Batman: The Killing Joke is a one-shot superhero graphic novel written by Alan Moore and drawn by Brian Bolland. Published by DC Comics in 1988, it has remained in print since then, and has also been reprinted as part of the trade paperback DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore.
The story would affect the mainstream Batman continuity in that it features the shooting and paralysis of Barbara Gordon (a.k.a. Batgirl) by the Joker, an event which laid the groundwork for her to develop the identity of Oracle, an expert computer hacker and a vital source of information for Batman and other superheroes.
In 2008, DC Comics reprinted the story in a deluxe hardcover edition. This Deluxe Edition features new coloring by Bolland, meant to illustrate his original intentions for the book, with more somber, realistic, and subdued colors than the original.
Read more about Batman: The Killing Joke: Plot Summary, Themes, Critical Reception and Legacy, Reprints
Famous quotes containing the word killing:
“At twelve I was determined to shoot only
For honor; at twenty not to shoot at all;
I know at thirty-three that one must shoot
As often as one gets the rare chance—
In killing there is more than commentary.”
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)