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DC Comics Absolute Edition
Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke
One of the best-selling graphic novels of all time finally gets the Absolute treatment, as BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE is presented in a 30th Anniversary hardcover slipcase edition!
Critically acclaimed writer Alan Moore redefined the superhero with Watchmen and V for Vendetta. In Batman: The Killing Joke, he takes on the origin of comics' greatest super-villain, The Joker--and changes Batman's world forever. Batman: The Killing Joke is Alan Moore's unforgettable meditation on the razor-thin line between sanity and insanity, heroism and villainy, comedy and tragedy.
According to the grinning engine of madness and mayhem known as The Joker, that's all that separates the sane from the psychotic. Freed once again from the confines of Arkham Asylum, he's out to prove his deranged point. And he's going to use Gotham City's top cop, Commissioner Jim Gordon, and his brilliant and beautiful daughter Barbara to do it.
Now Batman must race to stop his archnemesis before his reign of terror claims two of the Dark Knight's closest friends. Can he finally put an end to the cycle of bloodlust and lunacy that links these two iconic foes before it leads to its fatal conclusion? And as the horrifying origin of the Clown Prince of Crime is finally revealed, will the thin line that separates Batman's nobility and The Joker's insanity snap once and for all?
Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke collects Batman: The Killing Joke and stories from Batman: Black & White #4, Countdown #31, Who's Who in the DC Universe #13 and with bonus material that includes Brian Bolland's new coloring from the Deluxe Edition, the original John Higgins coloring, all 128 pages of the script that has never been published before, Brian Bolland's Joker covers and sketches, previously unpublished Bolland Batman/Joker sketches and more!
Critically acclaimed writer Alan Moore redefined the superhero with Watchmen and V for Vendetta. In Batman: The Killing Joke, he takes on the origin of comics' greatest super-villain, The Joker--and changes Batman's world forever. Batman: The Killing Joke is Alan Moore's unforgettable meditation on the razor-thin line between sanity and insanity, heroism and villainy, comedy and tragedy.
According to the grinning engine of madness and mayhem known as The Joker, that's all that separates the sane from the psychotic. Freed once again from the confines of Arkham Asylum, he's out to prove his deranged point. And he's going to use Gotham City's top cop, Commissioner Jim Gordon, and his brilliant and beautiful daughter Barbara to do it.
Now Batman must race to stop his archnemesis before his reign of terror claims two of the Dark Knight's closest friends. Can he finally put an end to the cycle of bloodlust and lunacy that links these two iconic foes before it leads to its fatal conclusion? And as the horrifying origin of the Clown Prince of Crime is finally revealed, will the thin line that separates Batman's nobility and The Joker's insanity snap once and for all?
Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke collects Batman: The Killing Joke and stories from Batman: Black & White #4, Countdown #31, Who's Who in the DC Universe #13 and with bonus material that includes Brian Bolland's new coloring from the Deluxe Edition, the original John Higgins coloring, all 128 pages of the script that has never been published before, Brian Bolland's Joker covers and sketches, previously unpublished Bolland Batman/Joker sketches and more!
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 11, 2018
14 people are currently reading
1731 people want to read
About the author
Alan Moore
1,578 books21.7k followersAlan Moore is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell. He has also written a novel, Voice of the Fire, and performs "workings" (one-off performance art/spoken word pieces) with The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels, some of which have been released on CD.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
As a comics writer, Moore is notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium. As well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes, he brings a wide range of influences to his work, from the literary–authors such as William S. Burroughs, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Anton Wilson and Iain Sinclair; New Wave science fiction writers such as Michael Moorcock; horror writers such as Clive Barker; to the cinematic–filmmakers such as Nicolas Roeg. Influences within comics include Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby and Bryan Talbot.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
July 8, 2021
Having read this three times now, this story stays with me like a dream. Brian Bolland's artwork is surgical and startling, deserving of study. Alan Moore's writing is just stunning.
The Joker is characterized as psychotic, spontaneous, sharply intelligent, cold-blooded, and yet I have sympathy for him. His story is tragic, and although hyperbolic it remains plausible and inspires pity and sympathy, not pure and absolute hate. Because he’s beyond repair, his self-hatred and disillusionment are projected outward onto the destruction of others, and he seems so far gone that his violence is meaningless: it has become nihilistic and passionate, almost as if he goads Batman into killing him, like assisted suicide, and yet, like his former career, the violence gives him purpose and amuses him to no end. That’s a truly developed villain.
Like other reviews mention, this book is exclusively dedicated to the Joker, and Batman has a supporting role, which is fine, just know that going into it and you won't be disappointed. My final question is, what was Batman doing to the Joker in the final panel?
The Joker is characterized as psychotic, spontaneous, sharply intelligent, cold-blooded, and yet I have sympathy for him. His story is tragic, and although hyperbolic it remains plausible and inspires pity and sympathy, not pure and absolute hate. Because he’s beyond repair, his self-hatred and disillusionment are projected outward onto the destruction of others, and he seems so far gone that his violence is meaningless: it has become nihilistic and passionate, almost as if he goads Batman into killing him, like assisted suicide, and yet, like his former career, the violence gives him purpose and amuses him to no end. That’s a truly developed villain.
Like other reviews mention, this book is exclusively dedicated to the Joker, and Batman has a supporting role, which is fine, just know that going into it and you won't be disappointed. My final question is, what was Batman doing to the Joker in the final panel?
June 8, 2025
Il peso della scelta
"Ho dimostrato la mia teoria.
Ho provato che non c'è nessuna differenza tra me e gli altri!
Basta una brutta giornata per ridurre alla follia l'uomo più assennato del pianeta. Ecco tutta la differenza che passa tra me e il mondo.
Una brutta giornata.
Una volta l'hai avuta pure tu. Ho ragione? Massì che ho ragione. Si vede che hai avuto una brutta giornata e tutto è cambiato. Altrimenti perché ti vestiresti da topo volante? Hai avuto una brutta giornata e sei impazzito come tutti...solo che tu non lo ammetti. No, vuoi far finta che la vita abbia un senso, che questa battaglia abbia non so che significato"
Da completo neofita quale sono, la mia personale idea su The Killing Joke è sempre stata quella di un'agiografia sui generis del personaggio del Joker; una sorta di dramma autoconclusivo dove lo stesso Batman vede vacillare la sua morale - nonché il proprio modus operandi - nell'eterno conflitto con la sua nemesi storica. L'opera di Moore, perlomeno in parte, risponde alla descrizione sopraccitata. Ma l'autore va oltre, dipingendo due personaggi precipitati in una violenza cieca che non conosce risoluzione né redenzione: il perseguimento di una personale giustizia dinnanzi agli orrori personali generati dalla spietatezza del caso. Joker uccide e giustifica le proprie azioni; Batman, da vero guerriero reazionario, si muove dentro Gotham quasi alla stregua di uno squadrista, ma si nega la possibilità dell'omicidio solo per evitare di vedere il proprio riflesso di fronte al volto del Joker.
Moore attua una destrutturazione della figura del supereroe e ridà slancio all'idea che sia il libero arbitrio, e non il mondo in cui si vive, il reale crocevia che detta il confine tra bene e male.
P.S. I disegni di Bolland sono di inusitata bellezza.
"Ho dimostrato la mia teoria.
Ho provato che non c'è nessuna differenza tra me e gli altri!
Basta una brutta giornata per ridurre alla follia l'uomo più assennato del pianeta. Ecco tutta la differenza che passa tra me e il mondo.
Una brutta giornata.
Una volta l'hai avuta pure tu. Ho ragione? Massì che ho ragione. Si vede che hai avuto una brutta giornata e tutto è cambiato. Altrimenti perché ti vestiresti da topo volante? Hai avuto una brutta giornata e sei impazzito come tutti...solo che tu non lo ammetti. No, vuoi far finta che la vita abbia un senso, che questa battaglia abbia non so che significato"
Da completo neofita quale sono, la mia personale idea su The Killing Joke è sempre stata quella di un'agiografia sui generis del personaggio del Joker; una sorta di dramma autoconclusivo dove lo stesso Batman vede vacillare la sua morale - nonché il proprio modus operandi - nell'eterno conflitto con la sua nemesi storica. L'opera di Moore, perlomeno in parte, risponde alla descrizione sopraccitata. Ma l'autore va oltre, dipingendo due personaggi precipitati in una violenza cieca che non conosce risoluzione né redenzione: il perseguimento di una personale giustizia dinnanzi agli orrori personali generati dalla spietatezza del caso. Joker uccide e giustifica le proprie azioni; Batman, da vero guerriero reazionario, si muove dentro Gotham quasi alla stregua di uno squadrista, ma si nega la possibilità dell'omicidio solo per evitare di vedere il proprio riflesso di fronte al volto del Joker.
