Joker Origin Movie: 7 Comic Storylines DC Could Adapt
7. The Killing Joke
DC Comics/Brian Bolland
You'd struggle to find a Joker story more controversial than The Killing Joke, and yet, there are few as influential as it. Moore, as with plenty of his other DC works, has since disowned the tale, but there's no denying how compelling his version of the Joker's origin is - even today.
Centred around Batman's efforts to track down the Clown Prince after his latest escape from Arkham Asylum, The Killing Joke is most famous (or rather infamous) for the Joker's horrendous assault on the first Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, and the subsequent torture of Jim Gordon. While that particular aspect of the story could probably remain sequestered away for the time being, the book's flashbacks to the Clown Prince's ostensible origin are worth developing - with the caveat being that the film doesn't treat it as the definitive origin tale.
With the film also said to be set in the 1980s, spotlighting a version of the clown who once worked as a failed comedian, it certainly looks to be paying homage to Moore's story. If Phillips and Phoenix can convey the tragedy of this particular origin, then it could end up being a massive success - just as long as they don't forget to sew seeds of doubt regarding its authenticity.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
