Cover to Batman: The Killing Joke. Art by Brian Bolland.

Batman: The Killing Joke is a one-shot superhero comic book written by Alan Moore and drawn by Brian Bolland, published by DC Comics in 1988. Download high resolution version (400x613, 54 KB)Batman: The Killing Joke (1988). ... Download high resolution version (400x613, 54 KB)Batman: The Killing Joke (1988). ... Brian Bolland is an artist, most famous for his highly detailed comics artistry and covers. ... In the comic industry, a one-shot is a piece that is created as a pilot comic or stand-alone story. ... A superhero is a fictional character who is noted for feats of courage and nobility and who usually has a colorful name and costume and abilities beyond those of normal human beings. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Alan Moore Alan Moore (born November 18, 1953, in Northampton, England) is a British writer best known for his work in comics. ... Brian Bolland is an artist, most famous for his highly detailed comics artistry and covers. ... The current DC Comics logo, adopted in May 2005. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

It concerns a largely psychological battle between Batman and his longtime foe The Joker, who intends to drive James Gordon, the Police Commissioner of Gotham City, insane, in order to prove that the most upstanding citizen is capable of going mad. Along the way, the Joker has flashbacks to his early life, gradually explaining his origin as a failed stand-up comedian who lost his pregnant wife to a household accident and was grotesquely disfigured on the same day, driving him insane. Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul and logos = word) is the study of behaviour, mind and thought. ... The comic book character Batman (originally referred to as The Batman, and occasionally as The Bat-Man), is a fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... The Joker is a DC Comics supervillain, widely considered to be Batmans archenemy. ... James Gordon is a supporting character in the Batman comic books published by DC Comics. ... Gotham City is a fictional city appearing in DC Comics, and is best known as the home of Batman. ... Insanity (sometimes, madness) is a semi-permanent severe disorder of the mind, typically as a result of mental illness. ... As in film, a flashback in literature is a technique which takes the narrative back in time from the point the story has reached, to recount events that happened before and give the back-story. ... The origin of something (from the Latin origo, beginning) is where it came from, in the sense of a physical location or a metaphysical source. ... Richard Pryor hits the money line A stand-up comedian or stand-up comic is someone that performs in comedy clubs, usually reciting a fast paced succession of amusing stories, short jokes and one-liners, typically called a monologue. ... A pregnant woman Human pregnancy refers to the process by which a human female carries a live offspring from conception until childbirth. ... Disfigurement is the state of having ones appearance, especially that of ones face, deeply and persistently harmed by a medical condition, such as wounds (accidental or intentional), disease, or a birth defect. ...

The Joker kidnaps Gordon, shoots and paralyses his daughter Barbara, and imprisons him in a run-down amusement park, stripping him naked and caging him in the park's freak show. He then chains him to one of the park's rides and cruelly forces him to view giant pictures of his wounded daughter. Batman frees Gordon and tracks down the Joker, attempting to reach out to him to give up crime and put a stop to their decades-long war. The Joker refuses, but shows his appreciation by telling Batman a grotesque, morbid joke, and the two old foes laugh together as the police arrive to take the Joker back into custody. Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. ... Six Flags New England, an amusement park in Springfield, Massachusetts. ... A freak show is an exhibition of rarities, freaks of nature-- such as unusually tall or short humans, and people with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics--and performances that are expected to be shocking to the viewers. ...

The Killing Joke could be considered a meditation on the relationship between comedy and madness. Likewise, it could be considered an insight into character, and a person's moral fiber. For example, upon learning that his wife had died and going through a traumatic accident, the Joker went insane. Batman, however, also had what the Joker termed 'a very bad day' when his parents were murdered, but he instead chose to fight for good causes. Jim Gordon went through extreme trauma, but did not lose his sense of self, thus disproving the Joker's theories. Comedy is the use of humour in the performing arts. ... Trauma can represent: A serious and often body-altering physical injury, such as the removal of a limb. ...

The exploration of the Joker's origin and the grim, hopeless outlook on life that belies his "evil clown" persona ("Madness is the emergency exit—you can just walk out on all the horrible things that happened and lock them away forever") went a long way toward making him a more three-dimensional character.

This comic book, although a one-shot, had an extraordinary impact on the DC universe. Most significant was Barbara Gordon's paralysis, which ended her career as Batgirl, and eventually led to her role as Oracle. Cover to Batman: Gotham Knights #43, a reinterpretation of Detective Comics #359. ... Oracle is a fictional character, the nom de guerre of a superhero appearing in the publications of DC Comics. ...

Tim Burton claimed The Killing Joke to be the major influence on his film adaptation of Batman. Tim Burton Tim Burton (born August 25, 1958 in Burbank, California) is an eccentric film director known for his dark, humorous, quirky style. ... Batman DVD cover, 1997 release version Batman was released in U.S. theaters on June 23, 1989 by Warner Bros. ...