Assesment

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

My initial reaction to reading THE KILLING JOKE was partly shock, because I have not read much of the Batman comics and the ones I have read were the older, more “vanilla” stories. I was shocked because I have never seen such a morally stripped Joker as well as such a dark narrative from the superhero genre. It is sort of assumed that The Joker does not act with any moral or reason but it this was such an intense, vivid way to depict that character. In terms of the ending, I was upset at first, of how ambiguous it was. What just happened??? There’s no more???  But then I was somewhat okay with it because if we knew what happened, it would either be a halt to a storyline and an insanely beloved character, or just a continuation of the established cycle of Batman and Joker. But major props to the author and artists who go me to read the Afterword.

2. What connections did you make with the story you just read. Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.

Most of this narrative revolved around The Joker’s origin, and how and why he became insane. It explored the major themes of moral and reason in this world that can become a really dark place in an instant. This story and its characters really do carry a lot of meaning behind them. When Joker was taunting Batman about having that one bad day and going insane, it became apparent that there was some truth in that one bad day can completely change one’s life and who they are, it’s just the reaction that occurs to that event, and how one chooses to live afterwards. I think this story can resonate with everyone because there is tragedy everywhere and all people experience some kind of pain in their life where they have to choose how they act on that pain.

3. What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use, what changes would you make?

I was also the most engaged in this narrative than any of the other comics we read this semester, because it was so dark, yet also gave another origin story to The Joker in the form of flashbacks. The transitions between the past and present were cinematic. The art was incredible and in several instances, it seemed like The Joker was interacting with the reader.

If I were to adapt this story to a different medium, it would probably be a live-action film. With this narrative, it would probably be a disturbing and “scary” movie. I have not seen the recent Joker film but this would make for an interesting take on the origin story integrated with the Batman storyline. If I changed anything I would make the death of Jeannine a little more tragic than dying from a formula heater malfunction. In a way that does go with the theme of there being no reason in the world but that part could be make more dramatic. I think the short story after the Afterword about the “innocent guy” was so interesting as well, and could be almost like how Marvel movies have end credit scenes, but this one is just a video diary of a disturbed Gotham citizen daydreaming about “being bad.”