Moore attua una destrutturazione della figura del supereroe e ridà slancio all'idea che sia il libero arbitrio, e non il mondo in cui si vive, il reale crocevia che detta il confine tra bene e male.
P.S. I disegni di Bolland sono di inusitata bellezza.
September 18, 2022
È veramente bello come dicono?
Si, è bello come dicono.
Si, è bello come dicono.
December 30, 2019
A nice large-format edition of the classic Batman/Joker story, probably most notable for changing Barbara Gordon's life forever (or at least until the next universal reboot) and for presenting a possible origin for the Joker. The original comic was pretty slim so there is a substantial amount of extra content in this Absolute volume, the story itself appearing twice with different coloring jobs. Artist Brian Bolland wanted to do it himself when the book was first produced, but there wasn't time, so John Higgins did it instead. And a fine job he did, in my opinion, though it was not what Bolland was aiming for, so eventually he got to do it over himself. Higgins' coloring is bright and garish (in a good way), one might say comic-bookish, while Bolland's is subdued and realistic. And while Bolland's interpretation might work better or just as well most of the time, on some pages, such as when Jim Gordon finds out what the Joker has done to his daughter, I don't think it is nearly as effective. But art is subjective and it's nice to have both versions. One nice touch, and I'm impressed that they went this extra mile, is that the Higgins version of the story is printed on the same matte-finish paper as it was originally, retaining it's look and feel. The rest of the book is on glossy paper.
Even with two versions of the story, the book is still pretty slim for an Absolute so it's padded out with other stuff, including Alan Moore's original script (does anyone actually read these?), two shorter pieces by Bolland, sketches and other Batman or Joker related art by Bolland.
I had sold my first printing of "The Killing Joke" years ago so I was happy to be able to replace it with this definitive volume.
Even with two versions of the story, the book is still pretty slim for an Absolute so it's padded out with other stuff, including Alan Moore's original script (does anyone actually read these?), two shorter pieces by Bolland, sketches and other Batman or Joker related art by Bolland.
I had sold my first printing of "The Killing Joke" years ago so I was happy to be able to replace it with this definitive volume.
August 3, 2019
Up next in my Alan moore month,
On of the best Joker stories out there, The Killing Joke. I am secretly hoping that they will use something of this story for the not much needed Joker movie.. I know it looks pretty cool but i have been hurt before by DC's movies...😑 there are two versions included in this Absolute edition, the one thats recolored by Brian Bolland, and the original one with colors by John Higgins, the colors on that one are quite insane and i guess beter apreciated with a big dash of LSD🙄 one thing i do like about that edition is that they have included the orginal paper stock, so there are two totally different versions of the same epic tale included. This is a classic Joker/Batman tale that every Bat-fan should read. With some truly iconic stuff included, Moore suggests that Batman is as crazy as the Joker himself and the ending is abrupt and gives alot of food for Thought... Also the never ending debate of Batman if he should kill or just be left in the same cyclus of events of returning the villains to Arkham... or just end them and be done with them. Again This is a must read !
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars.
Highly recommended for all the Batman fans and The Joker fans. With lots of cool extra's.
On of the best Joker stories out there, The Killing Joke. I am secretly hoping that they will use something of this story for the not much needed Joker movie.. I know it looks pretty cool but i have been hurt before by DC's movies...😑 there are two versions included in this Absolute edition, the one thats recolored by Brian Bolland, and the original one with colors by John Higgins, the colors on that one are quite insane and i guess beter apreciated with a big dash of LSD🙄 one thing i do like about that edition is that they have included the orginal paper stock, so there are two totally different versions of the same epic tale included. This is a classic Joker/Batman tale that every Bat-fan should read. With some truly iconic stuff included, Moore suggests that Batman is as crazy as the Joker himself and the ending is abrupt and gives alot of food for Thought... Also the never ending debate of Batman if he should kill or just be left in the same cyclus of events of returning the villains to Arkham... or just end them and be done with them. Again This is a must read !
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars.
Highly recommended for all the Batman fans and The Joker fans. With lots of cool extra's.
January 2, 2023
I knew this story by osmosis, since so much of it is often referenced. Even in the later batman Arkham games, the part with Barbra is canonized, I think. It’s a slim volume and it’s an interesting story, but not one of my favourite Moore works. Very cool to see the script and have the original included though.
October 24, 2020
Esta es quizá la cuarta vez que leo esta obra, pero es la primera que puedo leerla con los colores originales. Lamentablemente, es claro que ésta obra no tiene la calidad de otras obras de Moore, para la cuarta lectura ya encontré algunas inconsistencias, fallos en el ritmo, etc. No es una obra como Watchmen que lo puedes leer cinco o seis veces o quizá más y seguir encontrando aspectos nuevos. Esta obra si tiene un límite, pero tampoco vale la pena ser exquisitos, es un cómic de 46 páginas, y aunque no es la mejor obra de Moore, sigue siendo una obra de Moore y eso la ubica por encima de muchas obras de los últimos 30 años.
Mis cinco estrellas se deben más a la edición en si. Esta es la primera vez que traen un formato Absolute, al menos como se conoce en Estados Unidos porque DC México publicaba con ese nombre un formato en pasta blanda. Esta edición es mucho más grande que cualquier cómic (de hecho tendré problemas en acomodarla en algún librero, justo como Silver Surfer Black). Contiene la obra dos veces, primero con el recoloreado de Brian Bolland, y después los colores originales de Higgins. Un gran acierto de la editorial fue usar dos papeles diferentes, la versión de Bolland tiene un papel fotográfico glossy como es costumbre en los cómics actuales y la versión original tiene un papel tipo periódico con un tacto más rugoso pero que le hace justicia de manera bellísima a los colores originales. También tiene el guión entero de Alan Moore con sus anotaciones, esto podría no ser interesante para cualquier persona, pero creo que los guiones de Moore son una obra por sí sola y si tienes curiosidad en cómo se escribe un cómic aquí hay muchas respuestas. También tiene un par de one shots cortos dibujados por Bolland, sobre el Joker e historias de ese tipo. Tiene una galería de bocetos y listo.
Esta es verdaderamente la edición definitiva. Si tienes esta versión, no necesitas ninguna otra, aquí el problema es que yo la tengo en inglés, y una versión sólo con las tintas de Bolland. No me desharé de ninguna pero no creo que en un futuro adquiera ninguna otra edición de este cómic, gracias a Dios.
De la historia no creo que valga la pena decir mucho porque se ha dicho mucho con anterioridad. Es una especie de historia de origen de Joker, pero lo más atractivo es sin duda son los discursos que utiliza Joker para justificar lo que sucede en el cómic.
Repito, podrá no ser la mejor obra de Moore, pero sigue siendo una obra de Moore, con todo lo que eso implica.
Mis cinco estrellas se deben más a la edición en si. Esta es la primera vez que traen un formato Absolute, al menos como se conoce en Estados Unidos porque DC México publicaba con ese nombre un formato en pasta blanda. Esta edición es mucho más grande que cualquier cómic (de hecho tendré problemas en acomodarla en algún librero, justo como Silver Surfer Black). Contiene la obra dos veces, primero con el recoloreado de Brian Bolland, y después los colores originales de Higgins. Un gran acierto de la editorial fue usar dos papeles diferentes, la versión de Bolland tiene un papel fotográfico glossy como es costumbre en los cómics actuales y la versión original tiene un papel tipo periódico con un tacto más rugoso pero que le hace justicia de manera bellísima a los colores originales. También tiene el guión entero de Alan Moore con sus anotaciones, esto podría no ser interesante para cualquier persona, pero creo que los guiones de Moore son una obra por sí sola y si tienes curiosidad en cómo se escribe un cómic aquí hay muchas respuestas. También tiene un par de one shots cortos dibujados por Bolland, sobre el Joker e historias de ese tipo. Tiene una galería de bocetos y listo.
