Batman: The Killing Joke - 10 Disturbing Moments We Can't Wait To See

8. Faux Joker

The Killing Joke Joker
DC Comics

One of the strongest themes of The Killing Joke is that Batman has come to the realisation that his ongoing battle with The Joker is only going to end one way: with one of them killing the other. As such, the Caped Crusader wants to finally have one last conversation with his nemesis in order to stop things from going that far.

Heading to Arkham Asylum, the Dark Knight sits down to chat with an unusually subdued and quiet Joker, explaining to him that he doesn’t want them to kill each other, that there is another way, and that things don’t have to play out the way that they likely will. It’s then that the World’s Greatest Detective realises that he’s been duped and that this isn’t The Joker at all; it’s merely an imposter with white makeup on.

It’s at this moment that it hits home to Batman that his longtime foe has in fact escaped the confines of Arkham once more, with the protector of Gotham’s streets snapping as he frantically tries to imagine what twisted, tormented scheme The Joker has lined up.

Much like the previous entry on this list, this telling moment and subsequent reveal could and should be brilliant on screen if handled like a slow reveal, keeping "The Joker" in the shadows before the realisation sets in as to what's happening.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.