Batman is back and in Batman: The Killing Joke, he has Batgirl as partner. And although he thinks that it’s too dangerous out there for her, Batgirl saves him from certain death at least once.

So where does the ‘joke’ come in? Of course from The Joker who has again escaped from Arkham Asylum and wants to take revenge from those who put him in, in the first place.

What makes Batman: The Killing Joke a good watch is the return of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill (as Batman and The Joker); Tara Strong is the Batgirl and the story revolves around these three — and Commissioner Gordon. You can also find out the origin story of at least two DC characters — The Joker and Oracle — and if you aren’t a fan; I urge you to watch the animated movie to become one.

The scenes where Batman fights The Joker and rescues the Commissioner are executed well, but the climax leaves you wanting more action. This movie lasts less than 80 minutes but the first 30 are very slow; although the flick tells you why The Joker becomes what he is, from a standup comedian who used to be a family man, but destroys the character of Batgirl. It shows her as a weak crime fighter who needs Batman to save her, which isn’t entirely true.

To show that she has feelings for the Dark Knight is a terrible way to take the story forward. It reflects poorly on the Bat of Gotham ,who is a champion of the world but not in one of the instances here.

Batman: The Killing Joke should have stayed closer to the source material, the graphic novel on which it was based. The idea to diverge from the original story might have excited the makers but disappointed the fans who are now waiting for Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders where Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar will voice Batman, Robin and Catwoman respectively, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Batman TV series.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 10th, 2016