Batman: The Killing Joke

 

Batman: The Killing Joke

By Jonathan Aquino

Saturday Stories

October 12, 2019

I

In Todd Phillips' "Joker," Arthur Fleck is a man with mental issues, with an amazing portrayal by Joaquin Phoenix. It is inspired by Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" and "Batman: The Killing Joke" by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland.

II

Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" was also inspired by "The Killing Joke." In my opinion, this is the greatest superhero movie of all time, with Heath Ledger's Joker as one of the best acting performances in screen history.  

III

Still another inspiration for Nolan's film was Michael Mann's "Heat," with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The comic story even has an animated movie version where Joker was voiced by Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker. 

IV

The graphic novel is a reimagined origin story of the Joker. It began with Batman going to Joker's cell at Arkham – but it was not him. The real Joker had escaped. He then bought a carnival, and killed Barbara Gordon – Batgirl.

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