The Killing Joke (2)

     I thought this comic book was both amazing and rather dark. Yes this story has questionable moments, but it primarily focuses on psychology and human mind. I’m not saying what happened to barbara was ok. Both Jim and Barbara were just elements to understand the big picture. It shows how one bad day could affect one's state of mind.  

 When reading this comic book I made numerous connections. Even though this story focuses on the Joker’s origin story, we can see similarities between him and Batman. At the ending joke we have the sense of an “ending.” Although we don't know what happens, it ends the way it was started. Darkness and most likely tragedy. I feel like this is deliberate because it snaps the two perspectives together. When thinking about the message in this story, anyone could find this relatable. Everyone has had a traumatic experience or some event in their life. I feel like this shows how people deal with that differently. In the story, the Joker was clearly that red crustacean. After his wife and child die, he accepts the job. This is when he became the joker, even before he puts the hood on. On the other hand, Batman made the decision to protect Gotham after his parents were murdered. Everyone deals with their issues in a different way. At the end of the day everyone goes through some event and has to make a decision. One thing that stood out was the use of red. It was used when Barbra was shot, Gordon on the ghost train, Joker represented as the red crustacean/red hood, and Batman fighting Joker at the end. I feel like it represented painful events that would or already changed them.  

    If I could adapt this story in another medium, I would choose a movie. I feel like you can only do so much with animation. With a live action movie there’s more emotion and it makes it relatable, since it's a more realistic format. The first thing I would change would be Barbara getting shot. Since that's a serious topic, the clothes stay on. The videos in the ghost train would be her answering the door and getting shot. Also her crying and screaming on the floor, then the Joker laughs and walks away. I feel like this story really changed Barbara’s future in today’s comics. In newer comics she's the leader of the birds or prey, the oracle, and etc. She’s definitely a fan favorite because she doesn’t let her disability stop her. She’s an icon and proves that anyone could be a hero. 

    This is very different from your typical superhero story. Most superhero comic books are simplistic. This comic book, The Killing Joke, really pushes the boundaries. It's very dark, but it's executed in a very sophisticated manner. The story, artstyle, color usage, and everything is perfect. Since this comic was written in 1988, I feel like this was ahead of its time. Most superhero comics back then were like a game of cat and mouse between hero and villain. This surpasses that. 

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