1) The Killing Joke
Batman has an identity crisis. One minute, he’s screaming at criminals like he’s smoked a whole pack of Malboro’s and the next, he’s jogging around, throwing out puns left and right as he fends off sharks with his Bat-shark repellent. Despite this, one iconic Batman persona we are yet to see on screen is the R-rated version, one who will go to almost any length to protect Gotham City.
Up until now, rating restrictions have prevented film makers from faithfully adapting some of Batman’s most important stories, including A Death In The Family and The Long Halloween, but the potential success of Deadpool could open the doors for the Caped Crusader’s darkest movie yet.
Alan Moore (Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), created the definitive origin story for the Joker in Batman: The Killing Joke. While the Clown Prince of Crime strived to break Jim Gordon’s spirit in the present, readers delved into the Joker’s past through a series of increasingly disturbing flashbacks. No other comic has captured the psychology of the Joker in such a chillingly accurate way, particularly in the book’s most famous scene where he shoots Batgirl in the spine, permanently paralyzing Gordon’s daughter.
An animated adaptation of the story is slated for release in 2016, featuring Mark Hamill’s return as the voice of the Joker, but it’s unlikely that this will be rated R. To remain faithful to Moore’s original comic, a live action version of The Killing Joke needs to be made, one that showcases the Joker’s psychosis in the most disturbing way possible.
The influence of The Killing Joke can be seen throughout a number of the Batman movies released so far, but DC now needs to fully commit. With future Batman sequels already lined up, perhaps Ben Affleck’s Caped Crusader could one day take on the Joker in revenge for the paralysis of Barbara Gordon.
Tell us, which one of these R rated comic books should be adapted first? Can you think of any more suggestions? And do you think the public will ever tire of comic book movies? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.