Batman's back on our screens again, but he's not being played by Ben Affleck.
The Caped Crusader is appearing in the DC animated movie, Batman: The Killing Joke, the much-hyped adaptation of the Alan Moore comic of the same name. In the DC Animated Universe's first Rated R movie, The Killing Joke sees Batman face off against his mortal enemy the Joker, as the Joker attempts to prove to Batman that any man can go bad with just one bad day.
The first official trailer is out, with Kevin Conroy reprising his classic role as Batman which he originated 20 years ago in Batman: The Animated Series, Mark Hamill making a memorable return as the iconic Joker of our time, and Tara Strong and Ray Wise returning as Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon, respectively.
The Killing Joke was a great source of inspiration for Christopher Nolan's version of the Joker in The Dark Knight, specifically the Joker's mission to prove to Batman that he can turn any man to insanity, even echoing the dialogue with his line, "All it takes is one little push."
Despite the anticipation for The Killing Joke, much controversy has been brewing around its adaptation, especially its R rating. The original comic by Moore was known for its violent treatment and "fridging" (when a female character is killed or incapacitated to motivate a male character) of Barbara Gordon, known as Batgirl.
While The Killing Joke has become the foundation for the modern Joker's origin story and psychotic personality, its blasé crippling of Batgirl has led many comics fans to denounce The Killing Joke, and even writer Moore to voice his regret over the comic.
Batman: The Killing Joke is set to debut on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD in July.
