Killing Joke Assessment

Question 1: What is my reaction to the text I just read?
Mostly confusion and anger. I had a lot of trouble following along, as someone who really doesn't care for DC and Batman in general. The general timeline of the piece confused me as to what was going on at any point, since you had multiple flashbacks interlaced throughout the story. Also why is the Red Hood mask a thing where it was in the story? I thought Red Hood happened because of Joker? Like wasn't that a super big thing that happened??? So why is the Joker, back when he's normal, putting on that mask and going on a heist? And the rage should be self explanatory for Barbara's plight. That just infuriated me to the point I was grinding my teeth together reading it.
And that last bit with the guy talking to the camera about killing Batman. WHO WAS THAT GUY?!?
I have no knowledge about him whatsoever and it completely caught me off guard? what relevance does he even have to the plot of this comic? Was it just to add out the pages and give someone the chance to show batman getting shot in the head? plus the whole thing that the guy did to that child, why did they have to throw that in as well??? You could have easily just implied that the guy is insane in like 50 other different ways. why did you go the Child route


Question 2: What connections did I make with the story? Discuss the elements of the story through which you were able to connect.

I didn't really connect with this story all that much asides from Barbara and Commissioner Jordans plight. I felt rage and pity on their behalf and as soon as they were safe I stopped caring. The entire story really just put me off through its showcasing of different elements, specifically the jokers backstory. I already knew what was going to happen to him so I didn't find myself caring about anyone in his past. Sure the scenes showed may have helped drive the plot forward and explain what was going on, but in the long run I just didn't care. And the last bit with the unnamed guy I remember speed reading through it because I just wanted to finish reading this and forget it existed.


Question 3: What changes would I make to adapt this story to another media? What changes would I make and what media would it be?

I would change this to the media of a video game. Not a super long one, but maybe a couple of levels,  in the style of a point and click adventure, to pay homage to Batman's detective routes, as most point and click adventures are mysteries of some kind. Plus I feel that suits the relative lack of violence in this piece better than any other kind of game. The changes I would make to the story would be the flashbacks for Joker could be a more separate level with him fading in and out of those memories as he gets the park made for Batman's arrival. I feel like that would help to really ground them into why he's doing what he's doing and justify their existence more. I would honestly just remove the Red Hood aspect of it since it still makes no plausible sense to me as to how that could happen in the first place. And the part with the guy and the camera would also be removed or at least expanded upon to show Batman capturing him and him getting his dues.

Maus

Reading this comic was an experience, and not one I’m sure I would like to revisit in the future. I am aware of the different stories that come from survivors about their experiences as well as media portrayal of what happened. Having read Night by Elie Wiesel twice in my school and seen the movie “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” 5 different times I can understand the feeling of horror when it comes to the holocaust. This story was more horrifying than either of them. It and barefoot gen both threw me to a new level of horror. Part of it was the content of the story, which would horrify any decent human being, but the majority of it was the style it was portrayed in. The fact that everyone is different types of animals adds an extra element to the story when you study the interactions between animals and why each one is assigned to each group, but a secondary result of this is that each is much simpler to draw and portray expressions. The simple style is more soft than what you would expect from a story about the holocaust. And it’s a very important part of the portrayal, as the story done in a style similar to, say, the DC or Mc comic style the entire tone would be shifted. Sure it would still be horrifying but in a far more graphic way, as they would likely show all or most of the gritty details of what happened. That style was meant to shock, while this one was meant to draw you in. Because of the simplicity of this style more of the horror is implied rather than shown, which is a very useful story tactic that probably aided the mass popularity and awareness it received. Because of the use of implication most people who read it, regardless of knowledge about the horrors of what happened, are able to grasp everything in it even if the exact details aren’t known. This way the story can be spread to everyone without people protesting about corruption of the innocent or it being too graphic for anyone.

Dopin' Dan

From the first moment you see the cover for the Dopin’ Dan you can immediately tell that its going to be a unglamorous showcase of the subject matter. Which really isn’t a surprise when you consider all the circumstances that were around when it came out. But the art itself also lends to that appearance, as most comics about military life today show the uniforms prim and proper even if they are simplified. Beetle Bailey, as one of the most common comic strips about the military today, is a great example of this. Each uniform looks different but its based off the character that is wearing it as it’s an extension of that character. But the common theme of them is they are properly fit, with most implied bumps of the cloth being around the elbow and knee joints and where the shirt is tucked in. With Dopin’ Dan the uniforms are not prim at all. It’s a very specific style choice based off this persons view of the military, but the extra bumps and ridges that add character to the comic are also a jab at the subject matter. Again, not surprising given the circumstances in which it came out. But as far as uncomfortable material in underground comics go, I feel like this specific one was a little tame, as they’re was not very much drug use or anything even remotely sexual, which is surprising given the other ones I have read. So as far as comics go ignoring the jabs at the military its pretty chill.

A Contract with God

The comic “Contract with God” is an interesting read all of its own, and makes for a good character study piece. And the art style of it also helps convey the deep and personal story in it, as well as telling the environment and flow of the story. In the first few pages the scenery is these large apartment buildings that are categorized by their downwards shading, the pen-strokes guiding the eye down which is best seen in PDF format, allowing a certain flow to aid the reading. The method of the pen work also aids to setting the mood, their just barely offset lines putting just enough hint of unease in the person which is only echoed by what is quickly reveled. The pen work only gets more and more dynamic as the story goes on, the quick strokes help echo the rage and anger felt by Frimme Hersh, but soon settle into thicker lines and blocks in the middle with the quicker strokes liking the boarders of the scenes, but filling the space at the same time. this helps with showing the characterization of the man, who is rich beyond belief now, but still angry at his core, feeling as though his god had broken a contract and betrayed him. this only becomes more clear as towards the end the angry lines start to take up the majority of the pages, his rage spilling over with glee, thinking he finally has gotten what he wanted. The only time these lines disappear is at the end when Shloime Khreks finds the contract and agrees to it with no hate or malice in his heart.