Esta es verdaderamente la edición definitiva. Si tienes esta versión, no necesitas ninguna otra, aquí el problema es que yo la tengo en inglés, y una versión sólo con las tintas de Bolland. No me desharé de ninguna pero no creo que en un futuro adquiera ninguna otra edición de este cómic, gracias a Dios.
De la historia no creo que valga la pena decir mucho porque se ha dicho mucho con anterioridad. Es una especie de historia de origen de Joker, pero lo más atractivo es sin duda son los discursos que utiliza Joker para justificar lo que sucede en el cómic.
Repito, podrá no ser la mejor obra de Moore, pero sigue siendo una obra de Moore, con todo lo que eso implica.
April 26, 2020
Daha önce okuduğum bu kült eseri, bir de özel edisyondan okudum. Çalışma, hem orjinali, hem senaryosu, hem diğer çizimleri hem de çizer ve yazarlarla sohbetlerle hazırlanmış. Baskı kalitesi güzel. Sert bir kutusu var. Bir de dış kutusu var bildiğimiz saman kağıt kartondan. İç kısmı ve kitabın cildi oldukça güzel ve sağlam görünüyor.
July 3, 2020
One of the best and well-known comics of all time, and for good reason! The writing, artwork, layout, and tone are all perfect. The Killing Joke is a dark and unsettling read and after reading it multiple times I enjoy it more and more, there’s just so much packed into this surprisingly short book.
January 11, 2021
The "Killing Joke" is an iconic work in the Batman cannon. The book develops a mysterious origin story for the Joker while it also details the dark symbiotic relationship between that character and the Batman. Additionally, this story details defining moments for several characters in the Bat family.
June 13, 2021
I love having both versions (the original and the re-coloured) together in one gloriously oversized absolute edition. Plus, who doesn’t get a kick out of reading the scripts for seminal works like this? A must have book, in a must have format for any fan
July 20, 2025
Le quisiera dar 3½ se que es de las icónicas de Batman pero no lo disfruté del todo.
August 16, 2019
The Killing Joke is infamous. It did the Joker better then any comic at that point and I think it has rarely been toped or equalled since. I mean the Joker is fucking hilarious in this. He tells layered jokes and gags and physical comedy, which is part of the charm of the Joker I think.
Think about it. He started out as a serial killer and career criminal, yes. Then after the comics code and what not the wacky gags and jokes and silly displays of power happen. But he eventually gets brought back to his roots and he's reinvented with stories like the laughing fish. And now he's known as a psychopathic serial killer to all the world.
But here those two natures, those two paths of the character meet very well. And that is why I keep coming back. The Killing Joke is short and an easy read so it goes down easy but that isn't the reason to read it again.
It's so smoothly and effectively told visually that it's so pleasing to the eye. Either coloring does the job. That's right the absolute edition also includes both colorings, which allows you to read the story back to back with itself. I like both version and having them included in a story I read at least once a year is a great little feature.
The Killing Joke is effectively told, colored and illustrated to perfection. And it is and will remain a classic Batman/Joker tale until (and if) the Batman and Joker ever go out of fashion.
5 stars. One of the easiest reviews I've ever done.
Think about it. He started out as a serial killer and career criminal, yes. Then after the comics code and what not the wacky gags and jokes and silly displays of power happen. But he eventually gets brought back to his roots and he's reinvented with stories like the laughing fish. And now he's known as a psychopathic serial killer to all the world.
But here those two natures, those two paths of the character meet very well. And that is why I keep coming back. The Killing Joke is short and an easy read so it goes down easy but that isn't the reason to read it again.
It's so smoothly and effectively told visually that it's so pleasing to the eye. Either coloring does the job. That's right the absolute edition also includes both colorings, which allows you to read the story back to back with itself. I like both version and having them included in a story I read at least once a year is a great little feature.
The Killing Joke is effectively told, colored and illustrated to perfection. And it is and will remain a classic Batman/Joker tale until (and if) the Batman and Joker ever go out of fashion.
5 stars. One of the easiest reviews I've ever done.
January 30, 2019
All it takes is one bad day... your life can change forever for good or bad. This is a retelling the origin of probably Batman's most significant villain, the Joker. This is a very significant Batman story in that we see a member of the bat family crippled by the Joker. The Joker uses the situation to tell Batman his story and tries to give Batman his bad day. The story itself is far from just a beat-em up comic book.
The art is fantastic and panel after panel is brilliantly executed with far more detail that is necessary to communicate the basics - the artist wasn't trying to do the minimum to get by. He was trying to do something special and succeeded.
This version contains two versions of the story with different coloring. I read the original coloring first and then skimmed the recolored version. I can appreciate both of the versions and why the original artist wanted to recolor the story to best fit his art. This Absolute is very nice but this has to be the smallest amount of content one could fit into an Absolute. It contains a lot of extras, script, covers, un-inked pages, and a few brief articles/introductions by creators.
The art is fantastic and panel after panel is brilliantly executed with far more detail that is necessary to communicate the basics - the artist wasn't trying to do the minimum to get by. He was trying to do something special and succeeded.
This version contains two versions of the story with different coloring. I read the original coloring first and then skimmed the recolored version. I can appreciate both of the versions and why the original artist wanted to recolor the story to best fit his art. This Absolute is very nice but this has to be the smallest amount of content one could fit into an Absolute. It contains a lot of extras, script, covers, un-inked pages, and a few brief articles/introductions by creators.
October 3, 2024
Todo lo que sea de Alan Moore es obligatorio de leer. Sin embargo, no le doy puntuación perfecta ya que lo leí en simultáneo de "Superman Red Son", y comparado con este, la obra de Mark Millar tiene muchos más elementos políticos y filosóficos que la hacen mucho más interesante y entretenida. Por lo cual, si bien es una obra más moderna, por lo cual no se pueden comparar en originalidad, demuestra como si se pueden hacer mejores historias agregando elementos que le faltaron a esta obra de Moore.
July 12, 2021
I most enjoyed reading the section with the graphic novel's script where Alan Moore wrote descriptions to Brian Bolland how each panel should look. It also was interesting that Bolland was not able to ink the original version and did so for this edition, but the original version also was included for comparison.
February 26, 2020
Had never read this - despite knowing of its cultural significance. A fun wee strip and this book is amazing, extra storyboards, original drafts, background, full scripts, all the add-ons. A must have for comic book fans.
July 28, 2022
Twisted, complex and tragic. Lives up to the hype.
October 6, 2024
Me hubiese gustado que fuera más filosófica y profunda. Sentí que fue una obra rápida que el autor quiso sacarse de encima. Sin embargo, la historia entretiene y se hace amena de leer
September 7, 2025
was it objectively good? sure. but it was so fucking sick and twisted I hated every second of it
December 26, 2018
I have mixed feelings about the story told in this Absolute Edition. I am hesitant to say the story was "okay" or even "good" because of how disturbing some of the content within it truly is. The "biggest" and worst change that occurs is what happened to Barbara Gordon; Batman does not really change, and neither does Commissioner Gordon really seem to change. In regard to the artwork, I liked most of it. I liked Brian Bolland's "colors" more than I liked John Higgins', overall, but Higgins did have some "good" moments in his rendition if this story. I cannot really say how much "development" it really gives Batman; it probably shows the Joker is a character who is better off dead and the world could do without. The story does move at a fast pace, though, that is for certain.
First of all, I am going to discuss the Absolute Edition, itself. I would say the Absolute Edition probably ranks as 4.0 - 4.5 stars because of the "Easter Eggs" in it. It has 'two versions' of the story in it - the one with colors as visioned by Brian Bolland and the original version released in the late 1980s by John Higgins. It was interesting to compare the pages, to see what each "colorist" highlighted or ignored in how each of them interpreted the colors they used. Also, this Absolute Edition has the "original" notes Alan Moore prepared and shared with Brian Bolland in regards to Moore's vision of the story, so it was interesting/fun to read his "original" thoughts on the matter. I also enjoyed reading the Introduction, Afterward, and Retrospective - I thought they were informative and fascinating reads.
