Reaction to "The Killing Joke"

Reaction to "The Killing Joke"

1.) I think this story is a masterpiece. I've never seen a story go so deep into the themes and psyche of a character that has existed for so many decades. Alan Moore took The Joker, a character that has been represented a certain way for years, and gave a gigantic level of depth and humility to him; something we've never seen before. 

2.) The ending is what gets me. I honestly don't think I've been so connected to a fictional character in years. The moment that gets me is when Joker legitimately considers Batman's offer for help. He's not being is usual maniacal, big, loud self. For just the briefest moment, I believe Joker became who he originally was again. He was so close to possibly getting the help he needs. However, he doesn't. He realizes that it's too late for him. It's like that old Joker is still in there, but he's trapped. He's self-aware. He'll never be able to be a normal person again. There's also the chilling final panels where Moore leaves it open for the audience to determine what happened. It's pure genius. I first read this story over the summer and I still can't stop debating what happened to this day. My first thoughts were, "Okay. They're setting up that this is and will always be the status quo. Batman vs. Joker. Forever." Then I thought harder as to why the last panels are still lingering there. That's when I realized that Batman killed the joker -- hence the title. The Joker went out the way he always does, with a joke. That kind of solidifies the theme of the whole story: It's all a joke.

3.) This is a story that I believe needs to be translated to film. Apparently, Warner Bros. Animation had the same idea because they did it. I won't discuss the added prologue. What could I possibly say about it that hasn't already been said? What they managed to do with the story is honestly how I would've made it as a film. If I were to transfer this to film, it would be nearly identical to this. It is a shot-for-shot adaptation of the comic that hits all the queues and iconic images of the book. If I were to make a change however, it would be with the way they handled the flashback sequences. The filmmakers kind of just took us from the story to the flashbacks -- no real transition. I would've been a bit more artistic and had the present connect with the past. When Joker raises his glass and says"Here's to crime" we could have a shot of him sipping the glass and staring at it. That could take us to the next shot when he's drinking at the bar. Something like that, I don't know. I also feel that the Joker transformation could've been dragged out a LOT more. This is the birth of one of, if not the most iconic super villain of all time. I would've milked the scene for as long as I possibly could. There is power in silence, and I would love to really nail the impact of the birth of the Joker.