Ask any self respecting Batman fan, and they will tell you that one of the upcoming films that has them overcome with excitement is the Batman: The Killing Joke animated feature. A hard R adaptation of Alan Moore’s beloved graphic novel, The Killing Joke will bring the dark story of The Joker’s iconic battle with Batman and Jim Gordon to life for the very first time. The film thus far looks incredibly faithful to the source material, but as it turns out, Warner Bros. will make some distinct changes to expand the role of Barbara Gordon a.k.a Batgirl in the film.
According to a new report from Hitfix, it now seems that The Killing Joke will feature a 15-minute prologue that chronicles the crime-fighting career of Batgirl. Although Barbara Gordon features prominently in the original Killing Joke graphic novel, readers never get a chance to see her don her Batsuit and take on criminals. We as readers only get a brief glimpse into her life prior to Joker shooting her in the spine, and following that she is left crying in a hospital room while Batman goes off to fight his nemesis.
It remains to be seen how fans will respond to such a creative decision. While it’s always undoubtedly awesome to see a member of the Bat Family kicking ass and taking names, other members of the audience might not like such a drastic addition to the source material. Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke has become something of a sacred work within the Batman mythos, and any substantial departures from what fans have come to expect might not be met with the most welcoming reception.
Personally, while I am a huge fan of the graphic novel, seeing Barbara Gordon hitting the streets as Batgirl can only improve the already stellar story. It will allow the filmmakers to establish her as a hero in her own right, and not just a victim of The Joker’s twisted machinations. Seeing her immense fall from grace will add to the dramatic impact of her paralysis.
Check out the behind the scenes look at the upcoming adaptation of Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke to see more:
We here at Cinema Blend will keep you up to date with all of the latest and greatest news related to The Killing Joke as it becomes available to us. The film will reunite Batman icons Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill in their respective roles as The Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime, and will likely become an instant classic when it becomes available on home video later this year.
