When people think of famous comic book villains, there is usually one that appears in everybody’s mind. Whether it be his iconic red smile or his green hair, or his many portrayals throughout film history, The Joker is the definitive villain with certainty. Created in 1940 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson for Batman 1, the Joker was depicted as a serious threat, using laughing gas to kill those who were unfortunate to cross his path. However, when the forties turned into the fifties and the sixties, The Joker became progressively more like a clown, not killing anybody, but simply annoying Batman and Robin with gags such as non-lethal explosive whoopie cushions. But, with the arrival of the seventies, writers such as Dennis O’Neil and Steve Englehart, along with artists like Neal Adams and Marshall Rogers transformed the character, bringing him back to his grassroots, while updating him for the bronze age of comics. Once again, the Joker was a murderer, one who carries out dark and outlandish plots while combatting his adversary, Batman. The eighties continued the progression of the Joker, with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns depicting a villain obsessed with the aged Dark Knight. This character trait stayed with the Joker. Stories from the nineties to present such as Batman: Mad Love and Batman: The Man Who Laughs presented us with a darker villain, focused solely on fighting Batman. Even after somewhat radical changes in the DC Universe, such as the New 52 and Rebirth, the Joker is still going strong and he always will be. Of course, I have missed a crucial story out, one which explains the true origin of the Joker. Or does it? Alan Moore’s stories in the Swamp Thing (vol 2) title and most famously, Watchmen, had made him a household name for DC. However, it didn’t last forever, since Moore's final story for the company was one that would change not just the Joker, but the perception of comics forever…
Batman: The Killing Joke was released in March 1988 as a one-off prestige format graphic novel. It was written by Alan Moore, writer of Watchmen and Swamp Thing (vol 2), with art by Brian Bolland, artist on Camelot 3000 and regular cover artist on
Animal Man (vol 1). I have read the story in the Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe Edition, but the book is so easy to get its barely worth mentioning it.
THE STORY
With rain falling in Gotham City, Batman visits Arkham Asylum and meets Commissioner Gordon. Inside, on his own, Batman speaks to the Joker in a darkened room. Although Batman tries to convince his enemy to stop their long fight as it will result in death, he loses his temper and grabs the Joker’s hand. However, Batman notices white make up on his glove, causing him to lunge at the Joker and discover that it is actually an imposter, meaning the real villain has escaped. Meanwhile, the owner of an abandoned and derelict amusement parks meets with the Joker, who is interested in buying the property, stating that money is no longer a problem. Years ago, an unnamed comedian arrives home after messing up his performance and has a breakdown. However, his pregnant wife comforts him, despite the financial problems they are facing. In the present, the Joker thanks the amusement park owner by shaking his hand, while having a poisonous needle on his glove. The Joker then walks away laughing while the owner is dead with pale skin and a giant red smile on his face. At the same time, Batman is researching information about the Joker, but he doesn’t find anything, making him wonder how they can both hate each other without knowing anything. Meanwhile, Gordon cuts out pictures of Batman from a newspaper for his photo collection. His daughter, Barbara, then hears a knock at the door and goes to answer it. When she does, it is the Joker and two henchmen. The Joker then shoots Barbara through the stomach, sending her flying. The Joker’s henchmen then begin beating Gordon until he is unconscious, while the villain begins to undress Barbara. In the past, the failing comedian meets with two gangsters in a restaurant, telling them about his life and that he needs money. The gangsters offer him money if he will aid them in breaking into the ACE Chemicals Plant, where the comedian once worked. For a disguise, the gangsters give the comedian a red helmet, which he recognises as belonging the Red Hood, a villain who is known for robberies. However, the gangsters tell the comedian that there have been multiple people behind the Red Hood, and they reassure him. In the present, Barbara is in hospital with Detective Harvey Bullock when they discover that she may have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. When alone, Batman speaks to Barbara, who wakes up panicking and crying, telling Batman that the Joker is trying to prove a point. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon wakes up in the funfair where a group of circus freaks undress him and take him to the Joker, who tells Gordon that he is going mad. Gordon then remembers what happened to Barbara, but the Joker tells him that remembering the past can be dangerous and that memories can be vile. The Joker’s freaks then place Gordon on the Ghost Train ride, sending him on his way. In the past, the comedian meets with the two gangsters at a restaurant again when the police arrive and ask to talk to him. Outside, the police tell the comedian that his wife was electrocuted after testing a baby-bottle heater and she is dead. The police then advise the comedian to have another drink. Inside, the comedian tells the gangster about what happened and that there is no reason to go ahead with the Ace Chemicals robbery. However, the gangsters tell the comedian that he must help them and that he can’t back out. The gangsters then leave the comedian, crying about his wife. In the present, The Joker sings to Gordon the Ghost Train ride about how life is vile and that going insane is the only way out. While singing, the Joker shows Gordon pictures of Barbara, naked and crying, causing him to scream. Elsewhere, Batman hunts for the Joker and meets with Bullock, who gives him an invitation from the Joker to his amusement park. While Batman heads there, Gordon finishes his ride and is speechless. The Joker believes that he has driven the Commissioner inside and locks him in a cage. In the past, the comedian places the Red Hood helmet on his head and heads into the Ace Chemicals Plant with the gangsters, believing it to be empty. However, they are quickly noticed by security guards, who begin firing at the comedian and the gangsters. After some time, the two gangsters are killed, and the comedian attempts to escape. However, Batman then arrives and confronts the comedian, noticing him as the Red Hood. The comedian then jumps from the walkway he is standing on, but Batman fails to rescue him, causing him to fall into a vat of chemicals. Reaching the surface, the comedian takes off his red helmet as his skin itches and stings from the chemicals. When taking it off, he looks at his face in the water, noticing he has green hair, white skin and red lips. He begins laughing manically. In the present, the Joker and his freaks continue to berate Gordon in his cage when Batman arrives, causing the freaks to run away. Batman leaps at the Joker and they begin fighting. However, the villain manages to escape into the House of Fun. Batman then releases Gordon from his cage, who tells him the Joker tried to make him go insane. Gordon then orders Batman to capture the Joker and bring him in by the book. Batman then heads into the House of Fun, where he is confronted by numerous traps, while the Joker tells him that they are both crazy. The Joker then begins theorising why Batman exists and what caused him. The Joker then speaks of his past, telling Batman that he would prefer it to be multiple choice. However, when the Joker tells Batman that everything in life is gag and asks why he isn’t laughing, Batman appears and tells the Joker that despite everything he did, Gordon is still sane and that it takes more than just one bad day to change a person. The Joker then attacks Batman and knocks him down to the ground, before reaching for a knife and preparing to kill him. However, Batman knocks the knife out of the Joker’s hand and sends him flying out a window. Outside in the rain, the Joker reaches for his gun and pulls the trigger towards Batman. However, the gun is empty, simply firing a joke flag. The Joker then tells Batman to get on with it and beat him, but Batman refuses. Batman then tells the Joker that they can work together and rehabilitate him and that they don’t have to kill each other. The Joker pauses and declines, telling Batman it is far too late for that. Then, the Joker tells a joke about two prisoners escaping from prison, causing him to laugh manically. Batman then begins laughing uncontrollably as he holds onto the Joker. The lights and sirens of police cars become closer and the laugh ceases, as the rain continues.
MY THOUGHTS
There’s no doubt that this story is one of the most popular and acclaimed Batman stories, along with The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One obviously. Because of that, its hard to be different when reviewing this story as nearly everybody (except Alan Moore himself) constantly throw praise at this story. Instead, I’m going to focus more so on the controversial elements of the story and its themes and how they represent the Joker. First of all, as he pretty much features as the main character of the story, lets focus on the Joker. Moore writes the Joker as a dark and sadistic character, yet there is a degree of sympathy involved. Of course, throughout the story he does a number of horrible things. Whether be crippling Barbara Gordon or torturing Commissioner Gordon in order to make him go insane, the Joker is certainly a threat here. However, Moore’s portrayal of the character he is actually very human and quite real, despite what he might think. Throughout the story, there are a number of scenes which take place in the past, featuring a comedian who goes through the worst day of his life, making him go insane. Now, when simply flicking through this story and not taking in every single line of dialogue, in which Moore carefully plants information, the average reader would believe that the comedian’s story is in fact the Joker’s origin. But is it? Obviously, the inclusion of the Red Hood is a nice reference to Detective Comics (vol 1) 168 from 1951, in which writer Bill Finger reveals the golden age Joker’s origin. However, here its different. When Batman is hunting through the hall of mirrors, the Joker comments on how if he had a past, he would prefer it to be multiple choice. Very suitable for his character, the Joker is an unreliable narrator and the origin we are shown may not be true. It’s well established that the Joker is the Red Hood in other stories, but the background about his career as a failed comedian and his wife may all just be nonsense. This not only reflects the Joker’s twisted character, but it brilliantly gives him the sympathy card, adding another dimension to what is a pretty evil and cruel character is. Another important theme of the story is insanity and how two characters with completely opposite moral compasses can be very similar. Of course, I’m talking about the relationship between Batman and the Joker, which is perfectly summarised in both the beginning and the ending. The story starts incredibly well and the build up to the main plot is great. Batman’s one-way conversation to the fake Joker in the cell perfectly summaries their relationship and how it will simply end in death. Of course, the Dark Knight Returns is an example of that, but I’ll get to that when I get to it. Anyway, their “fatal relationship” as described by Batman is simply not one of good vs evil. It is far more complicated. Towards the end of the story, the Joker tells Batman that they are both just as insane as each other and while that judgement way be somewhat extreme, since Batman isn’t a cold-blooded killer, but in terms of obsession, the two characters are both equally fascinated with one another. Then, the ending of the story is a perfect moment in which Batman offers rehabilitation to his nemesis, which he refuses. These short seconds in which the Joker has to respond to Batman’s helping hand is one of the few moments ever in which the Joker embraces sanity. His reply to Batman is one of reason, as even he realises that his crimes are far too extreme and evil, meaning that even he feels he doesn’t deserve to recover from his illness. Moving away from the Joker and Batman, one of the other most defining moments of this story is
