([May] 2008)

DC, 2008 Series
Published in English (United States) United States
 
Price
17.99 USD; 21.99 CAD
Pages
72
On-sale Date
2008-03-19
Publisher's Age Guidelines
suggested for mature readers
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
DC Comics
Brand
DC [swirl]
ISBN
978-1-4012-1667-2 Search at WorldCat
Barcode
9781401216672 51799
Editing
Denny O'Neil (credited) (original editor); Mark Chiarello (credited) (original editor); Mike Marts (credited as Michael Marts) (original editor); Bob Harras (credited) (editor - collected edition)
Color
color
Dimensions
standard Modern Age US; 7¼ in. × 11⅛ in.
Paper Stock
coated stock
Binding
hardcover
Publishing Format
collected edition

Issue Notes

Tenth printing available October 3, 2012; eleventh printing available December 12, 2012; twelfth printing available August 21, 2103; thirteenth printing available April 9, 2014; fifteenth printing available April 1, 2015; seventeenth printing available March 2, 2016; nineteenth printing available August 31, 2016; and twentieth printing available January 9, 2019 (per comiclist.com).
This issue has variants:

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Batman / cover / 0 pages (report information)

Pencils
Brian Bolland (credited)
Inks
Brian Bolland (credited)
Colors
Brian Bolland (credited)
Letters
Richard Starkings ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Smile!
Genre
superhero
Characters
Joker
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The front cover portion of the dust jacket.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1)

Batman / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Brian Bolland (credited)
Colors
?
Letters
Richard Starkings

Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Joker

Indexer Notes

Image is from story’s last page, fifth panel. A green-toned image has been documented; the printing on which this image appeared is unknown. The eleventh printing displays a foil-debossed, purple image. The eighteenth printing’s cover is black, and the image is debossed without foil or added color.

Introduction (Table of Contents: 2)

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Tim Sale (credited)
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Man, how cool is this?
Reprints

Batman: The Killing Joke (Table of Contents: 3)

Batman; The Joker / comic story / 46 pages (report information)

Script
Alan Moore (credited)
Pencils
Brian Bolland (credited)
Inks
Brian Bolland (credited)
Colors
Brian Bolland (credited)
Letters
Richard Starkings (credited)

First Line of Dialogue or Text
There were these two guys in a lunatic asylum...
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman; Commissioner Gordon; Barbara Gordon [Batgirl]; Harvey Bullock; Alfred Pennyworth; Joker (also as the Red Hood in flashback); Two-Face (cameo); Penguin (cameo)
Synopsis
Batman visits the Joker in Arkham Asylum only to discover he has been replaced by a double. As Batman attempts to track the villain down, the Joker shows up at the house of Commissioner Gordon where he promptly shoots Barbara and captures her father. The Joker takes Jim to a modified carnival where he tries to drive him mad (partially by showing him pictures of his naked and bleeding daughter). Batman arrives and starts beating on the Joker who attempts to reason with him in his own insane fashion. As things wrap up and the police arrive, the Joker finally tells Batman a joke that he gets.
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Story tells a comprehensive origin of the Joker based on the story “The Man behind the Red Hood” from Detective Comics (DC, 1937 series) #168. The story remains controversial for the crippling of Barbara Gordon.

Originally colored by John Higgins, art for this edition was recolored and reconstructed by Brian Bolland.

Afterword (Table of Contents: 4)

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Brian Bolland (credited)
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

Reprints

An Innocent Guy (Table of Contents: 5)

Batman / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Brian Bolland (credited)
Pencils
Brian Bolland (credited)
Inks
Brian Bolland (credited)
Colors
Brian Bolland (credited)
Letters
Ellie de Ville (credited as Ellie DeVille)

First Line of Dialogue or Text
I don't consider myself a bad person.
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Two-Face (cameo); Penguin (cameo); Poison Ivy (cameo); The Terrible Trio [The Fox; The Shark; The Vulture] (cameo)
Synopsis
A young man dreams of a plot to kill The Batman.
Reprints

From the Files of Brian Bolland (Table of Contents: 6)

illustration / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Brian Bolland (credited)
Pencils
Brian Bolland (credited)
Inks
Brian Bolland (credited)
Colors
Brian Bolland (credited)
Letters
typeset

[Biographies] (Table of Contents: 7)

text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Letters
typeset

Editing
Related Scans
Table of Contents
  1. 0. ["Smile!"]
    Batman
  2. 1. [no title indexed]
    Batman
  3. 2. Introduction
  4. 3. Batman: The Killing Joke
    Batman; The Joker
  5. 4. Afterword
  6. 5. An Innocent Guy
    Batman
  7. 6. From the Files of Brian Bolland
  8. 7. [Biographies]
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • David B
  • Peter Croome
  • John Monagle
  • Antonio Pontes Junior
  • Ramon Schenk
  • Lee Stephan
  • Jim Van Dore