Batman: The Killing Joke Review
Added 2021-08-30 18:30:39 +0000 UTCAll it takes is a few bad scenes to drag down a classic Batman story.
Comments
Said the Joker to Emperor Palpatine after stabbing him in the back, "BECAUSE IT'S FUNNY!!" lol
Bobsheaux
2021-09-21 14:25:52 +0000 UTCWhy did you have to put it's a small world in there? even at his worse Joker wouldn't do that.
Jim Stigall
2021-09-19 22:13:00 +0000 UTCit's still gross though I'm sorry but it is
Jack Sullivan
2021-09-18 23:26:22 +0000 UTCBtw, ironically far far later, in No Man's Land, Gordon does end up almost killing the Joker, when he shoots and kills his second wife, Sarah Essen. And Batman basically stands aside and lets him decide. Btw, cool part with Raven repeating Harley's lines from Mad Love when Harley is creeped out by Batman laughing.
BB Shockwave
2021-09-16 22:22:42 +0000 UTCBatgirl was not really a love interest for Batman in the comics, but the animated series certainly went that way. Remember, in Batman TAS/TNBA, one of the reasons that Dick Grayson left and became his own hero as Nightwing was that he found out Bruce not only told Barbara his identity, they were also dating. Now, of course this never went anywhere and we know from Batman Beyond that Barbara married another man and her relationship with Bruce isn't very good, but it is something well remembered by writers and fans alike, so that's probably why they made this first half - so Barbara's crippling would strike Bruce even harder.
BB Shockwave
2021-09-09 01:34:20 +0000 UTCLOL, I totally forgot about the FLAMINGLY gay stereotype best friend Barbara has (who of course, was not in the comics). The dude feels like he stepped out of Zoolander, yet somehow, they did this unironically? Btw, thanks for recapping all the Joker scene references from the picture collage, did not know many of those!
BB Shockwave
2021-09-09 01:25:12 +0000 UTCAlso, IIRC, the stuff about The Killing Joke not originally being meant to be in continuity and stuff? From what I can tell, that's BS. Barbara had long since retired before the events of this book, with there being a story made as her final adventure before this. As for the neck snap thing, I've never, ever bought it. It came from a podcast thing between Kevin Smith (Urgh) and Grant Morrison, with this being Morrison's theory. This actually goes against the actual script of the story, and it seemingly meant to be in continuity, I'm not buying it for an instant. Also also, I still think this film is more fitting for a PG-13 while Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is far more deserving of a R rating. That has Mara's severed head and a close up shot of the big, meaty wound from Batman shooting Reverse Flash in the brain. Seriously, how the fuck was that PG-13?!
Verdant Range
2021-08-31 17:19:22 +0000 UTCThat movie was basically just a Taxi Driver remake with minor DC elements. I hate how people taut it as the "best comic book movie" because to me, it is not even remotely a comic book movie. And yeah, Joker could have been lying, and that comic was also weirdly out of continuity - I mean it ends with Batman implied to have killed the Joker - but yet later it is in continuity when Barbara is paralyzed, but Joker is also alive. And current Rebirth timeline further muddled it up by now being 3 Jokers...
BB Shockwave
2021-08-31 13:52:27 +0000 UTCYES
Selene B
2021-08-30 20:22:43 +0000 UTCI figure the big reason why this stuff with Batman and Batgirl happened is because Bruce Timm ships them HARD. While yes, Barbara was originally a love interest for Batman in the comics from what I can tell, most writers quickly shifted this to have her more interested in Dick Grayson. Not Bruce Timm, though. IIRC, he's the one that made in that in Batman Beyond tie in comics, Barbara cheated on Dick with Bruce, got pregnant, and then had a miscarriage. I know Bruce Timm did a lot of great things for DC, but someone should keep him far away from Batman and Batgirl, IMO. When it come to the splinter thing, I'm willing to defend it since he crashed into a crate and who knows how many miles per hour with the wait of the seat added what has got to be at least 100lbs to the mass. Him crashing into a crate at that speed should probably cause him to get hit by wood shards at a high enough velocity and force to penetrate the suit. Also, gotta LOVE the expansion on the scene where Batman talks to the hookers, which seems to imply The Joker raped Barbara on top of everything else. Stay classy, DC. When it comes to The Joker's final joke at the end, I felt the delivery was disappointing. I thought it was much better done in Batman: Death in the Family straight to Blu-Ray movie, and that was mostly made of footage recycled from Batman: Under the Red Hood. If they wanted to give Barbara more agency in this story, why the hell didn't they do something like use her knowledge of computers and her ability to access the GCPD's camera system to track The Joker down from her hospital bed for Batman? Y'know, the sort of thing she'd do when she became Oracle?
Verdant Range
2021-08-30 19:34:45 +0000 UTCIf it helps, I personally don't believe what he tells/recalls in the Killing Joke to be 100% truth. Joker's insane, it's possible he's twisting the story if not making it up out of whole cloth. But yeah, I agree we don't need to know who he was before that Ace Chemical run in with the Bat, and we really REALLY don't need sympathy for him Hell this is why I hated that fucking Joker movie
Curtis Rogahn
2021-08-30 19:29:47 +0000 UTCMovies like this is why I often fantasize about raiding Red Hood's armory and storming Wayne Manor... BTW, Red Hood is my second favorite member of the Bat Family. First if Terry McGennis/Batman Beyond/Future Batman doesn't count. And that speech of Joker was perfect. I mean the one you gave and your issues with the canon one.
Curtis Rogahn
2021-08-30 19:12:24 +0000 UTCthanks for another good video Bob and Raven. I always appreciate it.
A.T. M
2021-08-30 18:51:26 +0000 UTCI am gonna be honest... I never liked the comic, either. I feel the Joker really does not need an origin, my favourite is an 52 2-page origin story where the Joker just draws cards and talks about ALL his origin stories, from the Burton movie to Batman TAS or this one. "Pick a card, any card!" :D The whole Killing Joke origin never appealed to me, as it tries to make us feel sympathy for one of the most evil villains in comics... and we shouldn't. Not when he just crippled a woman and tried to drive her father mad, all to prove a dumb point. And yeah, the first half of the movie is complete filler - they knew the comic is too short, and that Batgirl is not that well known these days (in the comics, it's been Cassandra Cain and others after Barbara, who has been Oracle up to the New 52/Rebirth for a while) but boy, this first story really did not need to exist. It was just boring.
BB Shockwave
2021-08-30 18:46:10 +0000 UTC
