Bruce Timm Always Dreaded Making Batman: The Killing Joke Into A Movie
There's not much you can say about Bruce Timm's contribution to Batman on-screen that hasn't been said. The architect of the DC Animated Universe has had a hand in pretty much all the Dark Knight's animated exploits, thanks mostly to his pioneering work alongside Eric Radmoski on "Batman: The Animated Series" back in the early '90s. There was so much that went into making that show great, including the voice talents of Kevin Conroy, who for many remains the definitive voice of Batman. But it was arguably the show's overall tone that made it so irresistible for a generation of kids.
Borrowing not from only from classic kids cartoons but from such unlikely sources as Alfred Hitchcock, who greatly influenced the look of the show, film noir, and a multitude of art styles, "Batman: TAS" was ostensibly a kids' show that didn't treat its audience like kids. The series never shied away from mature themes and ideas, forcing the production crew to employ several tricks to get those more mature elements past the censors. That included an episode of "The New Batman Adventures" — an extension of "TAS" — that featured a sequence wherein Barbara Gordon falls from a building onto the hood of a car carrying her own father, who then cries out as his daughter perishes in his arms. Not exactly the most kid-friendly content. But it was all done in a way that felt like Timm and co. were treating kids as smart enough to recognize the narrative importance of these moments, rather than talking down to their young audience.
Despite imbuing his show with more mature themes throughout, when it came time to adapt Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, and John Higgins' celebrated graphic novel, "The Killing Joke," something about its distinctly adult storytelling didn't sit right with Timm.
The Killing Joke had a troubled debut
Released in 1988, "The Killing Joke" remains one of the most influential stories in Batman history. "Watchmen" writer Alan Moore approached the Joker origin story as a way of demonstrating the similarities between the Clown Prince of Crime and the Dark Knight, ultimately helping popularize the now ubiquitous notion of the two being opposite sides of the same coin. The graphic novel influenced everyone from future DC comics writers to directors Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, and famously contained the genesis of Barbara Gordon becoming Oracle, after she's shot by the Joker, who then takes pictures of his victim as she lies helpless on the floor.
"The Killing Joke" certainly wasn't a comic book for kids, then. Which is why when he was drafted to executive produce the 2016 animated adaptation, Bruce Timm was trepidatious. He'd been given a lot of creative control on "Batman: TAS" but in order to stay faithful to Moore's story, the film was always going to risk an R rating. Timm, however was used to making more mature content accessible to kids. That point wasn't lost on him when the adaptation of "The Killing Joke" debuted at Comic Con 2016.
Things didn't get off to the most auspicious start when, during a Q&A, writer Brian Azzarello was confronted by a fan, later confirmed to be writer Jeremy Konrad, who took issue with Azzarello's inclusion of an original story that saw Barbara Gordon sleeping with Batman. In Konrad's eyes, this addition "ended up being about the men in her life" and famously prompted Azzarello to call Konrad a "p****," kicking off the movie's debut in less than classy fashion. Which was fitting for Timm, as his whole experience with adapting the story had been a struggle.
'It's never been on my wishlist'
In an interview at the convention, Bruce Timm was asked if "The Killing Joke" had always been on his wishlist to adapt. He responded by saying:
"Honestly, no. No, it's never been on my wish list. It's something that I've always kind of dreaded having to do as a movie. Because it's problematical. It's not a standard Batman story. [...] Every time it comes up for discussion, I'd look at it and go, 'It's not an action movie. Batman doesn't save the day. He almost doesn't do anything right in the story. It's very, very bleak.'"
In Alan Moore's story, Batman fails to prevent Barbara Gordon — played by Tara Strong in both the film adaptation and Timm's animated Batman shows — being shot. Although he manages to save her father, Jim Gordon, from being held hostage by the Joker, the graphic novel ends with the Dark Knight and Joker sharing a laugh, thereby signaling their connection and reinforcing the whole "two sides of the same coin" thing. And for Timm, that just didn't appeal to his sensibilities. As he went on to say, "It has one of the most famously messed-up endings of a comic ever. And I thought, 'These things are all anti what cinema is all about.'"
Ever the professional, Timm pushed forward by earnestly trying to "do it the way it is and not try to turn it into a summer blockbuster movie," ultimately saying he thought the result was "actually quite good."
The Killing Joke was a step too far
"The Killing Joke" animated adaptation remains somewhat controversial, mostly due to Brian Azzarello's additions. The simplified art style also didn't necessarily match the more adult content and the inclusion of "Batman: The Animated Series" and "The New Batman Adventures" voice talent Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Tara Strong both helped elevate the film and made it a little jarring to hear these stars of kids cartoons dealing with darker subject matter. Recording "The Killing Joke" reportedly even drove Conroy and Hamill a bit up the wall.
That might be why Bruce Timm went on to say that he felt "a little bit sad that [he] finally made a Batman movie that little kids really shouldn't be going to see." The executive producer elaborated on his crisis of conscience, stating:
"In my heart of hearts I keep thinking, 'Okay, this is the guy who's on Batman bubble bath and Batman sheets and Batman toys, and it's like little kids grow up loving Batman.' It's like, 'Well hey, there's a Batman movie! Oh, you can't watch it. This is not for you.'"
If nothing else, it's interesting to see where Timm's line was when it came to animated Batman stories and more adult content. He'd famously melded mature storytelling with kids' entertainment in the '90s and it was a formula that worked for him. But it seems the line was, in fact, "The Killing Joke."