DC Comics initially seemed to agree with the critics. For years, Barbara was left paralyzed and retired from heroics. However, in a twist of real-world irony, the very trauma inflicted upon her led to one of the most celebrated evolutions in comics: Barbara Gordon became . As Oracle, she became the information broker and hacker for the entire DC Universe, the backbone of the Birds of Prey, and a symbol of triumph over disability. She proved the Joker’s thesis wrong. She did not go mad. She adapted and became more powerful.
The ambiguity is intentional. Alan Moore has stated that he intended for Batman to finally, fatally, break his rule. In Moore’s original script, the final panels implied Batman kills the Joker. However, DC Comics editorial (and Bolland’s own interpretation) left it open. Most readers now see it as a moment of tragic connection: Batman realizes he is laughing with the man who crippled a friend. He understands the Joker’s joke—the flashlight is sanity, the beam is hope, and the second man is the Joker who cannot trust it. Batman is the first man, offering a light the other will never accept. The laughter is the sound of two men realizing they are truly trapped together forever. Batman- The Killing Joke
It is a book of profound contradictions. It is a story that tries to give the Joker depth while simultaneously reducing Batgirl to a plot point. It is a book that argues for sanity but revels in insanity. It contains some of the most beautiful art ever printed in a comic book, depicting some of the ugliest acts ever committed. DC Comics initially seemed to agree with the critics
: Despite the horror, Gordon remains sane and insists on bringing the Joker in "by the book," effectively disproving the Joker's worldview and asserting that madness is ultimately a choice. 🃏 A Tragic (and Multiple-Choice) Origin As Oracle, she became the information broker and
