubt, the greatest Joker story ever told! Alan Moore may hate it, but he truly knows what makes the clown prince of crime who he is, and just how sick and twisted his mind is. He builds up on the old 1951, "The Man Behind the Red Hood" story, and turns it into a tragedy. The man who would soon become the Joker was once a failed comedian, and a broken family man who is unable to support his pregnant wife. Desperate for money, he dons the garb of the Red Hood and leads a raid on the chemical plant he once worked at. The plan ends in disaster as the police and the dark knight arrive to stop the burglary. Terrified the man leaps into the river that is contaminated with chemicals from the plant. When he takes off the hood he is horrified to learn that his skin has been bleached bone white, his hair bright green, and his lips blood red. The trauma from tragic events of that day, as well as his grotesque appearance, destroy all sanity left inside of him. He then bursts out laughing like a maniac. On that Day, the Joker was born.
In the Present, the Joker has once again escaped from Arkham, and has shot Barbra Gordon in the spine, permanently paralyzing her, and ending her career as Batgirl. He has committed this sick crime to try and drive her father, Commissioner Gordon, completely insane. Moore gives us a great mind twisting, and psychologically innovating story that gives us questions that we have never thought of. What truly causes one to go insane? Can one bad day really be all it takes? And how is Batman any different from the criminals that he fights? Is he really a sane man trying to bring justice to Gotham, or just another one of the crazy people? These are ideas that were never thought of until THE KILLING JOKE. The story also not only gives way to Barbra's transformation into Oracle (who I personally think is a better role for her than Batgirl), but her paralysis, along with Jason Todd's death (A DEATH IN THE FAMILY) makes Batman's obsession with Joker even more personal.
Brian Bolland's artwork of the book is also superior. Bolland's recoloring of the book is even better than the original 1988 coloring. It truly reflects off Moore's deep storytelling and gives us a horrifying image of The Joker's origins (he takes all the color out of scenes from the past and leaves it only in objects like the Red Hood garb, The Joker's green hair, red lips, and yellow eyes) and of his attempts to drive Gordon insane. Combine both Alan Moore's psychologically terrifying storytelling, along with Brian Bolland's realistic artwork and you get a true masterpiece: BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
