Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Batman The Killing Joke by Alan Moore Quotes from Batman: The Killing Joke. “So when you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought, heading for the places in your past where the screaming is unbearable, remember there's always madness. Madness is the emergency exit.” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “I've proved my point. I've demonstrated there's no difference between me and everyone else! All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. You had a bad day once, am I right? I know I am. I can tell. You had a bad day and everything changed. Why else would you dress up as a flying rat? You had a bad day, and it drove you as crazy as everybody else. Only you won't admit it! You have to keep pretending that life makes sense, that there's some point to all this struggling! God you make me want to puke. I mean, what is it with you? What made you what you are? Girlfriend killed by the mob, maybe? Brother carved up by some mugger? Something like that, I bet. Something like that. Something like that happened to me, you know. I. I'm not exactly sure what it was. Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another. If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice! Ha ha ha! But my point is. My point is, I went crazy. When I saw what a black, awful joke the world was, I went crazy as a coot! I admit it! Why can't you? I mean, you're not unintelligent! You must see the reality of the situation. Do you know how many times we've come close to world war three over a flock of geese on a computer screen? Do you know what triggered the last world war? An argument over how many telegraph poles Germany owed its war debt creditors! Telegraph poles! Ha ha ha ha HA! It's all a joke! Everything anybody ever valued or struggled for. it's all a monstrous, demented gag! So why can't you see the funny side? Why aren't you laughing?” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “See, there were these two guys in a lunatic asylum. and one night, one night they decide they don't like living in an asylum any more. They decide they're going to escape! So, like, they get up onto the roof, and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the rooftops of the town, stretching away in the moon light. stretching away to freedom. Now, the first guy, he jumps right across with no problem. But his friend, his friend didn't dare make the leap. Y'see. Y'see, he's afraid of falling. So then, the first guy has an idea. He says 'Hey! I have my flashlight with me! I'll shine it across the gap between the buildings. You can walk along the beam and join me!' B-but the second guy just shakes his head. He suh-says. He says 'Wh- what do you think I am? Crazy? You'd turn it off when I was half way across!” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “Madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away…forever." The Joker” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “Remembering's dangerous. I find the past such a worrying, anxious place. "The Past Tense," I suppose you'd call it. Memory's so treacherous. One moment you're lost in a carnival of delights, with poignant childhood aromas, the flashing neon of puberty, all that sentimental candy-floss. the next, it leads you somewhere you don't want to go. Somewhere dark and cold, filled with the damp ambiguous shapes of things you'd hoped were forgotten. Memories can be vile, repulsive little brutes. Like children I suppose. But can we live without them? Memories are what our reason is based upon. If we can't face them, we deny reason itself! Although, why not? We aren't contractually tied down to rationality! There is no sanity clause! So when you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought, heading for the places in your past where the screaming is unbearable, remember there's always madness. Madness is the emergency exit… you can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away… forever.” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “It's all a joke! Everything anybody ever valued or struggled for. it's all a monstrous, demented gag! So why can't you see the funny side? Why aren't you laughing?” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “How can two people hate so much without knowing each other?” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “IF YOU HURT INSIDE, GET CERTIFIED, AND IF LIFE SHOULD TREAT YOU BAD. DON'T GET EE-EE-EVEN, GET MAD! ” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “Please don't worry. It's a psychological complaint, common amongst ex-librarians. You see, she thinks she's a coffee table edition. ” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “. My point is, I went crazy. When I saw what a black, awful joke the world was. I went crazy as a coot! I admit it! Why can't you?” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “I don't consider myself as a bad person, on the whole I consider myself a good person, I'm good to my parents. I treat my girl right . take her out and buy her stuff. And I go to church every Sunday, But I've decided that just once I wanna do a really bad thing. I mean a really seriously bad thing. 