Batman: The Killing Joke
by Alan Moore, Brian Bolland
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alan Moore, Brian BollandArtist: Brian Bolland
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-03-19
ISBN: 1401216676
Number of pages: 64
Publisher: DC Comics
Book Reviews of Batman: The Killing Joke
Book Review: An overrated piece of trash
Summary: 1 Stars
Generally I am forgiving with well-intentioned works; however, this is neither well-intentioned nor well-realised. Although Brian Bolland's art is, as always, striking, the writing for The Killing Joke is lacking and in fact virtually nonexistent. Alan Moore was assured that the story would not be entered into continuity, and yet despite that it was. The irresponsibility and sheer idiocy of having a major continuity event take place in an extraneous graphic novel and not the actual comic titles is immediately lamentable, but the event itself is even moreso.
Essentially this is just an excuse to torment beloved characters in excessive ways, yet it manages to pioneer absolutely no new territory. It is the same plodding plot that has always been associated with Batman and especially the Joker, and it is needlessly pretentious and unappealing. It goes far too far in some ways, and yet not far enough in others. All in all, it is completely needless, utterly superfluous, and should indeed not have ever been included in formal Bat-canon. Moore himself even said that if he had known they were going to take it into canon, he would never have done it. I only wish he had known beforehand.
The Killing Joke is one of the worst Batman stories ever composed. It seems that whenever a new writer attempts to give a new and dangerous spin to the Joker, it ends up being the same spin that every other new writer attempts to give him. He's not an interesting villain any longer, and especially not as the same things are always done with him. In this case, you have him doddering along and ruining a character for the long term (that is not even plausible considering the setting) just so that he can share a completely overdone and unexceptional 'moment' with his mortal enemy. Who cares?
This is yet another supremely overrated piece of drek that was always just style over substance and added nothing -- in fact detracted majorly -- from the Batman mythos. It's not worth looking at, and it would be especially wonderful if everything that came from it were completely undone. It should never have entered into continuity, but now that it has, it's made the work even more lamentable.
A piece of pretentious, self-important garbage. It's not even worth it for the Bolland visuals.
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