The joke ends with Batman hesitating, then reaching out his hand. The two men share a roaring laugh. The final panel pulls back: Batman’s hands are on the Joker’s throat. The rain falls.
Batman, having tracked the Joker to the funhouse, fights his way through carnival-themed death traps. He finally finds Gordon, strapped to a twisted version of a carousel horse. Gordon, eyes hollow but spirit unbroken, gives Batman the order: "Bring him in by the book." He refuses to let Batman kill the Joker, proving that the Joker’s experiment has failed. Batman- The Killing Joke
However, it's essential to consider the context and intent behind this plot twist. Moore and Bolland's decision to cripple Barbara Gordon was a deliberate narrative choice, meant to illustrate the Joker's ruthless nature and undermine the notion that comic book characters are invincible. This event also served as a catalyst for Barbara's transformation into the character of Oracle, a more mature and complex figure in the DC Universe. The joke ends with Batman hesitating, then reaching
Bolland famously redrew the entire book years after its initial publication for the "Absolute Edition," correcting colors and line weights. His Joker is terrifying not because he is grotesque, but because he is immaculate. The pristine white skin, the razor-sharp teeth, the dead eyes behind the smile—Bolland draws the Joker as a fashion model of nihilism. The rain falls
Immediately after, the Joker escapes (or is he released? The story is ambiguous). He purchases a decrepit amusement park, then executes his most personal attack yet. He arrives at Commissioner Gordon’s home, shoots Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) through the spine, shattering her vertebrae and leaving her paralyzed. He then strips her, takes photographs of her wounded, naked body, and kidnaps Commissioner Gordon.
Despite its flaws, The Killing Joke is inescapable.