It did, however, have a really weird short story in it about some 'innocent guy' who brags about how he has the 'perfect plan' to kill Batman and get away with it, after which he plans to live a 'long and fruitful life' as a 'good citizen' before dying and going to heaven after having lived a 'good life.' Huh?!? Since when does plotting to kill a person constitute part of living a 'good life' and thereby 'earning' the 'right' to go to heaven?!?!? That stupid little story alone would keep this compilation from getting four stars from me, on the one hand.
I called it a 'compilation' because, even though the story was a single comic that was released in the mid-80s, this Absolute Edition has two editions of the story in it; one with the original coloring by John Higgins in it and one with the coloring redone by Brian Bolland in the palette he wanted. I also see it as having elements of a horror story in it, considering the horrific nature of some of the acts performed against Barbara Gordon and Jim Gordon.
I am not sure how much of a fan I am of Alan Moore's 'stuff' comicbook-wise. He seems to favor a lot of sexual violence being perpetrated against people, especially women. In V for Vendetta, the heroine is stripped and tortured and abused in order to 'break' her so that she can take V's place in opposing whatever it was that V felt he was opposing. The original Silk Specter is violently assaulted (sliding into rape) by the Comedian in Watchmen before it's broken up by some fellow team members, yet she ends up having a sexual relationship with the man later on (as revealed by her daughter being his child). He has Mister Hyde violently rape the Invisible Man anally in League of Extraordinary Gentleman. I mean, he can tell some compelling stories, yet he seems to continually slide too far to extremes in the telling, taking the reader into dark places that do not necessarily have to be trod. That bring us to this story.
In this book/story, he has the Joker not only shoot Barbara Gordon so that she is paralyzed from the waist down, but he has the Joker violate her by disrobing and and implying that he also raped her (the novelized version of this comic makes it clear Joker rapes Barbara after paralyzing her). It is bad enough this level of violence was perpetrated upon Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), but then the author takes it further by taking her father and subjecting him to various degrading tortures and punishments (including stripping him of his clothing and parading him about in mocking, shaming fashion before a crowd of what would have been 'circus freaks') before showing him pictures of his daughter on various big screens - pictures of her naked and weak and helpless and violated. It's pretty horrific what the Joker does to this family. It is not entertaining; it is disturbing, as the Joker is trying to "prove" his theory that all it takes is 'one bad day' for a 'normal, sane' person to become the Joker.
Of course, Commissioner Gordon does not break under the Joker's abuses and mistreatment; he seems to come out of it stronger than ever (of course, that is after Batman rescues him). I suppose this shows the 'excellence' of the writing in that I was not sure how Gordon would react or respond by the end of the story - the story had a flair to it that implied it was a 'one-shot' and not going to be a part of the established 'Bat-canon' while reading it (but, obviously, it became a part of the 'official canon' as Barbara was wheel-chair bound and became the Oracle after this tragedy). I thought he might be broken by the story's end; I thought he might kill the Joker at the end because of what the Joker did to Barbara. Instead, Gordon does not seem to truly suffer any "long-term" or "short-term" ill effects from what happened to him. Instead, he bellows after Batman that Batman needed to bring the Joker in 'the right way' to prove that they were not like him, that the Joker's theory was false. However, as a father, he barely shows any concern over what happened to his daughter. The only thing he says to Batman was that the Joker showed him pictures of her, naked, and that is it, after Batman frees him. Gordon never asks Batman if Barbara is still alive; he never asks where she is located, if she is safe. He never asks how badly she was injured. He never expresses any concern over or for his daughter, after having been subjected to numerous pictures of her lying on the floor, nude, injured, possibly bleeding to death. Nothing! Really? Really?!? Who knows why the author committed such a blunder, but it was horribly out of character for Gordon not to show any concern for Barbara. Also, Batman's not letting Jim Gordon know Barbara was still alive seemed odd to me, as well.
Actually, Batman's whole attitude in this comic/story seemed odd to me. You have the beginning, where he goes to Arkham and tries to come to some kind of understanding with the Joker, only to discover that the Joker has, again, escaped somehow from Arkham. He barely shows much concern for Barbara, and he barely shows much concern for Gordon. I felt like he spent too much time trying to come to an understanding or something with the Joker, and this attempt at some kind of 'peace' or 'understanding' between the two of them was really out of character for him. Granted, it is portrayed as his not wanting to die and not wanting to kill the Joker or be killed by the Joker, but he still has a bizarre obsession in this story. It was 'interesting' that the Joker did 'nail it on the head' about Batman, though - he recognized that the Batman had to himself have had 'one really bad day' for him to run around in a costume and fighting crime.
I think the 'weirdest' part of the story was how the Joker was given a 'tragic backstory' to describe how and why he became the Joker (losing his wife and unborn child to an accidental death followed by his leaping into the vat of chemicals to escape the Batman while already in a mentally unbalanced state over recently learning of the death of his wife and child), followed by how brutally he assaulted both Barbara and Jim Gordon. I 'almost felt bad' for the Joker after reading the novelization (up until he raped Barbara after shooting her and paralyzing her), but, now, having read this, I really despise this character and strongly wish DC would do away with him. Permanently and for good.
In regard to the 'mechanics' of the story and the artwork, I thought most of it was pretty superb. Well, some of it, anyway. I liked how you might have a picture at the bottom of one page and then a 'similar' picture at the top of the next page (like when the Joker was standing over a pool of water and you could see his reflection in it followed by his pre-Joker self standing over a pool of water, too, and you could see his reflection it. Another shot was of pre-Joker, sitting with his hands crossed in front of his face as he was hunched over at a table in a bar, then the next picture is of Gordon, with his hands crossed in front of his face, leaning forward while sitting in the front seat of a carnival ride at an abandoned amusement park. There was the clownish grimace of the seller's face followed by the face of a joker on a playing card). I thought the juxtapositions throughout the story were, for the most part, well-done and added to the story. And, to be honest, I did not realize that until I almost finished, which made me go back and thumb through it again to see what other juxtapositions there were scattered throughout.
I also liked Bolland's colorings during the 'backstory' for the Joker. I liked how he colored each panel with essentially the same color, and if any other color was used, it was to highlight something specific in the scene. It was a cool effect. Overall, I also liked Bolland's coloring more than I liked Higgins' coloring choices. I felt like Higgins was a bit too garish for me, and some of his uses of color "interfered" with whatever the story was trying to say (or show) in some panels. I liked how Bolland 'cleaned it up' a bit and made it 'neater' and easier to see/interpret.
I would say it is more of a "Joker" story than it is a Batman story. I would not have had any issues if the Joker had been killed at the end (preferably by a police officer as he resisted arrest as opposed to Batman). I can see why some people think the Batman killed the Joker (because of how it appears Batman is staring intently at his hand for a couple of panels, thereby implying maybe he is holding the Joker's needle and then stabs the Joker with it during their melee); I would say it is more likely the Batman 'would have killed' the Joker using the Joker's needle as opposed to breaking the Joker's neck. The Joker does appear to become 'rigid' like his victims do when poisoned by the Joker, so that would seem more likely to me. Myself, I took the ending to be the two of them laughing over a 'stupid joke' before the Joker is hauled back to Arkham Asylum.
Actually, I thought the joke was pretty hilarious and have shared it with some friends and co-workers, who found it equally funny.
On a side note, the novelization of this story does take what happened to Barbara (being stripped naked and then raped, all while pictures were being taken) quite a bit 'further' in that it is 'updated' in what happens to her. Her being undressed and then raped is videotaped and broadcast 'live' over television channels AND the early version of the Internet. So, her victimization is dramatically increased as a result. One thing I did like that the novel did that this story did not was that it showed Barbara recreating herself and refusing to let what happened to her define her (as horrific as it was - being paralyzed due to a gunshot wound followed by being violated on many levels when she was weak, helpless, and unable to fight back to defend herself). She uses what happened to lay the foundation for her to become Oracle and still be instrumental in helping Batman fight crime.
