Unpopular opinion: I think The Killing Joke is way overrated

I finally read it last week after years of hearing how it's this masterpiece. The whole thing felt like a mess to me. Barbara Gordon gets shot just to motivate her dad and nothing really changes by the end. I get that Moore was trying something new but the story just falls flat. Anyone else feel like this book gets a free pass because of the Joker's origin scenes?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles_baker2817d ago

Yeah, I totally get where you're coming from with "the whole thing felt like a mess." I remember reading an interview with Alan Moore where he said he didn't even think it was his best work and that people overhyped it. And honestly, I agree. The Barbara Gordon stuff always rubbed me the wrong way, like she was just a plot device for Batman and Gordon to get all angsty. The Joker's origin stuff is interesting, but it doesn't save the weak main story. I feel like people just give it a pass because it's dark and has that famous line about "one bad day.

phoenix_martin4017d ago

That "one bad day" line really does carry a lot of weight even though the story around it is shaky. It's like people remember the concept more than the actual execution, and the Barbara Gordon thing just feels like a cheap shortcut to make the other characters sad.

the_sean17d ago

That "one bad day" line is exactly what got me too. I used to think The Killing Joke was this deep, genius comic because everyone said it was. But honestly, re-reading it now after hearing other people talk about the Barbara Gordon stuff, I can't unsee how lazy that part is. She just gets shot and then disappears, and it's supposed to make us feel bad for Batman and Gordon. It really does feel like a cheap trick to push the main story forward. The Joker's origin is the only part I still like, but even that doesn't fix how weak the rest of it is. You and Alan Moore are right, it's way overhyped.