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DC Comics: ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’ Movie & Graphic Novel — Everything You Need To Know

By Dustin Murrell
Published on: 08:18 PST, Jul 23, 2016

Batman: The Killing Joke finally debuted on film at Comic-Con San Diego on Friday. Just days before the film is available to see in select theaters all across North America, The Killing Joke is a hot topic of conversation, with a surprising Batman sex scene included in the very adult-oriented cartoon. With the return of Mark Hamill as The Joker and Kevin Conroy as Batman, fans of Gotham City’s two most well-known characters are especially excited about the most recent addition to the DC Universe Animated Original Movies franchise, giving animated life to one of the most iconic graphic novels ever published by DC Comics.

For those less familiar with Batman lore, The Killing Joke tells a Joker origin story unseen in any major Batman film produced to date. Along with Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, this has long been considered one of the greatest Batman stories of all time. The timing of the release is perfect, as The Joker is about to appear for the first time in the DC Extended Universe film series as part of the Suicide Squad line-up next month.

Batman: The Killing Joke — The graphic novel

As noted by Good Reads, Batman: The Killing Joke offers a detailed look at The Joker and his relationship with Batman. Published in 1988, it was published around the same time as a few other iconic graphic novels from DC Comics, including The Watchmen and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Published as a one-shot instead of several issues, it’s a very quick read. It shows just how demented The Joker truly is, as he escapes from Arkham Asylum, leaves Batgirl as a paraplegic, and tries to cause Commissioner Gordon to go mad by (among many other gruesome things) making him look at graphic photos of his own daughter. The vague conclusion of the story has left fans with many questions, as it’s not exactly clear whether Batman kills The Joker, turns him over to the police, or simply lets him go.

Batman: The Killing Joke — The animated film

As noted by Cinema Blend, the animated film adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke took much longer than most Batman enthusiasts would have liked. However, the film finally debuted at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 22. The reactions have been mostly positive, although some fans were upset about the unexpected sex scene between Batman and Batgirl. Because the graphic novel was so short, the film added some content not originally published by DC Comics in 1988. While originally scheduled for a one-day theatrical release, popular demand has resulted in an extension of an additional day. Voice actors for the film include Mark Hamill as The Joker, Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Tara Strong as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon, and Ray Wise as Commissioner Gordon.

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How to watch Batman: The Killing Joke

If you weren’t fortunate enough to be at San Diego Comic-Con for the premiere of The Killing Joke, you can still catch the film in a limited, nationwide theatrical release on Monday, July 25, and Tuesday, July 26. It will be available to purchase digitally on July 26 as well. As an official DC Universe Animated Series film, it will be available on DVD and Blu-ray beginning August 2.

Copies of the 1988 graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke published by DC Comics can be found anywhere that comic books are sold.

[Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Images]

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