Graphic Novel Review - BATMAN NOIR: THE KILLING JOKE

BATMAN NOIR: THE KILLING JOKE by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland (DC Comics, August 2016) Hardcover, 112 pages. ISBN #140126364X / 9781401263645  Literary Awards: Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album, Best Single Issue or Sory, Best Artist or Penciller, Best Colorist. Also nominated for Special Award for Excellence in Presentation 1989, Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Graphic Album, Best Writer, Best Artist 1989  

Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . . .

Alan Moore takes on some of DC's most classic characters, offering his unforgettable version of the disturbing relationship between the Dark Knight and his greatest foe, the Joker. In this groundbreaking work, Moore creates a twisted tale of insanity and human perseverance. Looking to prove that any man can be pushed past his breaking point to madness, the Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. Refusing to give up, Gordon struggles to maintain his sanity with the help of Batman in a desperate effort to best the madman.

This new edition presents the exquisite artwork of Brian Bolland in black and white for the first time. Collects BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE #1 and a story from BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE.  

My Five-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . . 

     I’ve read this classic Batman/Joker story many times before and picked up on something different each time, but this black & white hardcover with over-sized pages really came across as fresh to me. While there are many Batman stories I could recommend as “the best”, THE KILLING JOKE may be the best Joker story, and a noble attempt by Moore to establish an origin that portrays him as a somewhat sympathetic character. 

   While famous for the Joker’s brutal assault on Barbara Gordon that led to her becoming the wheelchair-confined Oracle in Batman continuity, and an incredibly cruel and barbaric effort to drive Commissioner Jim Gordon insane (it failed) there is much more to this story. In interviews, Alan Moore stated how he was trying to show how similar Batman and The Joker were to each other. They just reacted to tragedy differently, and went down very different paths as a result. One embarked on a career that searched for meaning to that key moment (parents gunned down) while pursing justice. The other went on a chaotic path, driven insane by career mishaps and the loss of his family. 

        Batman confides: “I don’t know him, Alfred. All these years and I don’t know who he is any more than he knows who I am. . . . How can two people hate so much without knowing each other?”

     The Joker’s outlook: “I”ve demonstrated there’s no difference between me and everyone else!  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.”    

     This black & white edition really showcases the brilliant use of shading and shadows by artist Brian Bolland. Plus, the art provides many genius transitional moments that stand as testimony to the collaborative effort between writer and illustrator. 

   The page where Joker breaks into the Gordon apartment ends with Barbara asking “why are you doing this?” The Joker replies “to prove a point” and then raises his glass as he says “Here’s to crime.” Turn to the next page and the first panel is a flashback scene pre-Joker where the failed stand-up comic is in a bar talking to two persuasive gangsters as he raises his beer glass and says “Y’see, I have to prove myself. As a husband, and as a father.”

     Further into that flashback scene, policemen come into the bar to inform Joker (actual name never revealed) that his family has died in a tragic accident as he sinks into remorse, cradling his arms about his head - - a key moment that led to his further breakdown. Turn to the next page, and in the present Jim Gordon is trying to remain sane while Joker’s minions torment him, cradling his head in the same fashion.

   There’s another scene where in the present Joker’s image is reflected in a puddle of rain. Cut to the next page, and it’s a flashback scene as pre-Joker’s image is reflected in a puddle just before the chemical plant accident that altered his appearance.

   The rest of BATMAN:NOIR is an exhibition of Bolland’s skills, with a two-page Joker origin re-cap (by Mark Waid) and “An Innocent Guy” a short story written and drawn by Bolland, followed by an extensive cover gallery of Batman art.