I think that is one thing that really bothers me - that Barbara Gordon was nothing more than a 'prop' for the story and then 'discarded' shortly thereafter. Batman is shown as becoming even more 'furious' when he learns the Joker took pictures of her in her helpless state, but nothing is ever said about her or her condition ever again. Jim really should have asked Batman about his daughter - whether or not she was still even alive?, was she okay?, was she going to live?, what were the extent of her injuries?, is she safe? And Batman? He never once thinks to give Jim Gordon any hope about Barbara's condition after rescuing him?!? As a father, I'd want to know the condition, the status, of my wounded (and, possibly, dying) child above all else. I do not think it was any kind of 'nobility' on Jim's part (unless he had already assumed Barbara was dead; yet, the author never has Gordon ever considering her to having died as the result of her wounds); I think it was more that the author never thought about it, about how a father and a parent would react (or respond) to discovering his or her child had been potentially injured and might be dead.
I am not sure how glad I am that I (finally) read this story. It left a foul taste in my mouth, in some respects (well, mostly how Barbara and Jim Gordon were violated and abused), by the time I finished it. I did not really care for how Batman or Jim Gordon were portrayed in the story; neither was I thrilled at how Barbara was portrayed (and used as a prop) in the story. It does have some amazing artwork in it, but the vileness of some of the subject matter really took away from enjoyment I might have derived from the story. It was 'interesting' that both Batman and Joker were somewhat portrayed as being two sides of the same coin, but I would still disagree with this assessment because there is something seriously wrong with the Joker that puts him on a completely different plane of existence than Batman, Commissioner Gordon, or any other character in comics. As much as I would have liked to have given it four stars, I think it is lucky to be getting three stars and not two after having finished it and pondered it a while. I suppose the strength of the response to it could be said to say 'how good it truly is' but that is still not going to change my opinion of it. Fortunately, it was a fast read for me and it took me less time to read it than it has for me to ponder it and type up this review.
First of all, I am going to discuss the Absolute Edition, itself. I would say the Absolute Edition probably ranks as 4.0 - 4.5 stars because of the "Easter Eggs" in it. It has 'two versions' of the story in it - the one with colors as visioned by Brian Bolland and the original version released in the late 1980s by John Higgins. It was interesting to compare the pages, to see what each "colorist" highlighted or ignored in how each of them interpreted the colors they used. Also, this Absolute Edition has the "original" notes Alan Moore prepared and shared with Brian Bolland in regards to Moore's vision of the story, so it was interesting/fun to read his "original" thoughts on the matter. I also enjoyed reading the Introduction, Afterward, and Retrospective - I thought they were informative and fascinating reads.
It did, however, have a really weird short story in it about some 'innocent guy' who brags about how he has the 'perfect plan' to kill Batman and get away with it, after which he plans to live a 'long and fruitful life' as a 'good citizen' before dying and going to heaven after having lived a 'good life.' Huh?!? Since when does plotting to kill a person constitute part of living a 'good life' and thereby 'earning' the 'right' to go to heaven?!?!? That stupid little story alone would keep this compilation from getting four stars from me, on the one hand.
I called it a 'compilation' because, even though the story was a single comic that was released in the mid-80s, this Absolute Edition has two editions of the story in it; one with the original coloring by John Higgins in it and one with the coloring redone by Brian Bolland in the palette he wanted. I also see it as having elements of a horror story in it, considering the horrific nature of some of the acts performed against Barbara Gordon and Jim Gordon.
I am not sure how much of a fan I am of Alan Moore's 'stuff' comicbook-wise. He seems to favor a lot of sexual violence being perpetrated against people, especially women. In V for Vendetta, the heroine is stripped and tortured and abused in order to 'break' her so that she can take V's place in opposing whatever it was that V felt he was opposing. The original Silk Specter is violently assaulted (sliding into rape) by the Comedian in Watchmen before it's broken up by some fellow team members, yet she ends up having a sexual relationship with the man later on (as revealed by her daughter being his child). He has Mister Hyde violently rape the Invisible Man anally in League of Extraordinary Gentleman. I mean, he can tell some compelling stories, yet he seems to continually slide too far to extremes in the telling, taking the reader into dark places that do not necessarily have to be trod. That bring us to this story.
In this book/story, he has the Joker not only shoot Barbara Gordon so that she is paralyzed from the waist down, but he has the Joker violate her by disrobing and and implying that he also raped her (the novelized version of this comic makes it clear Joker rapes Barbara after paralyzing her). It is bad enough this level of violence was perpetrated upon Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), but then the author takes it further by taking her father and subjecting him to various degrading tortures and punishments (including stripping him of his clothing and parading him about in mocking, shaming fashion before a crowd of what would have been 'circus freaks') before showing him pictures of his daughter on various big screens - pictures of her naked and weak and helpless and violated. It's pretty horrific what the Joker does to this family. It is not entertaining; it is disturbing, as the Joker is trying to "prove" his theory that all it takes is 'one bad day' for a 'normal, sane' person to become the Joker.
Of course, Commissioner Gordon does not break under the Joker's abuses and mistreatment; he seems to come out of it stronger than ever (of course, that is after Batman rescues him). I suppose this shows the 'excellence' of the writing in that I was not sure how Gordon would react or respond by the end of the story - the story had a flair to it that implied it was a 'one-shot' and not going to be a part of the established 'Bat-canon' while reading it (but, obviously, it became a part of the 'official canon' as Barbara was wheel-chair bound and became the Oracle after this tragedy). I thought he might be broken by the story's end; I thought he might kill the Joker at the end because of what the Joker did to Barbara. Instead, Gordon does not seem to truly suffer any "long-term" or "short-term" ill effects from what happened to him. Instead, he bellows after Batman that Batman needed to bring the Joker in 'the right way' to prove that they were not like him, that the Joker's theory was false. However, as a father, he barely shows any concern over what happened to his daughter. The only thing he says to Batman was that the Joker showed him pictures of her, naked, and that is it, after Batman frees him. Gordon never asks Batman if Barbara is still alive; he never asks where she is located, if she is safe. He never asks how badly she was injured. He never expresses any concern over or for his daughter, after having been subjected to numerous pictures of her lying on the floor, nude, injured, possibly bleeding to death. Nothing! Really? Really?!? Who knows why the author committed such a blunder, but it was horribly out of character for Gordon not to show any concern for Barbara. Also, Batman's not letting Jim Gordon know Barbara was still alive seemed odd to me, as well.
Actually, Batman's whole attitude in this comic/story seemed odd to me. You have the beginning, where he goes to Arkham and tries to come to some kind of understanding with the Joker, only to discover that the Joker has, again, escaped somehow from Arkham. He barely shows much concern for Barbara, and he barely shows much concern for Gordon. I felt like he spent too much time trying to come to an understanding or something with the Joker, and this attempt at some kind of 'peace' or 'understanding' between the two of them was really out of character for him. Granted, it is portrayed as his not wanting to die and not wanting to kill the Joker or be killed by the Joker, but he still has a bizarre obsession in this story. It was 'interesting' that the Joker did 'nail it on the head' about Batman, though - he recognized that the Batman had to himself have had 'one really bad day' for him to run around in a costume and fighting crime.
I think the 'weirdest' part of the story was how the Joker was given a 'tragic backstory' to describe how and why he became the Joker (losing his wife and unborn child to an accidental death followed by his leaping into the vat of chemicals to escape the Batman while already in a mentally unbalanced state over recently learning of the death of his wife and child), followed by how brutally he assaulted both Barbara and Jim Gordon. I 'almost felt bad' for the Joker after reading the novelization (up until he raped Barbara after shooting her and paralyzing her), but, now, having read this, I really despise this character and strongly wish DC would do away with him. Permanently and for good.
In regard to the 'mechanics' of the story and the artwork, I thought most of it was pretty superb. Well, some of it, anyway. I liked how you might have a picture at the bottom of one page and then a 'similar' picture at the top of the next page (like when the Joker was standing over a pool of water and you could see his reflection in it followed by his pre-Joker self standing over a pool of water, too, and you could see his reflection it. Another shot was of pre-Joker, sitting with his hands crossed in front of his face as he was hunched over at a table in a bar, then the next picture is of Gordon, with his hands crossed in front of his face, leaning forward while sitting in the front seat of a carnival ride at an abandoned amusement park. There was the clownish grimace of the seller's face followed by the face of a joker on a playing card). I thought the juxtapositions throughout the story were, for the most part, well-done and added to the story. And, to be honest, I did not realize that until I almost finished, which made me go back and thumb through it again to see what other juxtapositions there were scattered throughout.
