Batman: The Killing Joke: A Remarkable Comic Book

A remarkable comic book Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moor displayed the battle between humanity and the insanity caused by total devastation. Unlike in other Batman novels, The Killing Joke gave the Joker a heart of a real person and projected him as a victim. The author has successfully used graphics to show facial expressions and the body language of the characters. By projecting a wide range of emotions on the Joker’s face, the author leads the character from desperation to heartbreak, to total insanity. While the main character was an ordinary human, his body language expressed a lack of confidence, insecurity, and awkwardness. When the man turned into Joker, his body language remained awkward, but it also gained dominance and looseness. These tools contributed to creating an excellent image of the famous.

By using emotional language, the author keeps the hope through the narrative that there will be a happy ending to the story. One of the narrative’s central ideas is expressed in a famous quote by the Joker: “all it takes is just one bad day” (Moore & Bolland, 2008.) In one day, the loss of the family and health turned the character insane, laying the foundation for an ultimate villain. From this point, he strives to provide the same “one bad day” experience to others. The reader might assume that one good day will redeem the devastation of the character. Later, the author lets the audience witness the glimpse of sanity in the Joker, as he seems to consider accepting help. The concluding monologue that ended with the phrases “…I could rehabilitate you… We don’t have to kill each other”, becomes the very “killing joke” that gives the Joker and the Batman a good long laugh (Moore & Bolland, 2008.) Therefore, there is no happy ending–the fight for the Joker’s happiness and human essence was lost.

Reference

Moore, A., & Bolland, B. (2008). Batman: The Killing Joke. DC Comics.