Batman: The Killing Joke TPB
Batman: The Killing Joke
Alan Moore/Brian Bollard
Where do you turn when life falls apart? That question haunts the pages of Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, one of the best Batman stores ever told; or perhaps I should say it’s one of the best Joker stories ever told. Regardless, it’s a great story and one that shows how comics are capable of exploring some of the deeper themes of life. If you’ve never read The Killing Joke and yet call yourself a Batman fan; shame on you. If you’ve never read The Killing Joke and aren’t a Batman fan, let me just say that you’re missing out on some excellent story telling paired with some beautiful, powerful art.
Three things really stand out to me in this story. The first and most obvious is how this story forever changed the Batman’s world, and it happens so casually that it’s easy to miss its impact. The Joker has once again escaped from Arkham, and this time he is determined to prove a point. To do so, he shows up on the doorstep of Commissioner James Gordon. Barbara Gordon, the Commissioner’s daughter who also happens to be Batgirl, answers the door and finds herself face to face with the Joker. Then, as casually as buying a pack of gum, the Joker shoots Barbara. She tumbles back and shatters a glass coffee table and lies there bleeding; spine shattered and unable to move. The Commissioner is abducted after witnessing his daughter being shot by a madman; meanwhile, Barbara eventually ends up in a hospital, but she will never walk again. It’s an event that has forever affected the Dark Knight’s universe. Only the killing of Jason Todd, aka Robin (who coincidentally also happened to die at the hands of the Joker, although it appears as though he may be back thanks to Infinite Crisis), has so shaken the Batman’s world. This tragic event alone makes The Killing Joke a worthwhile read.
The second thing that stands out to me in The Killing Joke is a very poignant moment between the Batman and the Joker. The tale begins with Batman trying to reconcile with the Joker, fearing that their relationship will only end up with one or both of them dead if they don’t try and make some effort to change that destiny. However, the Joker has already escaped, and he pushes the limit just to try and prove a point, only to be caught once again by Batman. At the end of the story, Batman once again tries to reconcile with his bitter enemy, offering to help the Joker come to terms with his tragic past, and for a moment—just a brief, hesitant moment—it almost looks like the Joker will accept. But then he realizes that it’s much too late for him, and says just that. Most of the villains in the Batman’s world are somewhat pitiable characters that on some level can be sympathized with, and The Killing Joke gives a rare glimpse at just how tragic of a character the Joker really is. One can’t help but to feel a bit sorry for him, strange as that may sound.
Which leads me to the third thing that stands out to me in this story. The Killing Joke reveals one version of how the Joker came to be (I say one version because even the Joker himself says he doesn’t really remember which version of his past is accurate). His story is horrifically tragic, one of an average guy whose life quickly falls apart and is utterly destroyed. What would you do in such a situation? The Joker’s answer was to go insane, which he believes anyone would do under such stress and tries to prove that theory in the course of this story. He tries to prove his point by shooting Barbara Gordon in order to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. By taking away everything Jim Gordon holds dear, by putting him in extreme, vulnerable situations, by shattering the reality that Jim Gordon has always known, the Joker wants to prove that everyone is just one bad day away from being like him. However, Gordon doesn’t lose his mind, and he insists that Batman bring in the Joker “by the book� in order to show him that ways of civilized society really do work.
It’s troublesome to think that the Joker really believed all it would take is one bad day to make someone like him, but it is a question we all need to answer at some point: where will you turn when life crumbles and you’re left sitting in a heap of ashes? Few things are as devastating as hopelessness and despair, and they’re two factors that played a major role in the creation of the Joker. When all was lost, the Joker turned to insanity for escape so he wouldn’t have to deal with the pain. You know, if the Joker’s theory were true, then the Bible would have its very own Joker.
Job suffered as much, if not more, than the Joker, and yet he did not give in to despair, hopelessness and insanity. Why? Because he had someplace, Someone, to turn to even when life didn’t make sense. In fact, Job was so certain of God’s goodness despite the devastation of his life that he made one of the boldest statements in the Bible; “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Himâ€� (Job 13:15). Job’s faith in God was rock solid, and although he didn’t understand why everything had happened to him, he knew that God did and therefore it wasn’t meaningless. That’s the type of solid foundation that the Joker—and for the matter, the Batman—lacked when life was turned upside down, and it’s the type of foundation we all need when our own lives are reduced to ashes. Without a solid foundation for our life, there’s no telling where we might end up after a devastating storm. Jesus Christ is the only rock we can rely on, for as the old hymn says, “all other ground is sinking sand.â€�
The Killing Joke is an amazing piece of story telling. Alan Moore’s dialogue moves the story along at an excellent pace, and Brian Bollard’s artwork gives weight and a powerful, emotional element to the story being told. Best of all, it’s a story with depth. There are layers here that can be peeled back that expose important questions about the nature of humanity. Some may find it strange to find such depth in a “simple comic book,� but then such people probably haven’t really read any. If you’re a Batman fan, this is a must read. It’s been re-printed more than just about any other comic book, so pick up a copy and check it out.
Who knows? Perhaps you’ll discover that in order to escape the Joker’s fate you need to build your life on a firm foundation, one that won’t disappear when life is reduced to rubble and ruin.
Alan Moore/Brian Bollard
Where do you turn when life falls apart? That question haunts the pages of Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, one of the best Batman stores ever told; or perhaps I should say it’s one of the best Joker stories ever told. Regardless, it’s a great story and one that shows how comics are capable of exploring some of the deeper themes of life. If you’ve never read The Killing Joke and yet call yourself a Batman fan; shame on you. If you’ve never read The Killing Joke and aren’t a Batman fan, let me just say that you’re missing out on some excellent story telling paired with some beautiful, powerful art.
