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

4. Descent Into Darkness

The Killing Joke Joker
DC Comics

Paralleling a present-day scene where The Joker explains to Jim Gordon that the plan is for Gordon to be driven to insanity after having a bad day, readers are taken back to the trigger point of what sent the Clown Prince of Crime into the depths of no return.

We find our Joker-in-waiting meeting up with some no-good sorts who want him to be a part of their plan to raid a local chemical plant. Willing to do anything to bring in some money to look after his wife and newly-arriving child, our pre-Joker is to dress as the Red Hood as the plan of attack is explained to him. It’s then, though, that his world would crumble.

Shockingly, a police officer interrupts the conversation and takes the failed comedian outside for a private word, revealing to him that his pregnant wife had died due to an electrical shortage. This was a bombshell for readers at the time, and so began the descent into darkness for the would-be Joker.

With his criminal cohorts sticking to their strict plan, there was no time to grieve for the future Joker and he was forced to go through with the aforementioned chemical plant raid. And from that moment on, things would only go from bad to worse for all concerned.

Tragedy often makes for some of cinema's finest moments, and The Joker-in-waiting being engulfed by despair as his villainous destiny circles in on him should be one of the key components of the animated Killing Joke.

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.