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ghoulishmermaid's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best! It shows how Batgirl becomes Oracle. I loved how this was indirectly mentioned in Issue 0 of Batgirl in the New 52.
landynreads's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Torture
ponch22's review against another edition
5.0
Heard this was one of the great Batman books (despite its lackluster, R-rated movie adaptation from last year) so decided to pick it when I noticed it on my library's digital website.
This was the rerelease with all new coloring (black and white flashbacks, more muted present action) and after searching for images of the original pages, I have to say I love this version a lot more.
It seems there was some controversy when [a:Alan Moore|3961|Alan Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1304944713p2/3961.jpg] used "The Man Behind the Red Hood" as some inspiration for the Joker's origin story (unlike movies which seem to always require an origin story, comic books aren't supposed to mention it as much it seems). But the Joker admits to being an unreliable narrator ("If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" very a la Ledger's "You wanna know how I got these scars?") so I like seeing something, especially when almost every change from past to present is accompanied with fantastic match cut transitions.
The actual story is pretty dark (the Joker "permanently paralyzes" a character; although in a one-off novel, I'm not sure exactly how anything can be permanent) but the ending has a nice ambiguous tone that I was already prepared for (it's my feeling that no one dies in the end).
One minor complaint I have is how ineffective the Joker seems to be. I mean, he did accomplish a lot to put his plan into motion, but his ultimate plan of proving that "[a]ll it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy" is proven wrong when Gordon doesn't snap despite multiple trips through his tortuous fun house. But it's not a big enough problem for me not to love the book for all its worth (despite Moore seeming to hate his involvement with it).
This was the rerelease with all new coloring (black and white flashbacks, more muted present action) and after searching for images of the original pages, I have to say I love this version a lot more.
It seems there was some controversy when [a:Alan Moore|3961|Alan Moore|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1304944713p2/3961.jpg] used "The Man Behind the Red Hood" as some inspiration for the Joker's origin story (unlike movies which seem to always require an origin story, comic books aren't supposed to mention it as much it seems). But the Joker admits to being an unreliable narrator ("If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" very a la Ledger's "You wanna know how I got these scars?") so I like seeing something, especially when almost every change from past to present is accompanied with fantastic match cut transitions.
The actual story is pretty dark (the Joker "permanently paralyzes" a character; although in a one-off novel, I'm not sure exactly how anything can be permanent) but the ending has a nice ambiguous tone that I was already prepared for (it's my feeling that no one dies in the end).
One minor complaint I have is how ineffective the Joker seems to be. I mean, he did accomplish a lot to put his plan into motion, but his ultimate plan of proving that "[a]ll it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy" is proven wrong when Gordon doesn't snap despite multiple trips through his tortuous fun house. But it's not a big enough problem for me not to love the book for all its worth (despite Moore seeming to hate his involvement with it).
marieposa02's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
bhall237's review against another edition
5.0
“I’VE DEMONSTRATED THERE’S NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND EVERYONE ELSE!
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.”
My history with Batman goes back to watching Adam West’s portrayal on DVD as a young lad. I was a teenager when I saw The Dark Knight Rises end Nolan’s incredible trilogy in theaters. So when I received this as a gift for my 17th birthday I was a bit hesitant. I hadn’t read any Batman graphic novels or comics, or DC in general for that matter. But it didn’t matter, it was a one off. So I dove head first into this and flew through it in one sitting and damn.
I just did the same thing today years later and oh my does this hit unlike anything I’ve read or seen portraying the caped crusader and his arch nemesis. Getting a backstory for The Joker might be a bit controversial and ruin the enigma that is his mystique, but it really works in the context of The Killing Joke. Seeing him try to drive Gordon mad is outright vile and demented and to see both Joker and Batman go to the absolute limits of their respective ends is always a treat. The ending is very frustrating to me, as it’s not definitive or explicit and leaves a lot for the reader to interpret. Personally, I like it, and I think Bats cracked and knew there would never be an end to the game, or joke, that was their rivalry and killed him.
Overall, I adore this graphic novel and I would highly recommend to any Batman fan.
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.”
My history with Batman goes back to watching Adam West’s portrayal on DVD as a young lad. I was a teenager when I saw The Dark Knight Rises end Nolan’s incredible trilogy in theaters. So when I received this as a gift for my 17th birthday I was a bit hesitant. I hadn’t read any Batman graphic novels or comics, or DC in general for that matter. But it didn’t matter, it was a one off. So I dove head first into this and flew through it in one sitting and damn.
I just did the same thing today years later and oh my does this hit unlike anything I’ve read or seen portraying the caped crusader and his arch nemesis. Getting a backstory for The Joker might be a bit controversial and ruin the enigma that is his mystique, but it really works in the context of The Killing Joke. Seeing him try to drive Gordon mad is outright vile and demented and to see both Joker and Batman go to the absolute limits of their respective ends is always a treat. The ending is very frustrating to me, as it’s not definitive or explicit and leaves a lot for the reader to interpret. Personally, I like it, and I think Bats cracked and knew there would never be an end to the game, or joke, that was their rivalry and killed him.
Overall, I adore this graphic novel and I would highly recommend to any Batman fan.
dworks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
spacecase1701's review against another edition
3.0
Here's the thing about The Killing Joke. It's obviously become one of those "important" stories in Batman canon, it's iconic at this point. And don't get me wrong, it's a good story (if very short, even by graphic novel standards) for what it set out to do. The Joker origin, the discussion of "one bad day" and Batman's assertion of the inevitable end of their "relationship" make for a very interesting look at the two characters. But for all its iconic status, I just didn't find myself that crazy about it. The big sticking point is the horrible treatment of Barbara Gordon, a decision even Alan Moore regrets now. DC had no intention of reviving her into Oracle at the time (we have Gail Simone to thank for that) so she's basically cast aside, seemingly permanently, for the sole purpose of motivating the (male) heroes. It's a sad black spot on an otherwise interesting examination of the Joker's motivations.
Brian Bolland's art is great to look at, though having seen images of the original, moodier colouring, the reprinted colours look a lot flatter and don't capture the intended mood as well, which is sad.
All in all, a good story for the Joker/Batman dynamic, but held down by how it badly treated Barbara. Both this book and the animated adaptation just seem to really hate Batgirl.
Brian Bolland's art is great to look at, though having seen images of the original, moodier colouring, the reprinted colours look a lot flatter and don't capture the intended mood as well, which is sad.
All in all, a good story for the Joker/Batman dynamic, but held down by how it badly treated Barbara. Both this book and the animated adaptation just seem to really hate Batgirl.
thomasgammon's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cbwilson25's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5