The Killing Joke is one of the more notable Batman/Joker stories out there. It was produced during the 80s transitional period for Batman where the series changed into something more serious and interesting than the campy 60s TV show and is still a major influence on the franchise today. The story manages to do a lot despite its fairly short length. The story acts as a character study of the relationship between Batman and laughing one, while delivering a solid possible origin story for the latter (though making it clear that this is only one of many possible reasons why The Joker is one of the most deranged characters ever), and forever changes the character of Barbara Gordon. While I'm well versed in Batman's various movies and animated series, this my first exposure to the comic books and I must say I was a bit thrown off by it's dark nature. It's shocking how Alan Moore can craft such a disturbing tale without really going beyond what's acceptable in a comic that kids might be allowed to read, as the psychological torture Joker places his enemies in is probably the most brutal act I've ever seen him commit. As my first exposure to Batman in his original comic form, I probably could have found something better, but it does the job well and makes great work of the psychological aspects that make me love this series.
The Killing Joke is one of the more notable Batman/Joker stories out there. It was produced during the 80s transitional period for Batman where the series changed into something more serious and interesting than the campy 60s TV show and is still a major influence on the franchise today. The story manages to do a lot despite its fairly short length. The story acts as a character study of the relationship between Batman and laughing one, while delivering a solid possible origin story for the latter (though making it clear that this is only one of many possible reasons why The Joker is one of the most deranged characters ever), and forever changes the character of Barbara Gordon. While I'm well versed in Batman's various movies and animated series, this my first exposure to the comic books and I must say I was a bit thrown off by it's dark nature. It's shocking how Alan Moore can craft such a disturbing tale without really going beyond what's acceptable in a comic that kids might be allowed to read, as the psychological torture Joker places his enemies in is probably the most brutal act I've ever seen him commit. As my first exposure to Batman in his original comic form, I probably could have found something better, but it does the job well and makes great work of the psychological aspects that make me love this series.
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