Assessment -Batman The Killing Joke-

Batman The Killing Joke

  1. What is the reaction to the text you just read?

I actually don’t know the other story of Batman (I should…), so it is hard to compare this comic to other classic Batman. The comic is very well illustrated with its detailed and clear art style; however, those great illustration are also frightening for me at times when the artist depicts Joker in close-up. Also, the setting and characters of Joker’s theme park looks disturbing; but I think they are supposed to be disturbing as Joker uses this theme park to make people lose their sane, thus the artist successfully portrays this setting. I like the last page (pg50) showing Batman and Joker’s interaction in nine panels. It is sort of ambiguous what happened to Joker at the end, but for me, this vague ending seems appropriate for this comic. By reading only this comic, I felt like the change in Joker (how he loses his sane in the past) is very abrupt. I understand that he lost his wife and baby, but he did not have much time to process his agony; then, when he sees his changed appearance, he suddenly becomes Joker. In my opinion, I would like to see his personality change more in depth, such as his panic when he sees his change. However, overall I really enjoyed reading it; the timing is great throughout the comic to keep it thrilling and exciting.

  1. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work that you are able to connect.

The line I can connect myself was “Remember?…Remembering’s dangerous. I find the past such a worrying, anxious place” by Joker. Although Joker is a crazy character, this line is relatable for me; however, in reality, not only me but a lot of people cannot just forget about what we want to forget. Sometimes I just forget bad memories and get over with it, but at the same time, I think it is important to remember those moments and overcome without forgetting them. The comic shows this conflict by comparing Joker and Batman/James, and it was interesting that even though I’m reading it on the side of Batman and James, I felt sympathy to this Joker’s line.


  1. What changes would you make to adapt this to other medium? What medium do you use? What changes do you make?


If I can make this comic into animation, as I mentioned in the first question, I would make Joker’s character arc clearer. Since he is such a great villain, I think his internal change can be depicted more, especially when he sees his changed appearance. However at the same time, I would like to keep the timing of this comic because its pacing is crucial to make the story exciting and thrilling. 

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