BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE - A Movie Review

Let's see what the nerds are all up in arms about now...

Spoiler Warning - if i'm going to write spoilers, I prefer they be multiple choice!

Warner Bros. and DC can't seem to catch a break when it comes to nerd anger. Despite leaving Comic-Con with various industry sources tentatively claiming that DC "won" SDCC (which is a silly notion altogether, and wholly irrelevant - when mom and dad both give you a ton of presents, you don't sit down and tell which parent did better, you set up your Super Nintendo and shut the hell up!) another piece of news was that the DC Animated feature "The Killing Joke" was courting as much controversy as the book did when it came out back in '88.

THAT book...was dark as hell; violent, grim, bleak, nearly devoid of hope, and featured one of the Joker's more despicably violent acts - the deliberate paralysis of Barbara Gordon. And though "too dark" was a ubiquitous criticism lobbed at 'Batman v Superman' back in the spring, that wasn't the source of the nerd rage for 'The Killing Joke'.

No, it was the Brian Azzarello penned "prequel" that was added to Alan Moore's original story to flesh out the characters a bit more that got everyone all hot and bothered. Though people may flinch at the idea of amending Moore's work, additions were necessary for people who hadn't read the book, weren't familiar enough with the characters, or maybe expected their animated feature to run longer than 45 minutes.

Focusing on Batgirl, and running about 20 minutes, the prequel isn't bad, really. It has some interesting ideas behind it, and takes on a plot that vaguely mirrors the main story between Batman and the Joker - a criminal Batgirl is chasing develops an unhealthy crush on her, and Batman warns her of the dangers when a bad guy starts objectifying her (just think about Heath Ledger saying "you complete me!"). Of course, despite Batman's warnings, Batgirl continues pursuing this goon, and the hunt soon becomes far more dangerous than anticipated. I liked that Barbara seemed a little more foolhardy than cautious, despite her skill. And though it seems like a lot of people are angry about it, I like that for once someone decided to treat Batgirl like an adult and explore the sexual tension between her and Batman.

Batgirl has always been portrayed, like many other female superheroes, with a pretty healthy degree of intrinsic sexuality. Red hair, fit, buxom, smart, sassy. And chaste. And though we've seen plenty of instances of Batman having sex with Talia al-Ghul, Selina Kyle, Vicki Vale, etc, Batgirl has never been an object of his affection, or he hers (at least, in the various books and features I've seen her in) So it was nice for the writers to show that she makes her own choices, and isn't a crimefighter who doubles as a damsel in distress. In fact, not only does she protect herself well when she's in mortal danger, at one point she saves Batman's life. She's a woman who fights crime, kicks ass, makes mistakes, has feelings and has sex. And people need to get the hell over it.

BUT...I do have some problems with the prequel that have nothing to do with content, and all to do with execution. The story would have been fine on it's own - presented as a stand-alone episode of BTAS, or short feature on the KJ Blu-ray, it's fine. But when attached to the main 'Killing Joke' story, it does feel a little forced and tacked-on. The themes do somewhat mesh, with both villains having an unhealthy obsession with their respective heroes, but not in a way that feels totally necessary or enhances Moore's original story much at all. As I said, it does flesh out Barb a lot more and makes her more than just the Joker's target, and I can't offer a solution for how to do it better than they did, but it just feels awkwardly done.

As for the main story - it's nearly as good as the original graphic novel. Most of it is a direct adaptation of the book, dialogue taken verbatim, and the art style is deliberately meant to evoke Brian Bolland distinctive take on the origin (allegedly) of the Joker. In the Joker-flashback scenes, his face is animated with a softness that makes him seem sympathetic and likable. Hamill's voice changes, too, from his typical Joker cackle to something far warmer. Some things don't adapt as well (the Joker's song and dance number feels weird, but then again, maybe that's the intent) and obviously they toned down a couple things here and there (there is no nudity, of course, despite Gordon and Barbara both being stripped by Joker in the book - there are a couple of scenes that are awkwardly animated to skirt showing cartoon butts, but it's no biggie, really) but for the most part, the reprehensible actions of the Joker are presented in all their heinousness.

There's not much I really can, or even need to say about the voice acting. Ray Wise and Tara Strong bring natural style and verve to Gordon and Batgirl. And Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill simply inhabit the voices they've been performing for more than twenty years now. Hamill is on top of his game - as good as anything from the Arkham video games, and Conroy does his usual thing with aplomb...but the final moments find a way to mix everything - the story, the animation and the voice acting into something that achieves the same sense of chilling inevitability as Moore's novel.

The Joker's last, defeated "...goddammit" and Batman's improbably tickled laugh are highlights of the film and only serve to remind you why it's probably their voices you hear in your head any time you're reading the books. I always read the ending without any sort of definite idea of whether or not Batman killed the Joker, and I felt that was the point - the book started out with the fear that that was where their relationship was heading, and the ending only served to confirm it. Whether now or later, the Joker would die, likely by Batman's hand. The ambiguity is the point.

'Batman: The Killing Joke' is a worthy adaptation of Alan Moore's acclaimed book, and though the prequel has some flaws, and the main story doesn't cover any new ground, it's still...um...fun?...do i want to use that word?...to see an animated version of this story with the best Batman voice actors ever.


FINAL SCORE: 7.5/10


Batman: The Killing Joke is rated R, and is currently available for digital download. It will be available on Blu-ray and DVD August 2.

DARK NIGHT: A TRUE BATMAN STORY - Comic Review

Paul Dini is an Emmy-winning writer, perhaps best known for his work on the amazing 'Batman: The Animated Series'. In 1993, he was attacked and beaten while walking home one night. He recently revisited this traumatic event in an original graphic novel that combines his real life with the comic world.