I also liked Bolland's colorings during the 'backstory' for the Joker. I liked how he colored each panel with essentially the same color, and if any other color was used, it was to highlight something specific in the scene. It was a cool effect. Overall, I also liked Bolland's coloring more than I liked Higgins' coloring choices. I felt like Higgins was a bit too garish for me, and some of his uses of color "interfered" with whatever the story was trying to say (or show) in some panels. I liked how Bolland 'cleaned it up' a bit and made it 'neater' and easier to see/interpret.
I would say it is more of a "Joker" story than it is a Batman story. I would not have had any issues if the Joker had been killed at the end (preferably by a police officer as he resisted arrest as opposed to Batman). I can see why some people think the Batman killed the Joker (because of how it appears Batman is staring intently at his hand for a couple of panels, thereby implying maybe he is holding the Joker's needle and then stabs the Joker with it during their melee); I would say it is more likely the Batman 'would have killed' the Joker using the Joker's needle as opposed to breaking the Joker's neck. The Joker does appear to become 'rigid' like his victims do when poisoned by the Joker, so that would seem more likely to me. Myself, I took the ending to be the two of them laughing over a 'stupid joke' before the Joker is hauled back to Arkham Asylum.
Actually, I thought the joke was pretty hilarious and have shared it with some friends and co-workers, who found it equally funny.
On a side note, the novelization of this story does take what happened to Barbara (being stripped naked and then raped, all while pictures were being taken) quite a bit 'further' in that it is 'updated' in what happens to her. Her being undressed and then raped is videotaped and broadcast 'live' over television channels AND the early version of the Internet. So, her victimization is dramatically increased as a result. One thing I did like that the novel did that this story did not was that it showed Barbara recreating herself and refusing to let what happened to her define her (as horrific as it was - being paralyzed due to a gunshot wound followed by being violated on many levels when she was weak, helpless, and unable to fight back to defend herself). She uses what happened to lay the foundation for her to become Oracle and still be instrumental in helping Batman fight crime.
I think that is one thing that really bothers me - that Barbara Gordon was nothing more than a 'prop' for the story and then 'discarded' shortly thereafter. Batman is shown as becoming even more 'furious' when he learns the Joker took pictures of her in her helpless state, but nothing is ever said about her or her condition ever again. Jim really should have asked Batman about his daughter - whether or not she was still even alive?, was she okay?, was she going to live?, what were the extent of her injuries?, is she safe? And Batman? He never once thinks to give Jim Gordon any hope about Barbara's condition after rescuing him?!? As a father, I'd want to know the condition, the status, of my wounded (and, possibly, dying) child above all else. I do not think it was any kind of 'nobility' on Jim's part (unless he had already assumed Barbara was dead; yet, the author never has Gordon ever considering her to having died as the result of her wounds); I think it was more that the author never thought about it, about how a father and a parent would react (or respond) to discovering his or her child had been potentially injured and might be dead.
I am not sure how glad I am that I (finally) read this story. It left a foul taste in my mouth, in some respects (well, mostly how Barbara and Jim Gordon were violated and abused), by the time I finished it. I did not really care for how Batman or Jim Gordon were portrayed in the story; neither was I thrilled at how Barbara was portrayed (and used as a prop) in the story. It does have some amazing artwork in it, but the vileness of some of the subject matter really took away from enjoyment I might have derived from the story. It was 'interesting' that both Batman and Joker were somewhat portrayed as being two sides of the same coin, but I would still disagree with this assessment because there is something seriously wrong with the Joker that puts him on a completely different plane of existence than Batman, Commissioner Gordon, or any other character in comics. As much as I would have liked to have given it four stars, I think it is lucky to be getting three stars and not two after having finished it and pondered it a while. I suppose the strength of the response to it could be said to say 'how good it truly is' but that is still not going to change my opinion of it. Fortunately, it was a fast read for me and it took me less time to read it than it has for me to ponder it and type up this review.
November 30, 2025
Surprisingly good for a joker comic, I liked the characterization of pretty much all the characters in this... even the joker was more bearable than usual. The story is short but it doesn't feel rushed, it conveys everything it wanted to.
Overall a fun, short read.
Overall a fun, short read.
December 22, 2025
Easily one of the best Batman books I’ve ever read. It’s a great Joker origin story, and it tells it in a cool way. Fun.
December 29, 2025
This is my first time reading an “absolute” edition and it did not disappointment. I really enjoyed reading both the new and original artwork. Beautiful book and great joker tale.
November 11, 2025
7-7.5, think leaning 7
December 5, 2018
Batman: The Killing Joke is a one-shot graphic novel featuring the characters of Batman and the Joker written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. It is the origins of The Joker and is presented via flashbacks, while simultaneously depicting his attempt to drive Jim Gordon insane and Batman's desperate attempt to stop him.
Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke collects the one-time graphic novel with Bolland's re-imagined colors and the original edition's colors, a story from Batman: Black and White #41, Countdown #31, Who's Who in the DC Universe #13, and artwork from Bolland's long career, including never-before-published artwork.
The man who will become the Joker is an unnamed engineer who quits his job at a chemical company to become a stand-up comedian, only to fail miserably. Desperate to support his pregnant wife, he agrees to guide two criminals through the chemical plant where he previously worked so that they can rob the playing card company next to it. During the planning, the police inform him that his wife has died in a household accident. Grief-stricken, the engineer tries to withdraw from the plan, but the criminals strong-arm him into keeping his commitment to them.
At the plant, the criminals make him don a special mask to become the infamous Red Hood. Once inside, they encounter security personnel, a shootout ensues, and the two criminals are killed. However, the engineer is confronted by Batman and jumps into the chemical plant’s waste pound lock to escape him. The unnamed engineer managed to escape, but the chemicals have permanently bleached his skin chalk-white, stained his lips ruby-red and dyed his hair bright green. The engineer's disfigurement, compounded with the loss of his family, drives him completely insane and marks the birth of the Joker.
Meanwhile, in the present, Batman goes to Arkham Asylum to talk with the Joker about ending their years-long feud, only to realize that the Joker has escaped and put a decoy in his place. Soon after, the Joker shoots Barbara Gordon in the stomach, paralyzing her, and kidnaps her father, Commissioner James Gordon. The Joker imprisons Gordon in a run-down amusement park. His henchmen then beat Gordon and cage him in the park's freak show. The Joker chains Gordon to one of the park's rides and forces him to view giant photos of Barbara, lying down naked, bloodied, and in pain.
Batman's attempts to locate Commissioner Gordon are unsuccessful until the Joker sends him an "invitation" that leads him to the amusement park. Batman arrives to save Gordon, and the Joker retreats into the fun-house. Though traumatized by the ordeal, Gordon retains his sanity and moral code, and he insists that Batman capture the Joker.
Alan Moore wrote the one-shot graphic novel and for the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative, albeit a tad dated. Some issues were better than others, but overall it was somewhat well planned and written. It is an interesting premise, the story shows how the Joker and Batman came to terms with their respective life-altering tragedies, which both eventually lead to their present lives and confrontation. In essence, both Batman and the Joker are creations of a random and tragic 'one bad day'. Batman spends his life forging meaning from the random tragedy, whereas the Joker reflects the absurdity of life, and all its random injustice.
Brian Bolland penciled the entire trade paperback and because he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, I enjoyed his penciling style. It depicts the insanity of the Joker rather well.
All in all, Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke is a rather well written and constructed one-shot graphic novel that explores the duality between Batman and his nemesis – the Joker.
Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke collects the one-time graphic novel with Bolland's re-imagined colors and the original edition's colors, a story from Batman: Black and White #41, Countdown #31, Who's Who in the DC Universe #13, and artwork from Bolland's long career, including never-before-published artwork.
The man who will become the Joker is an unnamed engineer who quits his job at a chemical company to become a stand-up comedian, only to fail miserably. Desperate to support his pregnant wife, he agrees to guide two criminals through the chemical plant where he previously worked so that they can rob the playing card company next to it. During the planning, the police inform him that his wife has died in a household accident. Grief-stricken, the engineer tries to withdraw from the plan, but the criminals strong-arm him into keeping his commitment to them.
