History YMMV / TheKillingJoke

* ProtectionFromEditors: Creator/AlanMoore later came to regret his treatment of Barbara, stating that it was one time when he should have been reined in, but wasn't. Somewhat alarmingly, Moore described his editor's involvement as actually egging him on, infamously telling him to "cripple the bitch," as he recalled it.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny:

** Was pretty extreme when it first came out, even after ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' and ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' intensified the comic book medium. Nowadays, the whole attack-a-woman-to-spite-a-man plotline has been done to death, with stories like ''Comicbook/IdentityCrisis'' and ''Videogame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' milking it dry.

* HardToAdaptWork: This is likely why it took so long for there to be a film adaptation, as the comic is not only very short (being a single issue that is only 48 pages long), but is drawn and written in a way that could truly take advantage of the comic medium (which is a trademark of Alan Moore's work and is precisely one of the reasons why he is against adaptations of his work), making it incredibly hard to translate into film. When Warner Bros. did get around to [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheKillingJoke adapting the story into an animated film]], not only were numerous changes made to make the story work better in animation, but an entirely new prologue starring Barbara was added to make the story longer. These changes and the prologue, however, only cluttered and weakened the story in the opinions of fans.

* EpilepticTrees: During a 2013 podcast with Creator/KevinSmith, Creator/GrantMorrison argued that the end of ''The Killing Joke'' in fact has Batman killing Joker, carefully interpreting the panels as evidence. This is a very dark interpretation of the story that contradicts the mainline DC canon, and the script for the comic says Batman and Joker just collapse helplessly in laughter. Alan Moore himself would debunk this theory in 2016, explaining that the two are simply "laughing over their preposterous situation".

* EpilepticTrees: During a 2013 podcast with Creator/KevinSmith, Creator/GrantMorrison argued that the end of ''The Killing Joke'' in fact has Batman killing Joker, carefully interpreting the panels as evidence. This is a very dark interpretation of the story that contradicts the mainline DC canon, and the script for the comic says Batman and Joker just collapse helplessly in laughter.

--->'''Batman:''' So maybe ordinary people don't always crack. Maybe there isn't any need to crawl under a rock with all the other slimey things when trouble hits. Maybe it was just you, all the time!

** Was pretty extreme when it first came out, even after ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' and ''Comicbook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' intensified the comic book medium. Nowadays, the whole attack-a-woman-to-spite-a-man plotline has been done to death, with stories like ''Comicbook/IdentityCrisis'' and ''Videogame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' milking it dry.
** ''The Killing Joke'' was the first time Joker attacked someone close to Batman's personal life. Several months after the release of this comic, there was the famous ''A Death in the Family'' story that killed Jason Todd, and much later, ''No Man's Land'' where Sarah Essen Gordon was killed by the Joker. This trickled into adaptations, where in Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/Batman1989'' [[spoiler:Joker is made into the thug who killed Bruce's parents]], and killing Bruce's LoveInterest in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' and ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'', while his torture of Batman's ally into insanity became an element of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'' and ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight''.

** There is a long-standing debate over whether the original coloring or the deluxe edition coloring is better. The original coloring is bold and psychedelic, framing the story as a carnivalesque nightmare, while the deluxe edition is very cold, muted, and realistic. Some argue that the original colors were too garish for such a dark story and others argue that the new colors rob the book of its character and atmosphere by making everything so dim and washed-out. Other alterations like the removal of the yellow oval behind Batman's chest insignia and the addition of blood leaking out of the Joker's eyes in a certain scene incite even more debate. It doesn't help that the Deluxe Edition has since become the primary version of the comic since 2008 and is the basis used for the animated adaptation of the comic, all while the original comic has fallen into almost KeepCirculatingTheTapes status (until it was rereleased as part of ''[[UpdatedRerelease Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke]]'', which features both the original coloring and the deluxe coloring)

** There is a long-standing debate over whether the original coloring or the deluxe edition coloring is better. The original coloring is bold and psychedelic, framing the story as a carnivalesque nightmare, while the deluxe edition is very cold, muted, and realistic. Some argue that the original colors were too garish for such a dark story and others argue that the new colors rob the book of its character and atmosphere by making everything so dim and washed-out. Other alterations like the removal of the yellow oval behind Batman's chest insignia and the addition of blood leaking out of the Joker's eyes in a certain scene incite even more debate. It doesn't help that the Deluxe Edition has since become the primary version of the comic since 2008 and is the basis used for the animated adaptation of the comic, all while the original comic has fallen into almost KeepCirculatingTheTapes status (until it was rereleased as part of ''[[UpdatedRerelease Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke]]'')

* DracoInLeatherPants: Many people run with the Joker and his characterization as a victim in this story. This is ignoring the fact that he's probably making up his DarkAndTroubledPast, as Joker admits he'd [[MultipleChoicePast prefer to have his past be "multiple choice"]] during his MotiveRant. Also, [[AnAesop the moral of the comic]] is that one bad day doesn't drive a person to madness, despite what the Joker repeatedly insists; the comic makes the point that Joker is responsible for his own actions, in spite of his "one bad day" that even he admits he can't quite remember.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: Brian Bolland's interpretation of the Joker (very lanky, vaguely upward spiky hair, somewhat vampiric features) has dominated how the Joker has been drawn since the book came out. In particular, the [[https://s.yimg.com/fz/api/res/1.2/ncxyccnoc7iIXZz.yJrFqQ--/YXBwaWQ9c3JjaGRkO2g9Njg3O3E9OTU7dz01MDA-/http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a5/bc/4e/a5bc4e86827d24b438df79a8024ec496.jpg "why aren't you laughing?]] panel has been (deliberately in ''Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader'') cribbed [[http://www.dcplanet.fr/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Batman_Whatever_Happened_to_the_Caped_Crusader-02.jpg multiple]] [[https://theragingfanboy.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/jla015-makingjokersane001.jpg times]].