'cause, ya know, like, we're put on this earth with free will. We can choose to do this or that. We can choose to be good or bad. But sometimes I think most people are good and not bad only because they're scared they might go to jail or hell or someplace. Some guy once said: "Anything done out of fear has no moral value" Well, I think that's right. I figure the only way you can be truly good is if you've tried been good, and you've tried being good, and you've tried being bad, and being good feels better.” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “Remember? Ohh, I wouldn't do that! Remembering's dangerous. I find the past such a worrying, anxious place. "The past tense", I supposed you'd call it. Ha ha ha.” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “Memories can be vile. Repulsive little brutes, like children I suppose. But can we live without them? Memories are what our reason is based upon. If we can't face them, we deny reason itself! Although, why not? We aren't contractually tied down to rationality. There is no sanity clause. So when you find yourself locked down in an unpleasant train of thought, heading for the places in your past where the screaming is unbearable, remember: There's always madness. You can just step outside and close the door, and all those dreadful things that happened, you can lock them away. Madness. is an emergency exit.” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “I'm not exactly sure what happened. Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another. If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" JOKER” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “I don't consider myself as a bad person, on the whole I consider myself a good person, I'm good to my parents. I treat my girl right . take her out and buy her stuff. And I go to church every Sunday, But I've decided that just once I wanna do a really bad thing. I mean a really seriously bad thing. 'cause, ya know, like, we're put on this earth with free will. We can choose to do this or that. We can choose to be good or bad. But sometimes I think most people are good and not bad only because they're scared they might go to jail or hell or someplace. Some guy once said: "Anything done out of fear has no moral value." Well, I think that's right. I figure the only way you can be truly good is if you've tried been good, and you've tried being bad, and being good feels better.” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “You had a bad day once, am I right? I know I am. I can tell. You had a bad day and everything changed. Why else would you dress up like a flying rat?” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “¡He confirmado que no existe diferencia entre todos los demás y yo! Basta con un mal día para que el hombre más cuerdo del mundo enloquezca. A esa distancia está el mundo de mí. A un mal día.” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. “Batman: "You should've listened to me." -"I thought we were partners." -"We are. But we're not equals, not even close. -"You sanctimonious, self-righteous. " -"You're not in it like I am, Barbara. It's still a game for you, it's still a thrill. You haven't been taken to the edge yet." -"The edge of what?" -"The abyss, the place where you don't care anymore. Where all hope dies." . . . Barbara: "I saw that abyss you spoke about, very scary, but so tempting. I don't know how you resist it. I don't think it's humanly possible after a while. Be careful.” ― Alan Moore, quote from Batman: The Killing Joke. About the author. Alan Moore Born place: in Northampton, England, The United Kingdom See more on GoodReads. Popular quotes. “There are dead thoughts and there are living thoughts. A dead thought has been compared to a stone which one may plant in the soil. Nothing will come out. A living thought is like a seed. In the process of thinking, an answer without a question is devoid of life. It may enter the mind; it will not penetrate the soul. It may become a part of one’s knowledge; it will not come forth as a creative force.” ― Abraham Joshua Heschel, quote from God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism. “I'm frightened of the intellectualism that can insulate us from action and turn the problems and solutions into puzzles or fantasies.” ― Derrick Jensen, quote from A Language Older Than Words. “It hurts to breathe. It hurts to live. I hate her, yet I do not think I can exist without her.” ― Charlotte Featherstone, quote from Addicted. “even as she says it, sees love drain out of his eyes: and somehow, as a stream, which seeks its own level, it flows over into hers, and her fate is sealed. The less he loves, the more she will.” ― Fay Weldon, quote from The Life and Loves of a She Devil. “I watched the first shoots like wings tearing the soil, and it was my heart broken by the blight, the black spot so quickly multiplying in the rows. I doubt you have a heart, in our understanding of that term. You who do not discriminate between the dead and the living, who are, in consequence, immune to foreshadowing. ” ― Louise Glück, quote from The Wild Iris. Batman: The Killing Joke Ending, Explained. Based on the influential as well as controversial 1988 comic book of the same name by Alan Moore (Writer), Brian Bolland (Illustrator), and John Higgins (Colorist), ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’ is a provocative exploration of the relationship between Batman and the Joker. With Bruce Timm serving as one of the co-producers, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill returned to the DC animated universe to reprise their roles from ‘Batman: The Animated Series.’ The new additions to the cast include Tara Strong as Barbara Gordon or Batgirl, Ray Wise as Commissioner James Gordon, Brian George as Alfred Pennyworth, and Robin Atkin Downes as Detective Harvey Bullock. While the film remains mostly faithful to the source material, Brian Azzarello’s script does have an extra edgy tangent between Batman and Batgirl. SPOILERS AHEAD! Batman: The Killing Joke Plot Synopsis. The first half of the film is told from Batgirl’s perspective and is not as nihilistic as the second part. Although predominantly set during the night, Gotham, despite all its ominous grimness, is flooded with the brightness of the full moon and the city lights. Batgirl tries but fails to catch a rising figure in the criminal world, Parry Francesco or Paris Franz (Maury Sterling), who becomes obsessed with her. Through suggestive messages, he leads her to the body of Carlos Francesco (John DiMaggio), his uncle, and the biggest mobster in the city. By killing him, he wants to establish his control over the older man’s criminal empire. Batman or Bruce Wayne (Conroy) quickly realizes that his partner is on a dangerous path and instructs her to sit this one out. This eventually results in a verbal and physical confrontation between them, which leads to them having sex. When they finally locate Paris, she starts brutally beating him but stops when she realizes how right Batman was about her. Batman and Commissioner Gordon visit the Arkham Asylum so Batman can attempt to end his long-running feud with the Joker (Hamill), but they discover that he has escaped, leaving a decoy in his place. Later, the Joker ambushes Barbara and Gordon at Gordon’s home, shooting Barbara in the abdomen and abducting Gordon. Like in the graphic novel, there are certain implications that the Joker rapes Barbara by the nude photos he takes of her after the attack. He takes Gordon to a dilapidated amusement park, and with the help of his underlings, starts torturing him. Batman: The Killing Joke Ending. The flashbacks showcase the origin story of the Joker. He used to be a lab assistant before leaving the job to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. He had a wife, Jeannie (Anna Vocino), and a child on the way. After his stint in the stand-up circuit ends in a dismal failure, he turns to the world of crime to support his family. But before his first job, in which he is robbing his previous workplace, with two veteran criminals, he learns that his wife has died in an accident. Although he has no reason to go through with robbing the chemical plant any longer, he is forced to do so by his associates. They make him wear the costume of the Red Hood during the crime. While they are there, his two accomplices turned captors are killed by the security team. He comes face to face with Batman and tries to run, only to fall into the plant’s waste pond. When he finally emerges from there, he discovers that there are permanent scars on his face that give him the appearance of a clown. His insanity and grief overwhelm him, and thus, the Joker is born. One Bad Day. The Joker abducts and tortures Gordon with one single purpose – he wants to show Batman that anyone, even someone as morally stable as the Commissioner, can become twisted and insane under the right circumstances. But his actions are not driven by his desire to provide himself with an excuse but to demonstrate that the entire world is as mad and psychotic as him. However, Gordon has always been the moral equivalent of the Polaris in the dark and nihilistic Batman canon. Even here, despite all the physical and physiological pain he endures, including seeing the photos of his daughter from the attack, he doesn’t break. After Batman rescues him, he tells the Caped Crusader to apprehend the Joker “by the book.” Batman pursues the Joker through the amusement park and enters an apartment. The room starkly resembles the Joker’s home when he was still a family man. Only here, all the furniture is stuck to the roof. Batman and the Joker fight, with the Joker gloating that he has shown through Gordon that it only takes “one bad day” to pivot a man towards insanity. Batman responds by relaying what Gordon told him earlier and adds that “so ordinary people don’t crack. Maybe, it’s just you.” The Final Scenes: Does Batman Kill the Joker? The last section of the graphic novel is one of the most-researched and debated-upon subjects in the history of comics. The film closely follows what happens in the source material. After Batman subdues the Joker, he urges him to mend his ways. The Joker offers a polite refusal, stating that he is way beyond that. He then laughs and says that this situation is making him remember a joke, in which two patients are trying to escape a mental asylum. They see rooftops stretching across the town to freedom. The first patient has no problem jumping from rooftop to rooftop. But the second patient is afraid of falling. So, the first man offers to shine a light across the gaps between the buildings, to which the second man replies, “What do you think I am, crazy? You’ll just turn it off when I’m halfway across!” Batman starts laughing along with the Joker and puts his hands on him. Even when the former stops, the latter’s laughter can still be heard as the film ends. The film has a mid-credit scene, which is not part of the graphic novel. In it, Barbara, paralyzed from the waist down and now using a wheelchair, is shown accepting her new role as the Oracle. As Moore once stated, the book shows that Batman and the Joker are psychologically “mirror images of one another.” And in case you are wondering if, in the last sequence of the film, Batman kills the Joker, the answer is – no, he does not. This theory – which has been propagated by many – has actually been debunked by Moore himself. One possible interpretation of the final section of the film is that Batman finally acknowledges the similarities between the two of them by placing on his hands on the Joker’s shoulders. Another theory is that he is just simply preparing the Joker for the arrest before the police arrive. Alan Moore Has A Lot To Say About 'The Killing Joke' Notorious angry wizard Alan Moore has a lot of thoughts on superhero fiction. If you’ve ever had a chance to see how Moore scripts his comic books, you’ll know that they are less “panel by panel” plans and more letters of philosophy he sends to an artist. If he has this many thoughts about crafting a piece, you know he has even more to say about their reception and legacy. With the new DC animated feature The Killing Joke coming out (and looking very not great), the internet is looking back at a history of Moore’s views on the one-shot comic. At 64 pages, the single issue comic remains one of the most influential and dark moments in all of The Caped Crusader’s history, and it’s known for including some psychologically and sexually disturbing content which forever altered the story’s characters. There is also a long-running debate about the meaning of the final frames and whether or not it is implied that Batman kills The Joker for his crimes. There’s a lot here to dip into, and that’s good, because a 64 page source material isn’t nearly enough to make a feature length film without taking some liberties. If we’re going to start changing Moore’s work, we should first know how he feels about the material. From a more recent Q&A at Goodreads, Moore had this to say: What’s the takeaway? Moore doesn’t love his impact, in general, or the way his comics introduced heavy, brooding philosophies into superhero fiction. He also sees the characters as being far too thin to carry all this melodrama. What does Moore wish he had done instead? We have no idea. But considering he has a one-million word poem coming out, he probably doesn’t have strong feelings about Mark Hamill’s voiceover performance of a decades old comic book he once scripted. ‘Watchmen’ Creator Alan Moore Isn’t Too Happy That His Work Inspired The Latest ‘Joker’ Movie. It’s always a treat when Alan Moore pops up for a rare interview because you know you’re in for a cranky ride as the Watchmen creator hates on the comic book industry that he inadvertently helped revive and transform in the ’80s. As Batman fans know, Moore’s The Killing Joke and Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns are the two most definitive stories that moved the character past his campy past and into the dark, brooding vigilante punch-fest that he is today. However, for decades, Moore has famously disavowed his work on The Killing Joke and regrets its impact on the comic industry. In his newest interview with Deadline, he takes it one step further by expressing his disgust that his work inspired Joker . “I’ve been told the Joker film wouldn’t exist without my Joker story (1988’s Batman: The Killing Joke), but three months after I’d written that I was disowning it, it was far too violent,” Moore said. “It was Batman for christ’s sake, it’s a guy dressed as a bat. Increasingly I think the best version of Batman was Adam West, which didn’t take it at all seriously.” Of course, this is par for the course for Moore, who has been a vocal critic of the boom in superhero films in recent years, even going so far as to blame them for “infantilizing” the population and paving the way for Trump in the U.S. and Brexit in the U.K. Not to mention, Moore has a long- simmering and justifiable grudge against both Marvel and DC Comics’ treatment of writers and artists, which has prevented him from not watching any superhero films except for Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989. Oh christ no I don’t watch any of them. All of these characters have been stolen from their original creators, all of them. They have a long line of ghosts standing behind them. In the case of Marvel films, Jack Kirby [the Marvel artist and writer]. I have no interest in superheroes, they were a thing that was invented in the late 1930s for children, and they are perfectly good as children’s entertainment. But if you try to make them for the adult world then I think it becomes kind of grotesque. Moore’s hatred of Hollywood adaptations of his work is so legendary, that Damon Lindelof was convinced he was cursed by Moore while working on HBO’s Watchmen thanks to feeling “miserable” during the whole production. But if there truly is a curse, it seems contained to Lindelof’s mood and not the series, which scored eleven Emmy wins. Or maybe that’s just what super wizard Alan Moore wants us to think… Batman The Killing Joke by Alan Moore. Where does a person begin when their minds are blown and their bodies are numb? Alan Moore is a God among us. Any comic reader has the hair on their skin rise at the simple mention of this God’s name. He does not fear to push boundaries. He does not fear to bring to light ideas taboo to the eyes of others. He does not fear to take on one of the most notorious villains origin story in