5.0

Disclaimer: I'm adding every book I read this year to Goodreads in December.

I read this after watching the new animated movie released this year - which I thought was pretty damn good. I had forgotten how great this graphic novel is.

From the era before everything ever was dark, and one of the progenitors of many of the now-overdone Batman tropes we know today (Batman is really as crazy as his villains, his existence brings out the crazier villains, etc.) The Killin Joke is a history lesson in the Batverse.

I also had forgotten it contains the Joker's origin story, and it's where Barbara Gordon's days as Batgirl meet a tragic end.

Basically, this slim volume is a must-read for any fan of Batman.