The upcoming animated version of Batman: The Killing Joke ought to be pretty great. The source material is indelible, Bruce Timm is producing, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are voicing Batman and The Joker respectively, and the production will be appropriately edgy and R-rated. Despite all that, you still can’t help but be a bit concerned. Early trailers have looked a little iffy, and DC’s direct-to-video animated films haven’t all been great. Is Batman: The Killing Joke going to live up to expectations?
Well, we have a new The Killing Joke clip for you that should relieve some concerns. It’s the infamous scene from the original graphic novel where Batman visits Joker in Arkham to try to, just once, talk some sense into his greatest nemesis. No spoilers, but the meeting doesn’t exactly go as planned. As you would expect, the voice acting is top notch, but the animation seems to have improved as well. The first trailer for The Killing Joke looked a bit flat and cheaply-produced, but this clip is much more atmospheric. Closer to the classic shadowy look of Batman: The Animated Series.
What do you folks think? Is this adaptation looking up to snuff? Batman: The Killing Joke hits shelves and VoD on July 25.
