The First Trailer For Batman: The Killing Joke Is Here…Kinda?

Along the lines of Batman Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, 1988’s Batman: The Killing Joke is considered a classic and one of the best Batman (and Joker) stories ever.  Written by legend (and all around curmudgeon) Alan Moore and fantastic art by Brian Bolland, this one shot would lay the groundwork for many years to come in the Bat-books, particularly for one Barbara Gordon.  It is here that the tragic events that turn her from Batgirl to eventually Oracle occur.  (I kept that vague, just in case I have to worry about spoilers, which I probably do not.)

The book is violent and a physiological head trip for all involved, especially the Gordons.  We get perhaps the most definitive Joker origin (if there can ever be such a thing), in the pre-New 52/pre-Zero Hour/can anyone keep track anymore? continuity.  (On a sidenote, the upcoming issue of Justice League will supposedly reveal the Joker’s true name that Batman learned while God-ing out in the Mobius Chair.)

It will be interesting to see how honest the animated film is to the source material.  Warner Bros. has reportedly given the ok to make the film R-rated (isn’t everything these days?) but a rating has not been given yet.

You can watch the “trailer” (and more) after the break.  I found it a bit weak (and wonder how legit this is, more on that after the break as well) and I don’t know that it would draw in many fans who don’t already have some idea what is going on.  But they still have time, and this feels more like a teaser trailer than a full trailer.  But with Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill on board as Batman and the Joker respectively, count me in.

Spiders, Spiders Everywhere Part 10 (Death Of Captain Marvel Edition)

The Death of Captain Marvel is one of those stories that routinely show up on critics “best of” lists, but that you never get around to reading.  Well, it has been that way for me anyway.  But I recently remedied that as I had to read it to see if it fit in with the Spider-Man Complete Chronology.  Given I’m writing about it in this column series and not in a Chronology update, I think reveals the answer to that.

More about The Death of Captain Marvel and it’s place in Spider-Man lore after the break.

A Hamill/Conroy Reunion For Animated Killing Joke?

I’m not sure what to think about Bruce Timm’s (Batman: The Animated Series, among others) adaptation of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s The Killing Joke due for release in 2016.  It is a critical, commercial and person favorite Batman/Joker story…but it is also exceptionally dark.  It can be disturbing and is famous for the shooting and crippling of then Batgirl Barbara Gordon.  It also features the naked tortures of Barbara and Jim Gordon that I’m sure won’t make it past the animated censors.  It’s already been reported that the story will feature a new 15 minute prolouge to introduce the story.  I wonder at the end of the day how much it will still resemble the source material?

I will guarantee  one thing, Alan Moore won’t watch it.

On the plus side, multiple sources are reporting Mark Hamill has agreed to come out of his Joker retirement to voice the Clown Prince of Crime one more time.  Hamill has said for years that he would love to do a version of The Killing Joke, even encouraging fans to rally DC for it.

While Heath Ledger took a memorable turn in The Dark Knight, and I like Nicholson’s version, Hamill will always be the ultimate Joker to me.  I’m sure it is a generational thing.  Now, if they can just convince Kevin Conroy to sign up and end both their runs with a bang.  And by the sounds of it, it might not take much convincing.