 |
| Batman: The Killing Joke (The Deluxe Edition) Alan Moore, Brian Bolland |
I’m beginning to think that the writing of Alan Moore and I
are simply not meant to coexist because (1) I did not care much for Watchmen and (2) I found The Killing Joke to be rather
lacking. Perhaps, the latter could be
contributed to the book’s reputation as the definitive Batman/Joker story or
the greatest Batman story, period.
Personally, I’m fond of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, but that is another subject all its
own. Look, I understand The Killing Joke’s significance in the
Batman mythology, but in my opinion; the story fell short and its ending was
less than enjoyable for a person that loathes such blatant ambiguity at the
conclusion of stories. In my opinion,
utilizing such an abrupt and vague ending signifies to me that the writer was
either too lazy or simply could not be bothered to create a conclusion.
Of course, not all was bad—I did enjoy the “origin” story of
the Joker and the artwork was appealing and I finally read the infamous tale
that ended Barbara Gordon’s “pre-New 52” tenure as Batgirl and started her
character on the path toward Oracle.
But, it is my opinion that The
Killing Joke was crushed under the weight of its own hype. Perhaps, had I read this at an earlier date,
I may have actually enjoyed it but we will never know.
Goodreads Rating: 2
Stars (Out of 5 Stars)