comic book history. The Killing Joke, published in 1988, remains to this date a one-shot story that’s bound to be read by any superhero fan. Giving readers an in-depth look inside the mind of the Joker at his finest, this graphic novel gives us the chance to understand madness like never before. In my most honest opinion, The Killing Joke is the best story I’ve ever read when it comes to Batman’s universe. In fact, it is safe to say that this one-shot story contains a perfect balance between dialogue, action, suspense and jokes. Not only is the Clown Prince of Crime portrayed beautifully in this tragic story, we also get to see key characters go through events that would have been unimaginable if Alan Moore had never tackled the idea of doing comics. Barbara Gordon’s, daughter of James Gordon, fate might be one of the most astonishing moments in this 48 page story. SPOILER HERE: Hover over text to read. The violence depicted on Barbara might have even been one of the most controversial events in the Batman comics. Only Alan Moore might have pulled off such a move. All hail Alan Moore! There seems to always be room for praise and admiration for Alan Moore’s work. The Killing Joke contains a couple jokes beautifully dispersed throughout the storyline. Brilliantly balanced to make the reader insanely joyful, some of these jokes actually manage to crack you up and chuckle for quite some time. Although, you might get some amusement throughout this graphic novel, Alan Moore still manages to showcase sadness in all it’s splendor. The tragic event unfolding the Joker’s origin as a failed comedian who wanted to support his wife and unborn child could make the toughest of soul’s feel sadness and empathy for the deranged killer. The Red Hood tie-in also adds interesting facts into the Joker story, especially when the identity of the Red Hood had remained a mystery for so long in Batman’s history. Although, don’t be fooled by this. The Red Hood makes other appearances! “Remember? Ohh, I wouldn’t do that! Remembering’s dangerous. I find the past such a worrying anxious place.” – The Joker in The Killing Joke. Madness . What would The Joker be without indulging madness at least once? Joker’s case on the subject is one to remember. In my opinion, I believe the past plays a huge role in a person’s mental state throughout their life. Knowing how to cope with tragic events, knowing how to not dwell in the past and knowing how to learn from your mistakes are among a couple of know-how’s that a person needs in order to remain rational and sane as they continue to face different obstacles Life throws at them. The Joker explains how the overwhelming emotions attached to painful and unfortunate events a person has lived can destroy them. He suggests madness as the perfect emergency exit. He suggests that repressing the terrible incidents that a person has lived, to let madness carry you around, helps them survive and surpass these moments. SPOILER HERE: Hover over text to read. The final joke, one that gives us beautiful insight to Batman and Joker’s bromance, is one to stay printed into my memory for the rest of my life. Not only does it explain how each of these characters became what they are at this date, it also demonstrates Joker’s cry for help from Batman. It shows a discrete attempt by Batman’s archnemesis to be understood. SPOILER HERE: Hover over text to read. Let’s not forget about Brian Bolland in all this! Luckily for me, I got my hands on the deluxe edition. The coloring got a complete upgrade and, if you ask me, it does justice to the art. I’d have to say that the artwork is flawless, ingenious. If I was forced to choose a style, this would be the one I’d pick with my eyes closed. The amount of detail… the ability to translate the amazing ideas of Alan Moore into pictures… Brian Bolland did an amazing work. I’d have to add how I absolutely loved the transitions in this graphic novel. How they did it to make the last scene of a sequence and the first scene of the next sequence flow perfectly. If you ever get the chance to read this masterpiece, watch carefully how they transition from one scene to the other. Nothing is random, everything has a purpose. If this review isn’t crystal clear enough, The Killing Joke by Alan Moore is a must-read by anyone remotely intrigued by Batman and his enemies. Batman might not be the center of attention in this graphic novel, but who wouldn’t love to see more Joker in their comics? Sometimes you have to wonder how many more death does Joker need to do before Batman makes an exception to his rule and takes out the Clown Prince of Crime. Forever. Although, blame can’t be put entirely on Batman for locking up the Joker every single time he escapes and kills. In my book, death is not the solution to any criminal’s activity. Sentencing a person to death wouldn’t make us any better than the criminal himself. The Dark Knight Returns emphasizes even more on this subject (look out for a review of that trade paperback in the future!). The Killing Joke deserves to be read. Also, a big thank you to my girlfriend Trang for gifting me for my birthday; truly the best! I also believe this graphic novel will definitely change the perception of comics for several thousands of people. How about you get your hands on a copy right away and get ready to be amazed? It’s time to put a smile on that face. You can find a copy of Batman: Killing Joke by clicking on this hyperlink !