Great for its time and great when you are young and want a story with more weight but it hasn't aged well especially since like you said, Moore is capable of so much better and this seems to overshadow most of that better work. I see a lot of people parrot the, "If I am to have an origin, I'd prefer it be multiple choice," line a lot and it's like yeah I would too. This one is kind of lame. Also, it's not like Moore changed much other than giving him a family. Everything else was already established
Batman: The Killing Joke #1
◄
►
Series
►
N/A
Critic Rating
8.9
User Rating
97 Reviews
| Writer | Brian Bolland, Alan Moore |
| Artist | Brian Bolland |
This is the unforgettable event that forever changed Batman's world, adding a new element of darkness with its unflinching portrayal of The Joker's twisted psyche.
Writer Alan Moore, acclaimed author of WATCHMEN and V FOR VENDETTA, offers his take on the disturbing relationship between The Dark Knight and his greatest foe. The Clown Prince of Crime has never been more ruthless than in this brutal tale.
This special edition also includes a story written and exquisitely illustrated by Brian Bolland.
CRITIC REVIEWS Back to Top
No critic ratings have been found for this issue.
USER REVIEWS Back to Top
-
10
without a doubt the greatest joker story.
+ Like • Comment -
10
Probably, the best story of the Joker.
-
10
This is without a doubt the richest Joker story that has ever been written. Alan Moore really knows how to embed philosophy deep within each of the characters he writes...the dialogue is very powerful and sometimes even distracts from Brian Bolland's beautiful art. The joke at the end, as well as the ambiguous ending, definitely provides for multiple angles of interpretation. Not very often that a writer is capable of invoking this much complexity (and fun) in a comic book.
-
10
Probably the most solid story of the Joker, you can't go wrong with this one, Alan Moore did it again.
-
10
You are the best.
-
10
Iconic tale and a must read for not only Batman fans and comic book fans but bibliophiles in general
-
10
That's not funny. That's not...
-
10
This Is A Classic
-
10
Batman: The Killing Joke is, in my opinion, a masterpiece and one of the greatest Batman stories ever written. Alan Moore's writing is haunting and layered, exploring the thin line between sanity and madness through the parallel of Batman and the Joker. The way the Joker's origin is presented-tragic, unsettling, and ambiguous-makes him more terrifying than ever, while also giving a glimpse into the broken humanity behind the monster. Brian Bolland's artwork is stunning. Every panel feels meticulously crafted, with expressive detail that heightens both the horror and the emotion of the story. The atmosphere is dark, oppressive, and unforgettable, perfectly matching the disturbing tone of the narrative. What makes this book so powerful more
-
9.5
Maybe the most iconic Batman story ever after Dark Knight Returns
-
9.5
One of the darkest Batman stories ever told with the best origin story of Joker !The biggest pro of the book is its artwork and colors which delivers the whole story into our minds.The book had a great open ended mysterious climax which leaves the reader mind blown even after the book ends.
-
9.5
a classic batman tale
-
9.5
Easily one of the most memorable Batman/Joker stories.
-
9.5
I thought this was a great read. Moore does a really nice job with his scripts, in my opinion. He writes everyone well here and I liked the added layer to Joker's origin here. Of course, the story of Joker formerly being Red Hood and falling into a vat of chemicals was well-established before this, but I think the additional story aspect of Joker's family and what led him to taking that job as Red Hood in the first place just makes it better. Plus, Bolland does a fantastic job depicting everything. At first, I read the Deluxe Edition I have from 2008. I didn't find the colors bad or anything, but reading the story with the original coloring by John Higgins makes this, as a whole, so much better. So, I'd strongly recommend you to read this w more
-
9.0
Fantastic story. A milestone that inspired dozens of late works!
-
8.5
I can't believe that Batman laughed at the Joker's joke after all the shit he pulled in this issue.
-
8.5
8 Art 9 Writing
-
8.5
"you're doing what any sane man in your appalling circumstance would do. you're going mad". I am not a big fan of Alan Moore: "Watchmen" and "Killing Joke" didn't impress me as much as they could (and as they did impress many other people). But anyway the artist's work is impressive.
-
8.0
A great story, but every time i read it again i lower my note, i've seen claims that this is the best Batman story of all time and i think that's a stretch, even for Sir Alan Moore standards, this isn't his best work.
-
8.0
This is THE origin story of the Joker. I also love the aesthetics and colours. Only thing holding it back for me is that I don't feel the urge to return to it as often. But yeah a must read.
-
6.0
I hadn't read The Killing Joke for years and years before recently picking up the Absolute Edition for my collection, and... I'm kind of jaded by the fact that I spent $30 on this story. Maybe it's just that I'm coming off of reading Moore's Neonomicon, which I thought was a very smartly written story, but this is such an obvious, bland story. There are cool elements. The idea of Batman thinking about his eternal struggle with Joker. I do like Joker's humanization, not so much in his actual origin, but in the ending fight/monologue. I'm one of those people who really couldn't care less for the more modern approach to the Joker, where he becomes a monster under one's bed. That is never as terrifying or as interesting to me as simply a man dr more
+ Like • Comments (3)• Likes (1) -
1.0
i know that everyone LOVES the killing joke, but i don't think it's THAT good... i had high expectations before reading and already knew what happened with barbara, gordon etc, but for me it was utterly disrespectful to barbs character. she's used only as a plot device to motivate bruce's crusade, she doesn't have a storyline or nothing - she is just a victim, with a shallow development and too little personality. i respect the fact that this is one of the most important batman stories because it shows how mad joker is, but i can't ignore the fact that the lead female character of the batfamily, and one of the leading ladies of the dc universe, is here only to be shot and mistreated. joker's background was interesting - i've seen better or more
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
10
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.5
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
9.0
-
8.5
-
8.5
-
8.5
-
8.5
-
8.5
-
8.5
-
8.0
-
8.0
-
8.0
-
7.5
-
7.5
-
7.5
-
7.0
-
7.0
-
7.0
-
2.0
-
1.5
-
1.0
2025 In Review:
