Claim: Batman: The Killing Joke was written by a British writer.

Batman : The Killing Joke is a 1988 DC Comics one-shot graphic novel featuring the characters Batman and the Joker written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland . The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the supervillain the Joker , loosely adapted from the 1951 story arc `` The Man Behind the Red Hood ! '' . Taking place over two timelines , The Killing Joke depicts the Joker attempting to drive Jim Gordon insane and Batman 's desperate attempt to stop him .   Created by Moore and Bolland as their own take on the Joker 's source and psychology , the story became famous for its origin of the Joker as a tragic character ; a family man and failed comedian who suffered `` one bad day '' that finally drove him insane . Moore stated that he attempted to show the similarities and contrasts between the two characters . The story 's effects on the mainstream Batman continuity also included the shooting and paralysis of Barbara Gordon -LRB- a.k.a. Batgirl -RRB- , an event that laid the groundwork for her to develop the identity of Oracle .   Many critics consider the graphic novel to be the definitive Joker story and one of the best Batman stories ever published . The comic won the Eisner Award for ` Best Graphic Album ' in 1989 and appeared on The New York Times Best Seller List in May 2009 . In 2006 , The Killing Joke was reprinted as part of the trade paperback DC Universe : The Stories of Alan Moore . In 2008 , DC Comics reprinted the story in a deluxe hardcover edition , which features new coloring by Bolland , with a more somber , realistic , and subdued palette than the original . Elements of The Killing Joke have inspired or been incorporated into other aspects of Batman media , such as films and video games .