At the plant, the criminals make him don a special mask to become the infamous Red Hood. Once inside, they encounter security personnel, a shootout ensues, and the two criminals are killed. However, the engineer is confronted by Batman and jumps into the chemical plant’s waste pound lock to escape him. The unnamed engineer managed to escape, but the chemicals have permanently bleached his skin chalk-white, stained his lips ruby-red and dyed his hair bright green. The engineer's disfigurement, compounded with the loss of his family, drives him completely insane and marks the birth of the Joker.
Meanwhile, in the present, Batman goes to Arkham Asylum to talk with the Joker about ending their years-long feud, only to realize that the Joker has escaped and put a decoy in his place. Soon after, the Joker shoots Barbara Gordon in the stomach, paralyzing her, and kidnaps her father, Commissioner James Gordon. The Joker imprisons Gordon in a run-down amusement park. His henchmen then beat Gordon and cage him in the park's freak show. The Joker chains Gordon to one of the park's rides and forces him to view giant photos of Barbara, lying down naked, bloodied, and in pain.
Batman's attempts to locate Commissioner Gordon are unsuccessful until the Joker sends him an "invitation" that leads him to the amusement park. Batman arrives to save Gordon, and the Joker retreats into the fun-house. Though traumatized by the ordeal, Gordon retains his sanity and moral code, and he insists that Batman capture the Joker.
Alan Moore wrote the one-shot graphic novel and for the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative, albeit a tad dated. Some issues were better than others, but overall it was somewhat well planned and written. It is an interesting premise, the story shows how the Joker and Batman came to terms with their respective life-altering tragedies, which both eventually lead to their present lives and confrontation. In essence, both Batman and the Joker are creations of a random and tragic 'one bad day'. Batman spends his life forging meaning from the random tragedy, whereas the Joker reflects the absurdity of life, and all its random injustice.
Brian Bolland penciled the entire trade paperback and because he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, I enjoyed his penciling style. It depicts the insanity of the Joker rather well.
All in all, Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke is a rather well written and constructed one-shot graphic novel that explores the duality between Batman and his nemesis – the Joker.
April 30, 2020
The Killing Joke is one of my absolute favorite works of sequential art.
I won’t go into specific plot details, as this is one of the best-known and most analysed comic book stories, but rather my impressions from it.
The “lightning-in-a-bottle” combination of Alan Moore’s writing and Brian Bolland’s artwork creates a masterpiece, utilizing two of the best-known mainstream comic book characters to tell what is very much *not* a “superhero story”. The contrast between a highly emotional, chaotic and energetic plot and a subdued, detailed, even mature, art style provides this work with a prestige look and feel, creating a true *graphic novel*.
Also, from an in-universe presentation, the Batman presented here is at his *peak* and most iconic presentation (to differentiate from other classic Batman stories like Dark Knight Returns or Year One, which show him at his beginning or twilight…)
This story has garnered more than a bit of criticism, due to its handling of Barbara Gordon. My opinion is that this specifically highlights the dramatic impact of the story, and that it serves a purpose both on a metatextual level (exploring the “damsel in distress” trope) as well as an in-universe level (there is quite a focus on Barbara’s character in the aftermath of The Joker’s brutal attack – not long but quite effective, considering that the entire story is not long).
Admittedly, even Alan Moore has quite a lot of criticism on his own story, but reading those words of criticism brings me to two conclusions-
1. For the work itself, Mr. Moore is flat out wrong – I find it hard to see how the man who wrote all three works of art would say that “... Watchmen was something to do with power, V for Vendetta was about fascism and anarchy, The Killing Joke was just about Batman and the Joker – and Batman and the Joker are not really symbols of anything that are real, in the real world...”. TKJ’s core ideas on sanity and insanity, order and chaos, and what makes a man move between the two, are that much more personal and relate to the human condition, than Moore’s V for Vendetta or From Hell, which concerns society at large and Watchmen, which specifically concerns comic book tropes.
2. The source of Mr. Moore’s negativity perhaps originates more from his soured relationship with DC Comics (and his resulting reluctance to “plug” their best-known icons) rather than the actual work itself – which is quite sad, but from Moore’s POV, understandable.
Moore’s criticism of his own work makes me appreciate it even more, as a work of art that has exceeded its creator’s intent, has subsequently shown itself to withstand such scrutiny and “earn” its acclaim.
Regarding the color work, I think that on some level, the various versions each highlight a side of this deceptively-simple story. John Higgins’ original color palette highlights The Joker’s (and effectively, the story’s) “deranged” vibe, while Bolland’s own “muted” palette shows that darker, mature, grounded side. And both versions work beautifully – whether it’s the original softcover one-shot, the Deluxe hardcover with new coloring, the Noir version with *no color* and of course the Absolute Edition, all these versions, taken separately and side-by-side highlight the depth of the story and how multi layered it really is.
The fact that such a short work (covering the equivalent of 2-3 standard monthly comic book issues) would elicit such strong impressions and responses (both positive and negative) , include such an iconic depiction of the main characters (both Batman and The Joker) and a moment in time that would be retroactively inserted into the main comics continuity and affect much of the work that came afterwards (both in-universe and on a meta level), is a testament to its strengths.
For me, this work is nothing short of perfect.
Get it. In any edition.
I won’t go into specific plot details, as this is one of the best-known and most analysed comic book stories, but rather my impressions from it.
The “lightning-in-a-bottle” combination of Alan Moore’s writing and Brian Bolland’s artwork creates a masterpiece, utilizing two of the best-known mainstream comic book characters to tell what is very much *not* a “superhero story”. The contrast between a highly emotional, chaotic and energetic plot and a subdued, detailed, even mature, art style provides this work with a prestige look and feel, creating a true *graphic novel*.
Also, from an in-universe presentation, the Batman presented here is at his *peak* and most iconic presentation (to differentiate from other classic Batman stories like Dark Knight Returns or Year One, which show him at his beginning or twilight…)
This story has garnered more than a bit of criticism, due to its handling of Barbara Gordon. My opinion is that this specifically highlights the dramatic impact of the story, and that it serves a purpose both on a metatextual level (exploring the “damsel in distress” trope) as well as an in-universe level (there is quite a focus on Barbara’s character in the aftermath of The Joker’s brutal attack – not long but quite effective, considering that the entire story is not long).
Admittedly, even Alan Moore has quite a lot of criticism on his own story, but reading those words of criticism brings me to two conclusions-
1. For the work itself, Mr. Moore is flat out wrong – I find it hard to see how the man who wrote all three works of art would say that “... Watchmen was something to do with power, V for Vendetta was about fascism and anarchy, The Killing Joke was just about Batman and the Joker – and Batman and the Joker are not really symbols of anything that are real, in the real world...”. TKJ’s core ideas on sanity and insanity, order and chaos, and what makes a man move between the two, are that much more personal and relate to the human condition, than Moore’s V for Vendetta or From Hell, which concerns society at large and Watchmen, which specifically concerns comic book tropes.
2. The source of Mr. Moore’s negativity perhaps originates more from his soured relationship with DC Comics (and his resulting reluctance to “plug” their best-known icons) rather than the actual work itself – which is quite sad, but from Moore’s POV, understandable.
Moore’s criticism of his own work makes me appreciate it even more, as a work of art that has exceeded its creator’s intent, has subsequently shown itself to withstand such scrutiny and “earn” its acclaim.
Regarding the color work, I think that on some level, the various versions each highlight a side of this deceptively-simple story. John Higgins’ original color palette highlights The Joker’s (and effectively, the story’s) “deranged” vibe, while Bolland’s own “muted” palette shows that darker, mature, grounded side. And both versions work beautifully – whether it’s the original softcover one-shot, the Deluxe hardcover with new coloring, the Noir version with *no color* and of course the Absolute Edition, all these versions, taken separately and side-by-side highlight the depth of the story and how multi layered it really is.
The fact that such a short work (covering the equivalent of 2-3 standard monthly comic book issues) would elicit such strong impressions and responses (both positive and negative) , include such an iconic depiction of the main characters (both Batman and The Joker) and a moment in time that would be retroactively inserted into the main comics continuity and affect much of the work that came afterwards (both in-universe and on a meta level), is a testament to its strengths.
For me, this work is nothing short of perfect.
Get it. In any edition.
