| In Association With... |  |
|
|
|
Batman: The Killing Joke | 
 enlarge | Authors: Alan Moore, Brian Bolland
Publisher: DC Comics
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
Buy New: $9.53
You Save: $8.46 (47%)
New (34) from $9.53
Avg. Customer Rating:  156 reviews
Sales Rank: 85
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Deluxe
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 64
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 11 x 7.2 x 0.6
ISBN: 1401216676
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.5973
EAN: 9781401216672
ASIN: 1401216676
Publication Date: March 19, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New! Save 30 - 50% off of retail prices on our wide selection of comic book graphic novels, manga and anime, role playing games, DVDS, Osprey military history books, and more!
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
The Killing Joke, one of my favorite Batman stories ever, stirred a bit of controversy because the story involves the Joker brutally, pointlessly shooting Commissioner Gordon's daughter in the spine. This is a no-holds-barred take on a truly insane criminal mind, masterfully written by British comics writer Alan Moore. The art by Brian Bolland is so appealing that his depiction of the Joker became a standard and was imitated by many artists to follow.
Product Description
The Killing Joke, one of my favorite Batman stories ever, stirred a bit of controversy because the story involves the Joker brutally, pointlessly shooting Commissioner Gordon's daughter in the spine. This is a no-holds-barred take on a truly insane criminal mind, masterfully written by British comics writer Alan Moore. The art by Brian Bolland is so appealing that his depiction of the Joker became a standard and was imitated by many artists to follow.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 151 more reviews...
 An amazing Graphic Novel! August 20, 2008
Now that everyone has seen the Dark Knight, Twice. For those interested in comics I would recommend checking the graphic novel out. It is a look inside the mind of the joker. Crazy, demented and twisted mind. This is not a comic for kids. It is more adult oriented and shows how a real joker would react in a world like Gotham. It is a good launching pad for understanding or at least getting an idea for what Heath Ledger portrayed in his performance in The Dark Knight. All in all if you're a huge comic fan you probably already have this, if you're just getting into or want something related to a comic movie this is a good start.
Brief, brutal and brilliant August 19, 2008
In this short reworking of the Batman-Joker story, Alan Moore applies his trademark twisted perspective to reimage the conflict between the Joker and Batman. The Joker has escaped from the mental institution and Batman is not only interested in putting back behind bars, but in piercing the mystery of their ages old conflict. Why do they hate each other? Are they destined to kill each other? Is there a way out? Moore spins a brutal and action-packed tale that gathers in many threads of the Batman myth. But beneath the gunplay and against-the-moon brooding is a psychological drama. The Joker's own back story is provided. His criminal mind is obsessed with explaining his own "insanity" and comes surprisingly close to guessing that Batman is driven by a fairly similar story. How the characters resolve this issue id the real point of the story
Too short, but great reading and brilliant storytelling.
 A New Joker August 18, 2008
I have had a lot of my friends tell me about this book, especially what with the Dark Knight recently being the talk amongst us and I sought the book out hearing about how twisted and insane the Joker was in it. I had no idea just how twisted Joker was in the book. But first, I want to talk about how gorgeous the art is. This is some of the best artwork I've seen in a graphic novel from it's time and it truly captured the horror of Joker. That being said, this book made the Joker one scary villian. It made me appreciate Joker more just because of the flashbacks that showed how he became who he is but it also made me fear the Joker more because his "joke" in this goes far beyond anything I could have imagined Joker doing. I'm extremely happy I got this book because after I finished it, I went back to read it again. I really enjoyed reading the opening statement and the afterword because I don't normally get to hear what the artist and writer's think about their work. But this seriously is one of the best Joker stories ever written and the artwork is horrifying yet beautiful.
Dissects, Examines, and Redefines the Batman/Joker Dynamic August 17, 2008
I consider myself fairly well-versed in comics, but I've generally steered clear of super-hero comics. Batman and the X-Men are pretty much the only ones I've touched, but even with those, I haven't really had the urge to delve deeper into their stories. I've, of course, read the obligatory Year One as well as a few side stories here and there, but--like many other people, so excuse me if this sounds band-wagony--I was inspired to pick up some more Batman books after seeing and loving The Dark Knight. This graphic novel by the critically acclaimed Alan Moore was first on my list. And, in my opinion, it's better than "Year One."
There is no denying that this book was written by a master. There are so many moments that either gave me chills or, as a writer, made me burn with envy. From the Joker's origin flashbacks, to the repetition of the "speech" Batman gives to the "Joker" when he first arrives at Arkham, to the subtle line of dialogue that throws the accountability of said Joker origin into question, Alan Moore has written a perfect Batman/Joker story that dissected, examined, and ultimately redefined the way the characters interact and the way the reader experiences them. It's short, it's horrifying, it's smart as a whip, and it's a cracking good read.
Brian Bolland's realistic art is wonderful--and at times really, really creepy. We're treated to insight from Bolland, as well as a reprint of a short Batman story titled "An Innocent Man" (written and illustrated by Bolland) that really ends this collection with a bang. The overall package is a handsome, over-sized hardcover book. My only complaint is that it's too big to fit in the shelf next to my other Batman trade paperbacks, but the size and quality of the art is well worth it!
9/10
Good, But Not the Best August 17, 2008
I bought this book on the recommendation of many fans and since it has the reputation of being one of the best Joker stories in comics. Overall, the story delivers. What you get in this book is a Joker origin story and insight into why the Joker does what he does. His primary motive is to prove just one point, all it takes is just one bad day to drive a man over the edge. He doesn't commit crimes because he thinks they're funny. It's the traumatic experience in his past that has desensitized him to the harm that his violence does. Joker may even have a sort of death wish.
Now for the things that keep this from being a 5 star book. First of all, it is very short. Basically it is just one double-sized comic. That's it, so you'll finish reading this in about 30 minutes. The other thing is that some of the artwork is a bit dated, in particular the way Barbara Gordon is drawn. She is wearing glasses with lenses about the size of coffee cup saucers and appears to be stuck in a time warp that leads back to the 80's. Of course this can't be helped since this was when the story was drawn, but it is a bit distracting when you are compelled to do a fashion check in the middle of a story of this nature.
Overall, I recommend this book for Batman and Joker fans. You won't be disappointed. However, if you haven't read any Batman graphic novels recently, perhaps there are some other books you could start with first such as "Batman: Year One" or "The Long Halloween".
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