** There is a long-standing debate over whether the original coloring or the deluxe edition coloring is better. The original coloring is bold and psychedelic, framing the story as a carnivalesque nightmare, while the deluxe edition is very cold, muted, and realistic. Some argue that the original colors were too garish for such a dark story and others argue that the new colors rob the book of its character and atmosphere by making everything so dim and washed-out. Other alterations like the removal of the yellow oval behind Batman's chest insignia and the addition of blood leaking out of the Joker's eyes in a certain scene incite even more debate. It doesn't help that the Deluxe Edition has since become the primary version of the comic since 2008 and is the basis used for the animated adaptation of the comic, all while the original comic has fallen into almost KeepCirculatingTheTapes status (until it was rereleased as part of ''[[UpdatedRerelease Absolute Batman: The Killing Joke]])

** There is a long-standing debate over whether the original coloring or the deluxe edition coloring is better. The original coloring is bold and psychedelic, framing the story as a carnivalesque nightmare, while the deluxe edition is very cold, muted, and realistic. Some argue that the original colors were too garish for such a dark story and others argue that the new colors rob the book of its character and atmosphere by making everything so dim and washed-out. Other alterations like the removal of the yellow oval behind Batman's chest insignia and the addition of blood leaking out of the Joker's eyes in a certain scene incite even more debate. It doesn't help that the Deluxe Edition has since become the primary version of the comic since 2008 and is the basis used for the animated adaptation of the comic, all while the original comic has fallen into almost KeepCirculatingTheTapes status.

* HypeAversion: As it usually ranks highly on 'Best Batman Story' lists, this is bound to happen with some. Though interestingly it seems even Alan Moore himself has a touch of this too.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: Brian Bolland's interpretation of the Joker (very lanky, vaguely upward spiky hair, somewhat vampiric features) has dominated how the Joker has been drawn since the book came out. In particular, the [[https://s.yimg.com/fz/api/res/1.2/ncxyccnoc7iIXZz.yJrFqQ--/YXBwaWQ9c3JjaGRkO2g9Njg3O3E9OTU7dz01MDA-/http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a5/bc/4e/a5bc4e86827d24b438df79a8024ec496.jpg "why aren't you laughing?]] panel has been (deliberately in ''Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader'') cribbed [[http://www.dcplanet.fr/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Batman_Whatever_Happened_to_the_Caped_Crusader-02.jpg multiple]] [[https://theragingfanboy.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/jla015-makingjokersane001.jpg times]].

* GeniusBonus: The "joke" Joker tells Batman at the end of the comic, featuring two people trying to escape an asylum, references the PrisonersDilemma: a situation where two agents can either work together for mutual reward or betray one another that can also serve each actor's individual interest. This is very fitting for the Batman-Joker conflict: working together or killing one another can and the Joker can't trust that Batman wouldn't let him fall even if it would serve him.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Many people run with the Joker and his characterization as a victim...ignoring the fact that he's probably making up his DarkAndTroubledPast and that [[AnAesop the moral of the comic]] is that one bad day doesn't drive a person to madness and that the Joker is responsible for his own actions.

** It’s commonly claimed that the Red Hood fell into a vat of acid and became the Joker. In actuality, (as stated above) he just jumps into a vat of unknown chemicals. This misconception is likely due to a side comment in ''Film/Batman1989'' where a character mentions Jack Napier falling specifically into acid.

* GeniusBonus: The "joke" Joker tells Batman at the end of the comic, featuring two people trying to escape an asylum, references the prisoner's dilemma: a situation where two agents can either work together for mutual reward or betray one another that can also serve each actor's individual interest. This is very fitting for the Batman-Joker conflict: working together or killing one another can and the Joker can't trust that Batman wouldn't let him fall even if it would serve him.

** While the comic features a Jim Gordon who doesn't go crazy even after his daughter is maimed, ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' would have a ([[Fever Dream Episode dream]]) [[Recap/TheNewBatmanAdventuresE12OverTheEdge episode]] where Gordon ''does'' go mad with grief when his daughter is killed.

* HarsherInHindsight: When the failed comedian that would eventually become the Joker is slumped in a bar, a man who looks similar to the Joker can be seen maliciously smiling at him in the background. 30 years later it's revealed that [[ComicBook/BatmanThreeJokers there's at least 3 Jokers]] and this Joker is implied to be a product of the original.

* GeniusBonus: The "joke" Joker tells Batman at the end of the comic, featuring two people trying to escape an asylum, references the prisoner's dilemma: a situation where two agents can either work together or betray one another for mutual reward. This is very fitting for the Batman-Joker conflict: working together or killing on another can bring both rewards, and the Joker can't trust that Batman wouldn't let him fall even if it would serve him.

** Barbara Gordon was forced to retire the Batgirl identity after the events of this comic, right? Actually, she'd [[https://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2015/04/the-last-batgirl-story/ already hung up her cowl shortly before this was released]] - though DC being DC, this has been subject to numerous {{Retcon}}s, and most modern writers seem to agree that she ''was'' still active as Batgirl the night she was shot. Adaptations like ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'' and [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheKillingJoke the 2016 movie]] also seem to take her still being Batgirl for granted.

* OldShame: In an interview with Creator/StewartLee, Alan Moore referred to the book as "Probably the work of mine that I'm least fond of, because there's a lot of nasty things happen in that, and Brian Bolland did a wonderful job on the artwork, but as for my writing, no, not one of my finest hours."