The Killing Joke by Alan Moore (2 points)

 After reading The Killing Joke, I thought it was a very good comic. The Illustrations were really well done and made me see the two characters I've always known, in a different light through a very aesthetic art style. Some of the mark-making used to describe textures in the illustrations was psychedelic and hypnotic with repetitive usage of circular shapes causing a swirling effect in some scenes. The way everything was depicted included a bit of surrealism in the designs of the figures as well as environments. I was pretty invested in the story not only because it was interesting and beautiful to look at but also the characters were familiar to me being the Joker and Batman. Personally, I would say that the Joker felt more evil in this comic compared to the cinematic films I've seen in the past. I've always known The Joker as a crazy character, one with very little to no empathy for others which can be terrifying in the position of a villain. Especially one with nothing to lose. But in this comic, I truly felt like the joker was dangerous in a more serious way. His crimes were more believable and personal. For example, I felt connected to the character Barbara when she was shot in the spine and then violated by being stripped naked while the bad guys took photos of her. This crime felt really close to home, more realistic like it could really happen. What the joker did to the father was also very strange, knocking him out and then having his carnival show minions treat him like a dog, also while naked. This comic had a deep meaning too when the Joker started singing, the feeling switched to a dream-like state. He talked about how because he is insane, reality doesn’t hurt him anymore. He then tries to make the father go insane. This is what makes the comic different from typical superhero films. The storytelling is also a lot more interesting In terms of the shots, use of color, and the pacing choices for the panels that made the action feel alive, especially when Barbara was shot. The movement was very clear throughout.

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