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Batman: The Killing Joke (The Deluxe Edition) by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland
01/05/2008 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Titan/DC Comics. 64 page hardback graphic novel. Price: £11.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-84576-772-3. Buy Batman: The Killing Joke in the USA - or Buy Batman: The Killing Joke in the UK  check out website: www.titanbooks.comand www.dccomics.com
If you're into reading comics, especially the super-hero variety, then you either own or know of the Batman story 'The Killing Joke'. After all, it's the one that permanently maims Barbara Gordon, stopping her being Batgirl and ultimately turning her into Oracle, although I'm sure writer Alan Moore never actually anticipated that. His overall objective was to show how much alike Batman was compared to his arch-nemesis the Joker was. After all, both had been struck by a major change in their lives. For the Batman, it was seeing his parents needlessly gunned down in an apparent mugging. For the Joker, as this origin shows, it was less the death of his wife and more with being saturated in chemicals that changed his skin's colour to a white palor and green hair after his first encounter with Batman. As someone whose name escapes me once remarked, heroes often make their own villains. Whereas the Batman seeks to put criminals away, the Joker wants in on the cosmic joke to the point of getting everyone in on his madness.
It's hard to believe that this particular story is twenty years old and yet re-reading it now shows that it is still effective. In its purest form, there are no trappings here to associate the story with any age so the emphasis is purely story. The Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum, acquires a fairground, shoots Barbara Gordon, kidnaps and humiliates her father, Commissioner Gordon, and all to bring the Batman to his door. Sheer madness but who said the Joker was sane?
This is Alan Moore's writing at the top of his form with Brian Bolland's art nicely complementing it. Bolland's notes at the end of the book explain that Moore did the story for him rather than come up with the collaboration. It also brought to an end his comicbook illustrating. He explains that after working with Alan Moore, anyone else would be second best. Personally, I would have been looking out for anyone else who could be brought up to the same level of story-telling skill but each to our own.
I should now point out that this is not a copy of the original release. Brian Bolland was never that happy with John Higgins' original colouring of this tale and was given the opportunity to do it himself. With the original artwork scattered to those who bought it, this was accomplished with computer scans and digitised colouring, at the same time removing much of the commercial tone aka zip-a-tone for a different clarity. The early computer colouring techniques software were vastly cruder to what is available on the market today. Bolland's palate is more towards a sepia tone, especially in the flashbacks. He also says he's added background detail to give something extra for the more eagle-eyed fans to look for.
At the back of the book there's a six page story written and illustrated by Brian Bolland which I can't remember in the original release, together with some layouts and sketches.
With all this different catering, there has to be something here for everyone, even if you own the original. The book is also in an affordable range within everyone's budget. I suspect this book will go into multiple reprints so be sure to own a first edition.
GF Willmetts
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