Spoiler Warning - also some NSFW language; uglier stuff than I typically use.

I don't think it's hyperbole to call Paul Dini "legendary". His work in animation goes back decades, and he is responsible for what could arguably be some of the greatest Batman stories ever told. Aside from his work on the animated series, Dini is also responsible creating Harley Quinn, as well as the stories behind the universally acclaimed 'Batman: Arkham' video games. Needless to say, I've got a ton of respect for the guy.

So when I heard about this graphic novel a few months ago, I made a point to pick it up as soon as it was released. Obviously, I never knew about the beating Dini suffered at the hands of two complete strangers - few people did - but the premise was that Dini would revisit this trauma and filter his experiences through the world of Batman.

That said, to call this a Batman story is far too simple. It's not. This is Dini's story, through and through. To say that it's entirely about the attack and its aftermath is also inaccurate. That trauma only serves to highlight a pattern, as Dini's personal traumas begin far earlier than that. And unlike the attack, those traumas were not always caused by someone else.

'Dark Night' is an incredibly honest and unflinching look at a large portion of Dini's life. It is not always sympathetic, and he does not shy away from painting himself with an unflattering brush. He begins by talking about his childhood. He didn't fit in, felt invisible to other children, and was the frequent target of bullies. Awful though it was, Dini seems to admit that he also bought into a sort of romantic self-image as the ostracized and put-upon child. Both painful and indulgent, it was made even more romantic by his growing obsession with comic book characters and his habit of carrying on conversations with them in every day life. Dini carries that habit well into his adulthood.

Frequently engaged in self-pity, Dini recounts awkward relationship stories, confidence issues, flirting with self-harm and substance abuse problems, and all but explicitly reveals a lifelong battle with depression. But he doesn't reveal these struggles to garner sympathy or to be self-deprecating. All of it informs his response to the attack, which takes up the latter half of the book. And every embarassing moment is punctuated by Dini's imagined conversations with Batman and his rogues' gallery.

The centerpiece of the story is, of course, the attack itself. The muggers were never caught, so Dini never knew why he was targeted. Yet, by recounting some of the attackers' words, it almost seems like a gay-bashing attack. They repeatedly call him a 'motherfucking faggot'* (Dini is not gay, btw) and 'bitch' as they beat him with a frightening rage. Stealing his money seems to come secondary to simply trying to hurt him badly. Dini's account of the assault is terrifying. He recounts it in heart-stopping detail, and recounts the horror of realizing that he was about to be murdered.

* 'Dark Night', though a sort-of Batman story, is published through DC's Vertigo imprint, and therefore is absolutely NOT for children. There is strong language and terrifying violence.

Obviously, Dini survived the attack, but definitely the worse for wear. But remember how I said he became accustomed to romantic notions of himself? Despite literally having a broken face, Dini, after making his police report, simply goes home and drinks himself to sleep. It calls to mind various cinematic adventures where the hero takes a beating, but only needs a stiff drink to recover. When he finally goes to the doctor and learns the seriousness of his injuries, (his zygomatic arch was damaged so badly, the bone itself was, as the doctor put it, "powdered") Dini begins to slip even further into depression. And frighteningly, the further he sinks, the more often he's visited by the villains. Especially the Joker, whose insidious ideas come closer to "enabling" than his trademark psychosis.

His drinking worsens, his work suffers, and he struggles with PTSD and agoraphobia. He begins to regularly converse with the Joker, Two-Face, Penguin and Poison Ivy, all of whom encourage and indulge his worsening habits, and darkening thoughts. But while he doesn't bottom out the way a lot of less fortunate alcoholics do, Dini's despair does reach a sort of critical mass that triggers a visit from Batman. And it's these conversations that help him finally pick himself up off the shitheap and begin to not only recover from the attack, but deal with many of his other struggles as well. Batman takes him to task for wallowing, fires up his determination and courage, and inspires Dini to try to put himself back together. The final pages let the reader know the great strides Dini has made since his assault, and though the demons are not entirely gone, he certainly seems to have them under control.

Obviously, the majority of this review is dedicated to Paul Dini, but I do want to briefly point out Eduardo Risso's artwork. I'm not Risso's biggest fan. I've only read a few of the books that he's drawn, and the one that sticks out (because it's a proper Batman story) is his arc with Brian Azzarello - "Broken City". I just...didn't care for his style of art there. All that said, however, his work here is strongly suited to the type of story that is being told. Dini's words are so frequently about emotions and self reflection, that Risso's kind of impressionist style fits it perfectly.

This is an extraordinarily unique graphic novel. It's not always an easy read, with its ugly emotions and sometimes unsympathetic protagonist. It is, at times, so unbelievably personal that it feels illicit. As though you are reading someone's diary - invading their most personal thoughts and fears. But ultimately it's a story of courage. The courage it took to admit these personal shortcomings, and to revisit what must be a painful and fearful memory, is incredible. That alone is worth commending. But the real courage is Dini getting back up after he's been knocked down. The attack he suffered is simultaneously his lowest point, and his catalyst for self-improvement.

What a coincidence that this story was published a few weeks after I wrote my own essay about my personal relationship with Batman and using him as a source of real-life inspiration. And even before I read this book, I would have definitely said that Dini is one of those writers who just "gets" Batman. And he gets how Batman, though he is fictional, can still have an impact on our everyday world. He may not have been able to save him from a mugging, but there is no doubt, the Batman still saved Paul Dini's life.



FINAL SCORE - 9/10

Author Paul Dini