April 9, 2022
"All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. You had a bad day once. Am I right? I know I am. Why else would you dress up as a flying rat? You had a bad day and it drove you as crazy as everybody else. Only you won't admit it. You have to keep pretending that life makes sense, that there is some point to all this struggling. God, you make me want to puke!" - Joker
Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland tells one possible version of the story of how the Joker became the Joker while simultaneously telling how he paralysed Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon. A particularly effective motive rant from the Joker about how pointless the world is, an admission of Joker's inability to figure out why he is the way he is, and a legitimately funny joke.
Many critics consider the graphic novel the definitive Joker story and one of the best Batman stories ever published. The comic won the Eisner Award for "Best Graphic Album" in 1989 and appeared on The New York Times Best Seller List in May 2009. Elements of The Killing Joke have inspired or been incorporated into other aspects of Batman media. Moore stated that this was a major issue for him in why the comic is not a complete success in that while he strove to give Joker a motivation and origin with some amount of psychological consistency that fit with his general characterisation, he ultimately felt that it didn't resolve itself completely because both Batman and Joker were comic book characters whose larger than life gimmicks overshadowed any attempts at realism.
Four different pieces of art from this work have become iconic (for a great reason) for The Joker - #1. The cover image of The Joker is aiming a camera at the reader, #2. The shot of Joker behind the door Barbara opens just before he shoots her, #3. Batman and The Joker are laughing together in the rain (the middle panel), especially #4. The reveal of the Joker after coming out of the chemical bath, with the background filled with his laughter. Most artists consider themselves lucky if just one panel out of their entire body of work becomes fairly well-known, much less iconic - Brian Bolland got four in a single book. With that said, several of the Joker's expressions are deeply unsettling. Bolland's art seems to portray just how insane the character is, not just his smile but also his eyes. As he goads Commissioner Gordon during the torture sequence, the Joker's face will send shivers down your spine.
Bolland's artwork smartly gave us an ambiguous ending that's up for interpretation on purpose - since the story wasn't canon originally. Even if Moore didn't mean it to be that way, it doesn't matter. People observe and analyse things in different ways from hundreds of different perspectives, you can take what you want from it, and there's no end all be all answer to it.
Though the story is concise, it's a fascinating and disturbing tale about how one bad day can drive an ordinary man to madness, but we have the choice to stay sane when confronted with tragedy and suffering. Truly evil people are often convinced that everyone is as wrong as they are, and they'll go to extreme lengths to prove it. That doesn't make it accurate. Can you help the mentally ill by treating them? If you can't treat them and keep them alive knowing they will keep killing, can the hero be considered saner than the villain who realises the situation's absurdity?
Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland tells one possible version of the story of how the Joker became the Joker while simultaneously telling how he paralysed Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon. A particularly effective motive rant from the Joker about how pointless the world is, an admission of Joker's inability to figure out why he is the way he is, and a legitimately funny joke.
Many critics consider the graphic novel the definitive Joker story and one of the best Batman stories ever published. The comic won the Eisner Award for "Best Graphic Album" in 1989 and appeared on The New York Times Best Seller List in May 2009. Elements of The Killing Joke have inspired or been incorporated into other aspects of Batman media. Moore stated that this was a major issue for him in why the comic is not a complete success in that while he strove to give Joker a motivation and origin with some amount of psychological consistency that fit with his general characterisation, he ultimately felt that it didn't resolve itself completely because both Batman and Joker were comic book characters whose larger than life gimmicks overshadowed any attempts at realism.
Four different pieces of art from this work have become iconic (for a great reason) for The Joker - #1. The cover image of The Joker is aiming a camera at the reader, #2. The shot of Joker behind the door Barbara opens just before he shoots her, #3. Batman and The Joker are laughing together in the rain (the middle panel), especially #4. The reveal of the Joker after coming out of the chemical bath, with the background filled with his laughter. Most artists consider themselves lucky if just one panel out of their entire body of work becomes fairly well-known, much less iconic - Brian Bolland got four in a single book. With that said, several of the Joker's expressions are deeply unsettling. Bolland's art seems to portray just how insane the character is, not just his smile but also his eyes. As he goads Commissioner Gordon during the torture sequence, the Joker's face will send shivers down your spine.
Bolland's artwork smartly gave us an ambiguous ending that's up for interpretation on purpose - since the story wasn't canon originally. Even if Moore didn't mean it to be that way, it doesn't matter. People observe and analyse things in different ways from hundreds of different perspectives, you can take what you want from it, and there's no end all be all answer to it.
Though the story is concise, it's a fascinating and disturbing tale about how one bad day can drive an ordinary man to madness, but we have the choice to stay sane when confronted with tragedy and suffering. Truly evil people are often convinced that everyone is as wrong as they are, and they'll go to extreme lengths to prove it. That doesn't make it accurate. Can you help the mentally ill by treating them? If you can't treat them and keep them alive knowing they will keep killing, can the hero be considered saner than the villain who realises the situation's absurdity?
Read
July 21, 2023The pages colored by Brian Bolland were a little smudgy, but aside from that the quality was pretty good. I liked having the two versions (original by John Higgins and revised by Brian Bolland), along with the interviews, artwork, original script, and extra comic at the end.
Of course, this is a version for people that either liked The Killing Joke a lot, or respect its impact and legacy so much that they want the "complete version", and I had never read the story beforehand, so technically I took a risk, having a Deluxe version of something I don't even know if I like or not, but I must say. I enjoyed it way more than I expected!
It's only 46 pages long, but it's full of excellent art, storytelling, heartwrenching moments, and a message full of hope at the end: Some people are just too pure to become insane just for having a terrible day. I also liked the script (which takes most of the content in this edition), as it gives an exciting look at the ideas of Alan Moore. Discovering that his main inspirations were The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Eraserhead (two movies I like and respect) makes perfect sense, and there was some parallelism I didn't even notice until reading about them in the script, so it was worth experiencing the story essentially three times in a row.
So, even if you have never read The Killing Joke, this is a must-buy if you like Alan Moore or want to know everything about one of the most iconic stories of Batman... Although this is more of a Joker story, to be honest.
Of course, this is a version for people that either liked The Killing Joke a lot, or respect its impact and legacy so much that they want the "complete version", and I had never read the story beforehand, so technically I took a risk, having a Deluxe version of something I don't even know if I like or not, but I must say. I enjoyed it way more than I expected!
It's only 46 pages long, but it's full of excellent art, storytelling, heartwrenching moments, and a message full of hope at the end: Some people are just too pure to become insane just for having a terrible day. I also liked the script (which takes most of the content in this edition), as it gives an exciting look at the ideas of Alan Moore. Discovering that his main inspirations were The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Eraserhead (two movies I like and respect) makes perfect sense, and there was some parallelism I didn't even notice until reading about them in the script, so it was worth experiencing the story essentially three times in a row.
So, even if you have never read The Killing Joke, this is a must-buy if you like Alan Moore or want to know everything about one of the most iconic stories of Batman... Although this is more of a Joker story, to be honest.
June 17, 2020
This, for me, is the ultimate Batman Story.
It is gritty, evil and twisted.
The original book was released in 1988 and I am a proud owner of a copy of the first print graded at a perfect 9.8. So, I am even more happy about the fact that this absolute edition contains the story TWICE. Once in the modern re-colored version and one more time in the original colours printed on a paper similar to the original edition.
The Killing Joke is a masterpiece that falls right into my favourite period of comic books: the late 80s. Naturally so, it is part of my holy trinity of Batman books: The Dark knight Returns, Year One and Killing Joke.
As far as absolutes go, this is definitely a very VERY short read. However, the current price for it is less than 50€ which is a steal.
It is gritty, evil and twisted.
The original book was released in 1988 and I am a proud owner of a copy of the first print graded at a perfect 9.8. So, I am even more happy about the fact that this absolute edition contains the story TWICE. Once in the modern re-colored version and one more time in the original colours printed on a paper similar to the original edition.
The Killing Joke is a masterpiece that falls right into my favourite period of comic books: the late 80s. Naturally so, it is part of my holy trinity of Batman books: The Dark knight Returns, Year One and Killing Joke.
As far as absolutes go, this is definitely a very VERY short read. However, the current price for it is less than 50€ which is a steal.
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