Three things really stand out to me in this story. The first and most obvious is how this story forever changed the Batman’s world, and it happens so casually that it’s easy to miss its impact. The Joker has once again escaped from Arkham, and this time he is determined to prove a point. To do so, he shows up on the doorstep of Commissioner James Gordon. Barbara Gordon, the Commissioner’s daughter who also happens to be Batgirl, answers the door and finds herself face to face with the Joker. Then, as casually as buying a pack of gum, the Joker shoots Barbara. She tumbles back and shatters a glass coffee table and lies there bleeding; spine shattered and unable to move. The Commissioner is abducted after witnessing his daughter being shot by a madman; meanwhile, Barbara eventually ends up in a hospital, but she will never walk again. It’s an event that has forever affected the Dark Knight’s universe. Only the killing of Jason Todd, aka Robin (who coincidentally also happened to die at the hands of the Joker, although it appears as though he may be back thanks to Infinite Crisis), has so shaken the Batman’s world. This tragic event alone makes The Killing Joke a worthwhile read.
The second thing that stands out to me in The Killing Joke is a very poignant moment between the Batman and the Joker. The tale begins with Batman trying to reconcile with the Joker, fearing that their relationship will only end up with one or both of them dead if they don’t try and make some effort to change that destiny. However, the Joker has already escaped, and he pushes the limit just to try and prove a point, only to be caught once again by Batman. At the end of the story, Batman once again tries to reconcile with his bitter enemy, offering to help the Joker come to terms with his tragic past, and for a moment—just a brief, hesitant moment—it almost looks like the Joker will accept. But then he realizes that it’s much too late for him, and says just that. Most of the villains in the Batman’s world are somewhat pitiable characters that on some level can be sympathized with, and The Killing Joke gives a rare glimpse at just how tragic of a character the Joker really is. One can’t help but to feel a bit sorry for him, strange as that may sound.
Which leads me to the third thing that stands out to me in this story. The Killing Joke reveals one version of how the Joker came to be (I say one version because even the Joker himself says he doesn’t really remember which version of his past is accurate). His story is horrifically tragic, one of an average guy whose life quickly falls apart and is utterly destroyed. What would you do in such a situation? The Joker’s answer was to go insane, which he believes anyone would do under such stress and tries to prove that theory in the course of this story. He tries to prove his point by shooting Barbara Gordon in order to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. By taking away everything Jim Gordon holds dear, by putting him in extreme, vulnerable situations, by shattering the reality that Jim Gordon has always known, the Joker wants to prove that everyone is just one bad day away from being like him. However, Gordon doesn’t lose his mind, and he insists that Batman bring in the Joker “by the book� in order to show him that ways of civilized society really do work.
It’s troublesome to think that the Joker really believed all it would take is one bad day to make someone like him, but it is a question we all need to answer at some point: where will you turn when life crumbles and you’re left sitting in a heap of ashes? Few things are as devastating as hopelessness and despair, and they’re two factors that played a major role in the creation of the Joker. When all was lost, the Joker turned to insanity for escape so he wouldn’t have to deal with the pain. You know, if the Joker’s theory were true, then the Bible would have its very own Joker.
Job suffered as much, if not more, than the Joker, and yet he did not give in to despair, hopelessness and insanity. Why? Because he had someplace, Someone, to turn to even when life didn’t make sense. In fact, Job was so certain of God’s goodness despite the devastation of his life that he made one of the boldest statements in the Bible; “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Himâ€� (Job 13:15). Job’s faith in God was rock solid, and although he didn’t understand why everything had happened to him, he knew that God did and therefore it wasn’t meaningless. That’s the type of solid foundation that the Joker—and for the matter, the Batman—lacked when life was turned upside down, and it’s the type of foundation we all need when our own lives are reduced to ashes. Without a solid foundation for our life, there’s no telling where we might end up after a devastating storm. Jesus Christ is the only rock we can rely on, for as the old hymn says, “all other ground is sinking sand.â€�
The Killing Joke is an amazing piece of story telling. Alan Moore’s dialogue moves the story along at an excellent pace, and Brian Bollard’s artwork gives weight and a powerful, emotional element to the story being told. Best of all, it’s a story with depth. There are layers here that can be peeled back that expose important questions about the nature of humanity. Some may find it strange to find such depth in a “simple comic book,� but then such people probably haven’t really read any. If you’re a Batman fan, this is a must read. It’s been re-printed more than just about any other comic book, so pick up a copy and check it out.
Who knows? Perhaps you’ll discover that in order to escape the Joker’s fate you need to build your life on a firm foundation, one that won’t disappear when life is reduced to rubble and ruin.
2 Comments:
Good review. However, I thought you missed a VERY important point.
Your first "Christian" reaction to this book was to say, "Hey, everyone needs a firm foundation when their life falls apart. You should believe in Jesus". Fine. Okay.
But you missed the INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT message of FORGIVENESS.
In the end, Batman doesn't even want to beat up the Joker, or to throw him back into Arkham. He tries to "save" the Joker. And when he can't, when he knows it's hopeless, he still laughs with the Joker and connects with him at a deeper level, despite all of the horrible things that have happened.
When Christians find theological lessons in books (or comic books, or movies, or whatever), I think they are far too eager to look for "this is why you should think like me" moments. What they NEVER seem to look for is, "this is how Christians should act" moments. Which are just as important.
www.cashiavellis.blogspot.com
Excellent point. I can honestly say that I've never looked at it that way, but now that you point it out, I feel kinda dumb for missing it. Regardless, that final scene is one of my favorite moments between the Batman and the Joker. It's so poignant, and you almost think they can reconcile. But then, if they did, who would Batman's arch nemesis be? Oh yeah, Jason Todd, or maybe not, or maybe he is...is anyone else having trouble keeping up with that saga?
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