Sure, the live-action DCEU has done some impressive things with the Caped Crusader, but true Bat fans know that Bruce Wayne's best stories have often come in the form of animation. The next animated Batman movie also happens to be arguably one of the most highly-anticipated ones of all time: Batman: The Killing Joke. An adaptation of Alan Moore's iconic graphic novel, The Killing Joke already invokes an insane amount of nostalgia, but one fan decided to take that even further. A new trailer has hit the web showcasing the film in the same art style as the original comic, and it's truly something special. Check it out below.
This trailer takes the audio from the upcoming animated version of The Killing Joke, and combines it with fan-made animation that will immediately remind fans of Brian Bolland's original artwork from the source material. Numerous iconic scenes are recreated with impeccable attention to detail -- from Batman's initial attempt to reason with Joker in Arkham Asylum, to the now infamous panel in which the Clown Prince of Crime paralyzes Barbara Gordon.
We can't sing the praises of this fan-made trailer enough. Although Batman: The Killing Joke seems to have just about every self-respecting DC fan excited, its imminent release has not come without its own fair share of criticism. While the return of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill has been met with great enthusiasm, many have complained that the actual animation style of the feature deviates too far from the source material. Rather than directly honoring the artwork of Brian Bolland, the filmmakers combined Bolland's work with that of Kevin Nowlan, creating something that doesn't necessarily look ripped from the pages of the book. It's ultimately a minor quibble, as the film already looks amazing, but this fan trailer really hammers home the idea of what a visually faithful adaptation of The Killing Joke could truly look like.
Check out the actual trailer for Batman: The Killing Joke in order to get a side-by-side comparison of the two versions of the film:
Regardless of animation style, we cannot even begin to express how excited we are to see The Killing Joke come to life in a film for the very first time. Plenty of iconic Batman storylines have been brought into the world of animation over the years, from The Dark Knight Returns to The Court of Owls, but The Killing Joke may in fact represent the story that fans want to see most of all.
We here at Cinema Blend will bring you any and all updates related to the upcoming Batman: The Killing Joke animated feature as they become available to us. The film will be made available digitally on July 26, and the Blu-Ray will hit shelves on August 2.
