Batman: The Killing Joke [First Printing]
([July] 1988)

DC, 1988 Series
Published in English (United States) United States
 
Price
3.50 USD; 4.75 CAD
Pages
52
On-sale Date
1988-03-29
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
DC Comics Inc.
Brand
DC [bullet]
Printer
Printed in Canada
Editing
Denny O'Neil (credited) (editor); Dan Raspler (credited as Daniel Raspler) (assistant editor); Dick Giordano (credited) (executive editor)
Color
color
Dimensions
standard Modern Age US (6 5/8" x 10 1/8")
Paper Stock
cardstock cover; Baxter interior
Binding
squarebound; prestige format
Publishing Format
one-shot

Issue Notes

The on-sale date reflects the publication date as reported in the U. S. Copyright Office filing. It matches the shipping date listed in Direct Currents #2 (February 1988).

Comic has been through 14 printings. Most can be identified by the color of the lettering on the title and cufflink.

cover price for following is 3.50 USD
1st printing is neon green
2nd printing is pink

cover price for following is 4.95 USD
3rd printing is dark yellow
4th printing is light orange
5th printing is dark blue
6th printing is dark orange
7th printing is light yellow
8th printing is light blue
9th printing is red
10th printing is yellow and cufflink is dark yellow
11th printing is yellow and cufflink is dark yellow
12th printing is yellow and cufflink is light yellow

cover price for following is 5.95 USD and there is an "!" after the word "SMILE"
13th printing is yellow and cufflink is white
14th printing is dark green and cufflink is white

New printing: October 28, 2009.
This issue has variants:
Awards

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Batman / cover / 1 page (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
The Joker
Reprints
Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (DC, 1988 series) [First Printing]Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (DC, 1988 series) [First Printing]Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (DC, 1988 series) [First Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (1988 series) [Sixth Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (1988 series) [7th Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (1988 series) [9th Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (1988 series) [10th Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (1988 series) [11th Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (1988 series) [14th Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (1988 series) [4th Printing - Book of the Month Club Edition] Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (1988 series) [Third Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Batman: The Killing Joke (1988 series) [8th Printing]
Edit covers

Batman: The Killing Joke (Table of Contents: 1)

credits, title page / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Brian Bolland
Inks
Brian Bolland
Letters
typeset
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover. Illustrated with a close-up of the raindrops from the first and last panel of the story.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 2)

illustration / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Brian Bolland
Inks
Brian Bolland
Colors
John Higgins
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Close-up of the raindrops from the first and last panel of the story.

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

Batman / comic story / 46 pages (report information)

Script
Alan Moore (credited)
Pencils
Brian Bolland (credited)
Inks
Brian Bolland (credited)
Colors
John Higgins (credited)
Letters
Richard Starkings (credited)
First Line of Dialogue or Text
There were these two guys in a lunatic asylum...
Genre
superhero
Characters
Gotham City Police Department: Harvey Bullock
Ace the Bat-Hound (photograph); Bat-Girl [Betty Kane] (photograph); Bat-Mite (photograph); Batman [Bruce Wayne]; Batwoman (photograph); Barbara Gordon; Commissioner James Gordon; The Joker (villain) (origin in flashback); Penguin [Oswald Cobblepot] (cameo); Alfred Pennyworth; Red Hood (flashback); Robin [Dick Grayson] (photograph); Two-Face [Harvey Dent] (cameo); Jeannie (flashback); Mrs. Burkiss (flashback)
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
Keywords
Ace Chemical; Arkham Asylum; Bat-Signal; Batcave; Batcomputer; Batman's T-Rex; Batmobile; Bonus Brothers Carnival and Amusement Park; Giant Penny; Gotham City; newspaper

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.

The “joke” is a gag that can be traced back in the comics of DC at least as far as Mutt & Jeff (DC, 1939 series) #6 (Fall 1942) in which Mutt suggests that Jeff climb up a spotlight beam. Jeff refuses, worried that the spotlight will be turned off and he’ll fall. Possibly not the first or only time the joke’s been told.

Bob Kane’s signature appears in the photograph from page 10.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

illustration / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Brian Bolland
Inks
Brian Bolland
Colors
John Higgins
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Close-up of the raindrops from the first and last panel of the story.

[Editorial Credits] (Table of Contents: 5)

credits, title page / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Brian Bolland
Inks
Brian Bolland
Letters
typeset
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover. Illustrated with a close-up of the raindrops from the first and last panel of the story.

[Back Cover] (Table of Contents: 6)

Batman / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Brian Bolland (credited)
Inks
Brian Bolland (credited)
Colors
Brian Bolland (credited)
Genre
superhero
Characters
Batman [Bruce Wayne]; The Joker
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Back cover shows a playing card featuring Joker on the top and Batman on the bottom.

Editing
Issue at my.comics.org
Related Scans
Table of Contents
  1. 0. ["Smile"]
    Batman
  2. 1. Batman: The Killing Joke
  3. 2. [no title indexed]
  4. 3. Batman: The Killing Joke
    Batman
  5. 4. [no title indexed]
  6. 5. [Editorial Credits]
  7. 6. [Back Cover]
    Batman
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • David B
  • CTGarry
  • Jochen G.
  • Del Gruber
  • Merlin Haas
  • Ralf Haring
  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
  • Kelly Langston-Smith
  • R. S. Martin
  • Antonio Pontes Junior
  • Vlad R.
  • Per Sandell
  • Andrew S. Troth
  • Jim Van Dore
  • Gregg Whitmore
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