Batman: The Killing Joke will be out on Blu-ray on Aug. 2, but if you’re willing to forego some special features (plus two episodes of old Batman cartoons), the digital HD version of The Killing Joke can be had over a week earlier, on July 23.
The new animated movie adapts Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke, which was influential in turning Batman and the Joker’s relationship into the codependent yin and yang that has defined their characterization ever since. The Killing Joke is also remembered for Joker’s elaborate, bondage-laden efforts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane by shooting his daughter, former Batgirl Barbara Gordon.
Alan Moore, who has called The Killing Joke “shallow and ill-conceived,” told Mania.com “I’ve never really liked my story in The Killing Joke.” Nevertheless, it’s long been embraced as an important part of the canon by Batman fans.
Check out the trailer for Batman: The Killing Joke:
The R-rated Killing Joke features Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker, restoring the voice cast from the landmark Batman: The Animated Series. Other vocal talent includes Ray Wise as Commissioner Gordon. You may recognize Wise from Twin Peaks, Robocop, or this delightful music video directed by Eric Wareheim:
