It’s well beyond the point of debate that Batman: The Killing Joke is one of the most powerful, important graphic novels in the history of comics. For a one-off, Alan Moore and Brian Bolland nailed it.
The Joker origin story was originally released in 1988 and it is a testament to the tale that a 20th anniversary hardcover was released this year with a fresh coat of paint. Rather than dust off the old galleys, DC had the superb sense to task artist Brian Bolland with re-coloring the original artwork in the manner in which he would have wanted, and the results are astounding. The new hardcover edition is more chilling, more horrifying, and a hell of a lot more gorgeous than the original masterpiece ever was.
For the uninitiated, Killing Joke truly is one of the best Joker stories ever told. The cover pull quote from Tim Burton deifies the tale by proclaiming it, "The first comic I fell in love with." The book was also a case study for the upcoming Dark Knight film, and one of the books that Heath Ledger sequestered away with him when he spent a month in a hotel room getting into character for his role as the Clown Prince Of Evil. This is not your ‘50s slapstick Joker.
This is a haunting, horrific, sociopath with a flair for mass murder and an urgent need to harm himself and others. This is one of Alan Moore’s best stories and easily one of the best Joker stories ever written. It’s no surprise that this book withheld the weight of 20 years in comics.
Batman comes to grips with the fact that he or his ultimate enemy will die at the other's hands. He discovers that the Joker has escaped (again) from Arkham Asylum with a new mission: to incite madness in Commissioner James Gordon. His theory? That the difference between a sane man and someone who’s completely around the bend revolves around one really, really bad day.
Shifting from the origin story and ‘present day’, we find out that the Joker was a standup comic who resorted to a life of crime to support his pregnant wife. We also discover that the hardened maniac shoots Gordon’s daughter in the spine, takes pictures of it, kidnaps Gordon and drugs him in an abandoned carnival funhouse. Gordon (understandably) snaps. The Joker falls into a vat of chemicals and finds himself reborn as a maniacal counterculture anti-hero. It doesn’t get any better than this. Truly.
The back and forth dialogue between Batman and The Joker is natural and incredible at the same time. This book changed the direction of the entire comics industry in one fell swoop, and it’s such an amazing story that it deserves a fresh set of colors from Bolland.
While Alan Moore’s legacy is incomparable, this is a tiny, shining diamond on the heap of his multiple accomplishments. If you haven’t read it before, do yourself a service and purchase the anniversary hardcover before seeing the new film. If you have read it, buy it anyway, as the vivid new color palette and slight, powerful changes to the artwork turn this tale into a whole new ballgame. Killing Joke is one of the best stories of all time, comics or otherwise. It will change the way you look at insanity, and it just might push you over the edge. Read it anyway.
You can find Batman: The Killing Joke at Queen City Comics and Talking Leaves Books' two locations in the city.
All this week Tom Waters will be reviewing Batman graphic novels on the way to Friday's release of Batman's The Dark Knight playing locally at Dipson Market Arcade Film & Arts.