Bruce Timm, the visionary behind the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, actually admitted something unexpected. He wasn’t a fan of adapting the graphic novel The Killing Joke into a movie. Even though he did a great job in crafting a mature yet accessible Batman universe, he thought this particular story wasn’t suited for animation.
Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series (TAS) was a masterclass in crafting a show that resonated with both children and adults. The show took a lot of inspiration from noir and classic animation styles but never shied away from mature themes. Remember the harrowing scene where Barbara Gordon falls from a building?
His crew handled it smartly, hinting at the tragedy without showing anything too graphic. This skill at mixing darkness with being kid-friendly became a big part of what made TAS so special. So, why did he stay away from adapting The Killing Joke’s storyline into a movie? Well, written by Alan Moore, the graphic novel stands in stark contrast to TAS.
Bruce Timm Avoided Adapting a Controversial Batman Storyline into Film
The Killing Joke delves into the psychological torment inflicted by the Joker. It is quite intense, with the brutal shooting of Barbara Gordon and a disturbingly ambiguous ending.
In an interview posted by The Pop Break on YouTube, Bruce Timm was asked if The Killing Joke had always been on his wishlist to adapt. To this, the 63-year-old replied:
“Honestly, no. No, it’s never been on my wish list. It’s something that I’ve always kind of dreaded having to do as a movie. Because it’s problematical. It’s not a standard Batman story. […] Every time it comes up for discussion, I’d look at it and go, ‘It’s not an action movie. Batman doesn’t save the day. He almost doesn’t do anything right in the story. It’s very, very bleak.'”
For Timm, the bleakness of The Killing Joke clashed with his core creative philosophy. It wasn’t just an action-packed story with a clear resolution, instead, it was more of a deep character study that left audiences feeling unsettled.
Timm’s reservations extended to the core themes explored in The Killing Joke. The graphic novel talks about the similarities between Batman and the Joker, and the idea that one bad day could push anyone towards the edge, didn’t resonate with his vision of Batman as a symbol of hope. He viewed the ending, where Batman shares a laugh with the Joker, as “anti what cinema is all about.”
The Animated Adaptation of The Killing Joke was not Critically Acclaimed
In 2016, The animated adaptation of The Killing Joke named Batman: The Killing Joke was released. However, it faced criticism for its attempt to translate a mature story aimed at younger audiences.
It currently holds a 37% score on Rotten Tomatoes. An IndieWire Top Critic reviewed the film on RT, noting, “Batman: The Killing Joke is borderline unsettling – and not in a good way.”
While some people appreciated that the movie stayed close to the original graphic novel, others felt it was too violent and that the new subplot cheapened the experience.
The film feature violence against Barbara Gordon, which is a source of criticism for the story. Fans saw this as unnecessary and disrespectful to the character, detracting from the core narrative.
Watch Batman: The Killing Joke on Prime Video.
