Two DC tales for fans of quirky comics: Killing Joke paints dark plots

By Andrew Nickey

Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, which hit shelves in 1988, shows that one bad day is all it takes to drive a perfectly normal man down the path of insanity.

The Killing Joke demonstrates the relationship between Batman and the Joker in the best kind of way. The reader gets a glimpse of the possible origin for the Joker and his attempt at driving one of Batman’s best friends, Jim Gordon, insane.

The Killing Joke is also a treat for the eyes as it shows off some fantastic artwork done by Brian Bolland. The ruggedness and constant use of duller colors show off the grittiness and dark theme of the story.

This story isn’t for everyone, however, as the excessive violence caused quite a controversy when it first debuted in 1988. The book was labeled with warnings for its gratuitous depictions of violence toward women and torture of police officers.

The Killing Joke’s controversy grew as the world was reminded of this story in 2016, with the release of The Killing Joke animated movie. The movie resembled the original comic well, excepting the beginning, which attempted to add more character development to Barbara Gordon, but overall just seemed disconnected from the second half of the film.

At the end of the day, The Killing Joke is a classic story full of character development, action and masterful, fast-paced storytelling that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.