2016 will be remembered as a historic year for fans of DC comics, and most especially for fans of The Batman. We have already witnessed the long awaited release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which has finally kick-started the DC Cinematic Universe. A universe that will continue in August with the release of Suicide Squad, featuring the big screen return of The Joker and, perhaps more importantly, the big screen debut of the fan favourite, Harley Quinn. In between these mammoth releases, however, comes arguably the most exciting project from DC this year. A film which fans, including myself, have anticipated and craved for many years. A film which is adapted from what is regarded by many as one of the greatest graphic novels ever made. This summer sees the release of Batman: The Killing Joke.
Originally written by Alan Moore (Watchmen) and illustrated by Brian Bolland, The Killing Joke was published in 1988 coming off the heels of Frank Miller’s seminal works, The Dark Knight Returns (1986) and Batman: Year One (1987). The story provides a potential origin for The Joker who had previously been presented as an absolute with no real, concrete backstory. In this incarnation, The Joker was once a failed comedian and family man who was pushed to insanity after one bad day, resulting in the character having a more tragic angle and more similarities to the Dark Knight himself, mirroring Bruce Wayne’s journey into Batman. Usually adding an air of tragedy to a villain lessens their ability to intimidate, however, this does not apply to The Killing Joke as The Joker has never been more horrific or psychotic than he is here. The Joker’s actions in the story are motivated by a need to prove that one bad day can drive the sanest man alive into madness.
The film adaptation is to be released this summer in the line of DC Universe Original Animated Movies, which have been released every year since 2007 starting with Superman: Doomsday and have included successful adaptations of The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. Most of the projects under this banner have been produced by the co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series/BTAS (1992-1995), Bruce Timm, who has designed these animated projects to be geared towards adult audiences with every film receiving a PG-13 rating. However, rumours are circulating that The Killing Joke may be the first film in this line to receive an R-rating due to it’s dark subject matter, which will be a first for Batman in animation and is something that should happen in order to not only accurately capture the seriousness of the graphic novel, but also the seriousness and darkness of Batman’s world in general. This is something that should have happened years ago and now with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice receiving an R-rating for the directors cut, it looks like Batman films are finally beginning to take the dive into a more adult tone.
The project has been very tight lipped up until the past couple of weeks where we have received confirmation that Bruce Timm will be reuniting with actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, who have been the definitive voices for Batman and The Joker respectively since they were cast in BTAS. Also among the cast are Tara Strong reprising her role as Batgirl from The New Batman Adventures (1997) and Ray Wise taking on the role of Commissioner Gordon after animated series alumni, Bob Hastings sadly passed away two years ago. The fact that the people behind the celebrated BTAS are reuniting together again makes this project even more special and adds a certain weight and credibility to the film that it may not have had otherwise.
Bruce Timm and company have revealed that a prologue has been added featuring Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in her prime, which is a very smart idea considering her emotional and pivotal role in the original story. Watching Conroy and Hamill speak of the roles they have essayed for 25 years behind the scenes really drives home how important it was to get them to come back for this particular project. The two have a great history of voicing Batman and The Joker, just as the characters themselves have in the pages of the comics and on film.
So far from what ingredients we’ve seen go into this project, it looks like it’s going to be a recipe for success: The Master of DC animation Bruce Timm is producing, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are returning, Barbara Gordon’s extended role and maybe even an R-rating - This has the potential to be not only the best DC comic book film of the year but the greatest of all time. For myself, and I’m sure countless Batman fans who have wanted to see their favourite hero and villain on screen in arguably their darkest incarnations, this summer cannot come fast enough.
Written by Kieran Bharj.
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