Action Figures

The Killing Joke’s Most Macabre Merch to Whet Your Appetite

Whether or not you’re familiar with DC Comics’ controversial Batman storyline, The Killing Joke, you can probably tell just from watching the new trailer that it’s going to be no foray into euphoria for any of the characters involved, except maybe The Joker. With Batman being one of the more darkly-themed superhero comic books on the market, and arguably the bleakest of the mainstream comic books out there, The Killing Joke keeps that trend very much alive with a shot straight to the gut.

With the original comic penned by celebrated writer Alan Moore, this version of The Killing Joke presents the story as a full-length animated feature, complete with an “R” rating, and will undoubtedly cause a stir for fans both new and old. Long-time Batman-buffs will get to experience The Killing Joke in a gritty new format as a continuous drama, unencumbered by the interruptions of turning pages or eyes darting back and forth reading panel to panel, while newer fans of the Caped Crusader will be made more privy to the deranged dealings of Batman’s recurring nemesis, The Joker.

DC is really doing it right, it would seem. From bringing back Mark Hamill as voice of The Joker to utilizing an animation style that mimics the artwork of Brian Bolland, the artist behind the original comic, this rendition of The Killing Joke is definitely going to be something that Batman fans just have to experience for themselves. Whether or not fans are going to enjoy this polarizing storyline is up to debate, but it will most definitely be an experience.

In commemoration of The Killing Joke, here are my picks for the top 10 most discomforting/situation-appropriate Batman items currently on the market: