Killing Joke — Batman- The

Immediately after, the Joker escapes (or is he released? The story is ambiguous). He purchases a decrepit amusement park, then executes his most personal attack yet. He arrives at Commissioner Gordon’s home, shoots Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) through the spine, shattering her vertebrae and leaving her paralyzed. He then strips her, takes photographs of her wounded, naked body, and kidnaps Commissioner Gordon.

Moore was approached to write a Joker story. Initially reluctant, he was intrigued by the idea of giving the Joker a definitive origin—something that had only been hinted at in past comics (most notably in 1951’s "The Man Behind the Red Hood!" by Bill Finger and Lew Sayre Schwartz). Moore’s concept was bleakly simple: to explore the thesis that anyone, even the most upright citizen, is just "one bad day" away from complete insanity. Batman- The Killing Joke

The Joker argues yes. Gordon argues no. Batman stands in between, holding a flashlight, unsure if he’s guiding the way or just illuminating the abyss. In the end, the joke is on the reader. We came for a superhero story, but we left with a meditation on the fragility of the human mind. We laughed at the punchline, but the laughter echoes in an empty, rain-slicked alley. Immediately after, the Joker escapes (or is he released