definitely the forced retirement of Batgirl. The story behind Barbara Gordon’s vicious near-death experience by the hands of the Joker is something Moore rather regrets, since Len Wein, the editor at the time, told Moore to ‘cripple the b*tch’. Now, I can see why the decision was certainly controversial not just because of that, but also because of the scenes afterwards, in which the Joker undresses her and takes pictures of her. There is no doubt that this is sickening and a horrible crime, but it is an incredibly impactful scene in the story which masterfully affects every character. After this story, she remains in a wheelchair for decades to come, but John Ostrander and Kim Yale excellently bring her back as Oracle in Suicide Squad (vol 1). I actually prefer Oracle over Batgirl and the prime reason for that is that she feels much more like a separate and more unique character. Before, she was very much just another sidekick of Batman, but as Oracle, she is one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe since her knowledge of the world and technology is staggering. I doubt that Moore had foresight of that, but to me, that is the great benefit of this horrible crime. Although Moore may criticise the story for being very uninteresting due to its lack of humanity, aspects such as this and the story’s focus on mental health make the story feel more real. Now, in terms of Commissioner Gordon, the Joker’s plan to make him go insane fails as not only is there a difference between the Joker and Gordon in terms of their emotional states, but also because as Commissioner, Gordon is experienced and hard-headed, meaning that he sticks to police rules constantly. In fact, we know that the Joker’s plan fails when Gordon tells Batman to bring the Joker in by the book, telling us that his moral compass has not altered, and he is still sane. Other than that, the plot to the story is actually fairly regular and nothing to really dance about. It’s simply Batman hunting the Joker after he escapes from Arkham. However, it’s the events throughout the story and the characters that make it a classic. Plus, Harvey Bullock is in the story. How can you beat that?
When researching this story, it appears that Moore perhaps didn’t have as much enthusiasm about it than he did on his other works like Watchmen and V for Vendetta. The reason for that is the artist, Brian Bolland, who told DC that he wanted to work with Moore on a Joker story. From that, Moore wrote this story and he isn’t really impressed with it. I mean, I’m certainly not alone in saying that the story is a great Batman and Joker story, but I would be lying if it claimed it was flawless. Like I mentioned earlier, the actual plot to this story is nothing special. Compared to his other stories, particularly his Superman tales (read my review of them here), the plot feels empty. However, the numerous character moments in the story are what makes it great. Also, I really didn’t get the point of the Joker’s gang of freaks in the circus. Looking back at it, they did absolutely nothing, apart from take Commissioner Gordon’s clothes off. They were just pretty pointless. Still, at least they didn’t fight Batman like they do in the animated version. Speaking of which, if you want to experience The Killing Joke, read the comic. The animated version adds a pointless 20-minute prelude about Batgirl and adds a pointless fight scene between Batman and freaks, while also changing the delivery of some of the dialogue, completing altering the mood. For example, in the comic, when the Joker asks Batman why he isn’t laughing about the mess of the world, the Joker looks sad and disappointed. In the animated version, the Joker is angry and about to beat Batman, completely changing the tone of the story. I know I’m meant to be focusing on the original version, but the animated version just bugs me…
For those who have read my Animal Man reviews, you probably know that Brian Bolland is one of my favourite cover artists and in terms of his inside art, it doesn’t disappoint. His art style works perfectly with Alan Moore’s writing and his realistic sense of lighting really adds to the mood of the story. Bolland’s inks are very clear and his art looks incredibly refined. His panel layouts are very creative and interesting, even though that may be down to Moore’s detailed panel descriptions. Bolland’s sense of action is great and overall, it is fantastic. Now, I am reading the story in the deluxe version, meaning that Bolland has coloured it himself, which looks very nice and in keeping with Bolland’s other work. The original version is coloured by John Higgins, colourist on Watchmen. With that story, his colours over Dave Gibbons art is wonderful and the two art styles really mesh together. However, with Bolland, it just doesn’t work. It often looks garish, over-the-top and too extreme. Even Bolland himself has stated that, prompting him to recolour it for newer editions. Although I am against recolouring that is completely different from the original, as you will see later, here I think it works well because makes the art look more like Bolland. It’s a bit hypocritical, but that’s just the way it is to me.
