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Batman goes to Arkham Asylum on a fool's errand - to try and talk sense to the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. But Joker's not there! He's escaped and plans on destroying the Gordon family. Will the Dark Knight save them? Or will Joker have the last laugh...

First off, this is an acknowledged classic and I utterly loved it when I read it several years ago. Re-reading it now, I can say this book most definitely holds up, this is a classic Batman book for a reason. What I forgot was how slim a book it is - it's 46 pages long! The other Bat-classics, Returns, Year One, Long Hallowe'en, they're all at least 100 pages, the last one I think is nearly 300 pages. 46 pages!

It's a testament to Alan Moore's skilful plotting and Brian Bolland's superb artwork and layouts then that the two of them are able to fit so much and develop it so well in such a limited frame. And here's the other surprise about this book, even though Alan Moore's name is on the book, Brian Bolland is far and away the real reason anyone, whether they like superhero comics or not, should pick up this book. The artwork is GORGEOUS!

Look at that iconic cover - Joker looking perfect, his pose fit snugly within the rectangular cover; it says so much and is such a beautiful cover. I've got a large print of this framed in my house I love it so much. Looking through the book though are so many other frames that are utterly fantastic - the Joker smiling a winning smile to the Carnival property owner; Joker's gun as it points at Barbara Gordon; the Heart of Darkness-esque shot of Joker sitting on a bumper car atop a pile of (fake) dead babies; the design of the red hood; the half page image of the Joker becoming the Joker for the first time; the first panel of the last page when Joker begins laughing at his own punch-line - and Batman joins in!

Yes this is an origin story of one of the most interesting villains in fiction ever created, but I choose to believe it isn't, that it's one version of Joker's origin, one of many swirling around the calliope of his deranged mind, in the same way that the ending could be seen as imaginary. I mean, could you see Batman laughing with the Joker? But I loved Moore's choice of ending the story on a joke, that was a master stroke.

Bolland writes the afterword and he makes an interesting point about Moore, that "The Killing Joke" is never mentioned among his great works (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, From Hell) and I think that, while Moore is a tremendous writer (especially in the 80s), the writing here is not his best. Sure he does a decent job but it's not his best work. No, the real reason this book is so revered is the artwork. Really, I can't praise it enough. And it's a damn shame that Bolland hasn't drawn another Batman comic since then, or any comic really, instead illustrating book covers exclusively.

Any Batman fan will already have this on their "to-read list" or else already own it, but I think comics fans who don't usually go in for superhero comics will find plenty to enjoy here too. This is the book that influences a lot of things that follow it: Tim Burton's 1989 Batman movie (Jack Napier in the factory being chased by cops), the Batman games "Arkham Asylum" and "Arkham City" (see the fight sequences between Batman and Joker and tell me you don't recognise a few moves there), but most of all what happened to poor Barbara Gordon and how her character would develop over the years.

Also, if you can, buy the Deluxe Edition as it features the colour work of Bolland himself instead of John Higgins the original colourist. Bolland's approach is markedly different particularly in the flashback sequences of Joker-before-he-was-Joker. It also comes with an introduction by Tim Sale (artist of Haunted Knight, The Long Hallowe'en, and Dark Victory), and an afterword by Bolland along with a bonus strip written and drawn by Bolland of a murderous delusional fantasising about killing the Caped Crusader.

A wonderful achievement by two talented artists, taking an iconic figure in an iconic series and making him seem new. Nearly 30 years later and it still reads fresh. Even if you've read it before but it's been a few years since you last picked it up, go read it again, you'll find little bits you missed all those years ago, like me.

I've got one: so, a bat and a clown go to the fair and....