Batman

Batman: The Killing Joke is a one-shot superhero graphic novel written by English author Alan Moore and drawn by English illustrator Brian Bolland. It was first published in the United States by DC Comics in 1988 and has remained in print since. Set in the fictional U.S. city of Gotham, Batman: The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the Joker, an established comic supervillain. It depicts him as a failed stand-up comedian who agrees to aid a gang of criminals and is thwarted by the superhero Batman before being disfigured; in doing so he is driven insane and attains his supervillain persona. Created by Moore as his own take on Joker's source and psychology, the story became famous for its origin of the Joker as a tragic character; a family man and failed comedian who suffered "one bad day" that finally drove him insane. The story's effects on the mainstream Batman continuity also included the shooting and paralysis of Barbara Gordon, an event that laid the groundwork for her to develop the identity of Oracle. Many critics consider the graphic novel to be the definitive Joker story and one of the best Batman stories ever published.