VERDICT
Overall, Batman: The Killing Joke, to me at least, isn’t really a story. Rather, it is a character study of both Batman and the Joker. It features a great examination into the two characters and while Moore disagrees that it fails on a human level, I think it succeeds. The plot may be somewhat standard, but the characters and events throughout the story make it a definitive classic and one to read over and over again. That goes for Bolland’s art as well, which works perfectly with the story.
Story: 9/10
Art: 10/10
This is the second of three short reviews what I believe are some of the best stories focusing on the three Batman characters that are celebrating their 80th anniversaries this year. Unsurprisingly, this week is the Joker and the issue I have chosen is also most probably unsurprising. The original vision of the Joker by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson was beginning to be abandoned as the years by went. By the 1950s, the murderous and grim Joker was becoming a joke, with his quirky gags and silly plots to defeat Batman. However, everything changed with the advent of Dennis O’Neil writing the Batman titles, with the revolutionary Neal Adams becoming artist. Together, they begun to change the world of Batman, creating a more gothic feel to it, while bringing the Joker back to his grass roots…
Batman (vol 1) 251 was published in September 1973. It was written by Dennis O’Neil with art pencilled and inked by Neal Adams. I have read this story in the Batman
Illustrated by Neal Adams Volume Three hardcover, which does feature some horrible recolouring and even reinking, but more on that later…
THE STORY
On the outskirts of Gotham, Commissioner Gordon and a detective find a dead body with a big smile on its face. Batman then appears, frightening Gordon, who is reminded that the grin is a common trademark of only one criminal. Batman then shows Gordon a Joker card he found near the body. Although Gordon places his best detectives on the case, Batman decides to investigate on his own to find the Joker quicker. Batman heads to a gym, where he meets Packy White, ex-boxer and former member of the Joker’s gang. Inside, Batman fights White, who is told that the Joker will be coming after him unless he is placed under police protection. After nearly going unconscious from Batman’s punches, White gives up and decides to go to prison for his own protection. However, when White drinks some of his water, he begins laughing and dies with a smile on his face, leaving Batman to realise he was poisoned. Meanwhile at a hotel, the Joker meets with Alby, another former gang member. The Joker asks him i he was the one who betrayed him, but he denies it. The Joker then gives Alby a cigar, which he smokes. The Joker then leaves the building as Alby’s apartment explodes, killing him. The Joker laughs manically. Ten minutes later, Batman realises that the Joker has already killed three of five former gang members and heads to the fourth, Bigger Melvin. Noticing the Batman, Melvin runs and hides in a sewer pipe. However, Batman easily finds him and tells him to place himself in police custody for his own protection. Melvin then asks Batman to escort him back to his apartment for his toothbrush. Idiotically, Batman accepts the request and Melvin manages to knock hm out. However, when Batman awakens, he finds Melvin has been hanged in his apartment by the Joker, who then appears and knocks out Batman with a kick to the face. Sometime later, Batman reawakens again, and notices specks of crude oil on his face. He then decides to locate the last living gang member, Bing Hooley. Batman visits a charity home looking for Hooley but discovers that he was taken by a friend named Mr Genesius. Batman instantly realises that the name Genesius is linked to the patron saint of jokers. Then, Batman realises that the crude oil on his face is a specific mixture from a ship that leaked oil off the coast of Gotham, causing some of it to reach the beach from the storm. Reaching the beach, Batman believes the Joker is hiding in an abandoned aquarium park. Inside, Batman finds the Joker, who has tied Hooley to a wheelchair above a water tank with a shark inside. The Joker then tells Batman that he will release Hooley if his hands are tied behind his back before entering the tank. However, the Joker lied as both Batman and Hooley are released into the tank. Using the handcuffs, Batman manages to break the shark’s spine, killing it. He then recues Hooley from his wheelchair and uses it to break through the glass, freeing himself and Hooley, who manages to survive. Batman then chases the Joker out of the aquarium and just before the villain can escape in his car, he slips on the oil. Batman then punches the Joker to the ground and places handcuffs on him, before they both walk away.
MY THOUGHTS
Without question, this is one of the defining Joker stories since his creation eighty years ago. Not only does it bring the character back down to his original roots, but it is also a compelling detective story and just an all-round classic Batman story. Sure, the plot itself may be fairly standard and similar to other stories appearing at the time, but what makes this story very good is the characters that facilitate it. Some of the dialogue coming from Batman can often by somewhat dated, more so than stories from the forties, but that is simply a sign of the times, particularly in America with hippie-ism. Apart from that though, Batman’s character is great here and his overall character is definitely what I would describe as the definitive Dark Knight Detective. His character is more gothic than dark, and he isn’t like the Batman of later stories where he is pretty miserable and cruel to people. Of course, the main focus of this story is the Joker, who is still a very entertaining character, but O’Neil successfully reinstated the character as a genuine threat, since he is back to killing people again. But he isn’t just some plain old killer. For example, his cigar kill is very creative, and it works in terms of his character. There are also some methods which are quite shocking and show the Joker has changed. A prime example of that is when he hangs Melvin, something which I’m surprised wasn’t censored or anything. Speaking of which, I do like how O’Neil gave characters to the Joker’s victims, something which was rarely done beforehand. It actually adds weight to the Joker’s actions and in this darker story, it is certainly needed. The relationship between Batman and the Joker is stronger than ever as this story often presents Batman’s failures and how nearly every single former member of the Joker’s gang is killed. Other than that, the tone of the story is very suitable and reflects the extreme change in the Joker’s character and the pacing of the story builds up well to the climax, which is obviously at the aquarium. I did kind of feel that Batman’s deduction of the oil spillage in the sea being linked to the aquarium somewhat far-fetched and borderline unbelievable. Plus, the fight between Batman and the shark sort of came out of nowhere, but I do have a soft spot for it, mainly because it is a clear influence on the Batman: The Animated Series episode The Laughing Fish.
Obviously, with the dark alteration in the Joker’s character, Neal Adams’s art very much emphasises this, depicting the Joker as very menacing, creepy and scary. To me, Adams’s real strong point is his storytelling. Compared to previous artists, Adams uses very dynamic, interesting and unusual panel layouts, which can often make a scene more dramatic and enjoyable to read. Because of Adams’s, a scene in which a character thinks in their own head can be just as interesting as a scene where one-character punches another. That being said, the finishes could be much better. Inkers such as Dick Giordano or Tom Palmer can really clean up Adams, making his art look much smoother while not just sustaining, but improving the original magic in the pencils. Adams’s own inks can often look rushed, over-detailed and quite ugly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still very good and classic comic art, but it could have been better. In terms of the original issue, the art is great, but in the reprints, it’s a whole other problem. For the recent reprints of these classics, not only have they been recoloured in a more modern fashion, meaning the original effect is absent, but in some cases, Adams has gone back and re-inked stories. To me, that is simply ruining the original stories and (continued)
what made them so impactful in the first place. I can just about tolerate the recolouring, even though it ruins the original magic of the stories, but when stories are re-inked, that is going too far. I’m not sure if this story has been reinked, but it has certainly been recoloured and it really ruins Adams’s original art and what makes that even worse is that Adams’s himself is doing it. I’m going to be kind here and score the original art, but this is a prime example of how easily classic comics can be ruined, along with the recent Absolute Swamp Thing by Alan Moore.
VERDICT
Overall, Batman (vol 1) 251 is a classic detective story that isn’t only a brilliant and famous story for the Joker, but also for Batman. The plot is made so much better because of the great character writing by O’Neil and while the dialogue can sometimes come across as dated, it is still a great story. However, O’Neil should never go back and change the dialogue in the same way that Adams’s has ruined the original art, which was very good and despite its messy appearance, worked excellently. I’m not going to repeat myself completely, but I’ll just be honest and say the recolouring is trash.
Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Next Week: Catwoman: Her Sister’s Keeper (Catwoman (vol 1) 1-4). Written by Mindy Newell with art by J.J. Birch and Michael Bair. Also reviewing: The Brave and the Bold (vol 1) 197. Written by Alan Brennert with art by Joe Staton and George Freeman. Expected to be published by 03/05/2020.
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