"Batman: The Killing Joke"

Whoa, Whoah... hey there, DC's Animated Universe just got a tad bit more Darker with this latest inclusion!
Most of you that cares for this stuff has more than likely seen it, but just in case...
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Ok, moving on. It took me awhile to grasp the darkness of this world, it was like watching a more high quality, down right dark and depressing version of "Batman: The Animated Series." Which, in a sense, I think beyond the actual Killing Joke comic, the classic 90's cartoon was used somewhat as a base, that way it instantly connected with this particular universe. I ALWAYS love seeing Det. Harvey Bullock no matter the frequency. Just because he gives me that ground game nostalgia, especially when the character is designed like the throwback Bullock from 24 years ago; basically it's good to see him when I see him; because he was quite the cross over character back in DC's extended animation universe. Plus as always, there is a great pleasure to have Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprise their respective roles as Batman and The Joker. This is their home no mater how you see it!

That steamy brief scene between Batman and Bat Girl threw me for a loop, especially since I am mostly a stranger to the comic version of this movie. I thought at first like "Noo." Then I started thinking... like... well, heck, why not! He is older, but not old as her father older, so yea, why not. When I was back in high school, many girls for some reason always had them a late twenties, early thirties guy...lol So why can't a "Legal" College going Bat Girl hook up with Batman. Apparently they both have issues, at least he did hesitate, but I mean... com'on.:))

What i really want to get into is the real meat of the Killing Joke... The Ending; and the ambiguity. This right here was the MAIN reason I thought this movie was very good, and had possibly the Greatest ending to any Batman cartoon movie I've ever seen. I know, there are two sides to this coin ;-) people think Batman Aced the Joker, and the people who think he did not. Well, I'm in the "HE DID NOT KILL The JOKER" category. Just remember this is my opinion based on observance, and a great understanding of how movies and stories are written...

I say this because, yea... Joker obviously killed Robin... or "A" Robin as usual. Probably Jason Todd, heck I don't know, but he has done soooo much more on top of that... to Batman over the years. I just can't see finally Batman feeling the need to kill him in Cold Blood, instead in the heat of Battle. I'm not gonna get into the whole Batman don't kill notion, that changes in context from film to film, but we all know that is never his go to method. Then you got to think too, Gordon asked him, practically begged him to bring him in by the book! This is a guy who has been subject to his own Daughter, being shot in front of him, and obviously sexually tortured in some sense on video, and he was forced to live that pain in it's entirety, buck naked, in a cold carnival ride! So if he didn't want Joker Dead, why would Batman not honor that request from someone who just went through the ultimate test of Hell, suffering and mentality breakdowns. On Top of that, to be more observant to the animation... he had his hands on Joker's shoulders. Never did the directors take the time to even hint for him reaching towards his neck, the shadows didn't move ... like at ALL. if a person is gonna snap a neck, he's gonna need to put some force, a jerk, a sudden movement into it. Batman, (judging from the animation) never came close. People may say, "but the Joker stopped laughing as Batman's laughter continued" yes, hecks yea he stopped laughing. But ok, peep out Joker and Batman's Posture as the camera panned down, when Joker stopped laughing, we can still clearly see both their ankles down. Still, not even a twitch in sudden movement, or any clarity of the upper part of there shadows ever barely making a nudge. Once again ,you're snapping a neck, you may have to lean into it a little bit. Then, Joker has to my knowledge, never had a down to Earth convo with Batman on that level, let alone made him Laugh!? My other theory, if anyone was the Joker, you finally tell a joke that was not only Funny (given his backstory) you tell one that made Batman (of ALL PEOPLE) Laugh! I think he marveled in his brief accomplishment, and when he realized he finally nailed it to the Bat's humorous side, he stops, and and smiles at possibly his greatest feat of all time as a bad guy! I can see how he would stop laughing, stare with buck eyes, and smile. He was clearly beaten, and as much as I waited for Joker to try one more cheap shot at Batman, he never did, but I thought it was coming. So this moment between Batman may be ambiguous in a sense, but it was more powerful than anything; and I think that is it he important thing to take from it. Giving Joker's backstory, I felt bad for him... I didn't want him to die, not like the way that is theorized. So even though I'm being a little bias, I look at all the facts too. There is nothing much that leads me to believe that Joker is more dead than he is alive after this one. Even the creator, after 20+ years, still is keeping his ambiguous nature in his interviews. But only he truly knows, I just like for it to make more sense if he did kill the Joker in that particular method, in this context, it just doesn't add up enough to hold a greater truth to me. I walked away with the sense, like, yea... Batman will kill him later, surely i nthe heat of Battle after Joker is all Fed up being taken in... sort of like The Dark Knight Returns Cartoon, even then... Joker ****Spoiler Alert*** Snaps his own Neck! Batman did spit on him though.lol... I think. Anyway, for what it's worth, The Killing Joke can have multiple meanings in the name itself. It was a killing joke because it killed on Batman's funny bone side, or it can mean, literally, after the Joke, he got killed and Joker ultimately wins, because they would surely go after or take Batman in after the fact so... but based on everything I discussed, I shall continue to lean on the more powerful, dramatic, meaningful side of ending possibilities. Great work Alan Moore for keeping an edge on one of the greatest Batman stories ever told.