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trashcanman (Hanford, CA United States) –

  

  

Customer Video Review Length:: 2:37 Mins

“The Killing Joke” is widely considered to be the be-all-end-all of Joker stories, so what better way to pay homage to the greatest comic book villain of all time near the eve of his re-unveiling in The Dark Knight than by reviewing his definitive story? This is the comic that (sort of) revealed the origin of The Clown Prince of Crime, humanizing him to an extent never before, and truly examined -with pictures rather than words- the antagonistic symbiosis that exists between Joker and his arch nemesis, The Batman. A beloved Gotham regular will never be the same and another will be put through hell before this story is done. Oh, and there are creepy little henchmidgets as well. Gotta love the henchmidgets.

The art is outstanding, the storytelling superb, and the character examinations are vital to understanding both combatants. The “one bad day” premise highlights the “two sides of the same coin” argument that Batman and Joker are in fact more alike than dissimilar. As if Bruce Wayne took a right when his arch-nemesis took a left. The controversial ending leaves little doubt as to Alan Moore’s take on the debate, and I like it like that. While many critics have strongly resisted both the comparison and the somewhat sympathetic look at The Joker’s past, the truth is that every great character -villain or hero- needs that sort of intricacy to their story to remain relevant in the world of modern fiction. Comics are no longer for children and adults realize that the world is seldom black and white, that all monsters were once men, and that unspeakable darkness and insanity resides deep inside each human mind. It can take years of suffering to bring them out or it can take one bad day. One bad day could ruin your very existence and everything you were; it’s a frightening reality that cannot be overlooked while reading this comic. The more the reader is willing to ponder the ideas put forth by this story, the more you are likely to appreciate “The Killing Joke”. An outstanding achievement in storytelling any way you look at it.

I was tempted to knock this down to four stars because with this book you are buying a single issue of a comic for what you could easily pay for a full trade paperback or graphic novel of equal quality like, say, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, which is so good it may very well cure cancer (can you prove it doesn’t?). But the fact is no Batman fan should be without “The Killing Joke” and I would rather stick to reviewing based on quality rather than haggling over price. The bonus story at the end (written and illustrated by TKJ artist Brian Bolland) is a killer little mini-comic that serves as a perfect companion piece to the main story and definitely sweetens the pot for those wondering if they should get this hardcover edition. “The Killing Joke” is an absolute mindless must-have for fans of the comic book medium and even more so if you claim to be a follower of The Caped Crusader or his twisted nemesis. End of story.

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Darren B. O’Connor (Norfolk, Virginia United States) –

  

I liked this story, generally speaking, but not unreservedly. Despite what others have written, saying the Joker needs no backstory, I actually liked it that we now have some idea where he came from. He is shown here as a failed comic, who is trying to eke out a living doing stand up comedy, but nobody laughs at his routines, and he can’t support his wife. The scene where he momentarily snaps at his wife, and then is instantly regretful is very human and very believable, as is her trying to comfort him, and assure him that it doesn’t matter and she loves him anyway. This makes it very understandable why he agreed to take part in the criminal venture that went awry and turned him into the Joker. He was desperate to be a husband and provider. There is also a moment where the Joker remembers his past life, and what he has lost, and you can see that there is a part of him that regrets it profoundly. This scene is done without words, and it is the artwork of Brian Bolland that makes it work.

But sympathetic though this treatment is, the Joker is too far gone in his insanity, and Moore shows this as well. Elsewhere in the story, the Joker commits some terribly brutal acts of wanton cruelty, which show why is such a feared villian in Batmans’ rogue’s gallery. He may have started out as a tragic, ordinary guy, but he has become a true monster.

That’s the good. The bad is an out of character treatment of the Batman himself. The Joker is shown as SO brutal, dangerous, and slippery, that it is simply not believable that the Batman would not kill him, whatever his ordinary qualms about taking human life. Given the Joker’s homicidal history, and his ability to esacpe confinement over and over again, Batman would simply have to ask himself how many innocents he would condemn to future death if he allows the Joker to live. His willingness to to laugh with the Joker at the end of the story is also out of character, and frankly inexplicable, given that the Joker just kidnapped and cruelly abused Commissioner Gordon, and permanently crippled Gordon’s daughter Barbara, the former Batgirl.

Still, it’s an effective story overall.

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