好莱坞鬼才导演蒂姆·伯顿钟爱的漫画

与《守望者》《V 字仇杀队》并列为阿兰·摩尔为人熟知的经典

DC 漫画史上关键的作品之一

现由DC Comics联合Titan Books推出漫画改编小说

揭露蝙蝠侠宿敌小丑（Joker）诞生的起源

▲漫画封面

小丑（Joker）初次登场于《蝙蝠侠》（Batman）第一期（1940年6月），其角色灵感来自于法国文豪维克多·雨果的小说《笑面人》中笑面人的形象，就算不曾看过这本漫画，主流观众想必也对这位臭名昭著的反派有所了解，以他为主角的《蝙蝠侠：黑暗骑士》，至今仍是漫改电影中难以逾越的作品。

△电影《蝙蝠侠：黑暗骑士》剧照，蝙蝠侠（右）与小丑（左）

这个拥有诡异幽默感的精神病患者不按常理出牌，无法用逻辑预测，动机不明；他被视为混乱和疯狂的代言人，没有超能力却屡次让英雄们束手无策。他的真实姓名和身世至今仍是一个谜，直到1988年，由编剧阿兰·摩尔和画师布莱恩·伯兰德创作的单篇漫画Batman: The Killing Joke诞生，为读者们提供了一种解读他的可能。

三十年前，编剧阿兰·摩尔和画师布莱恩·伯兰德，向世界呈现了将小丑塑造成型的一系列事件。如今，他们创作出的噩梦般的图像将以全新的文字形式卷土重来。

他是蝙蝠侠不共戴天的宿敌，是丧心病狂的犯罪大师，他怪异的行径让人琢磨不透。然而小丑并非天生如此。在成为犯罪界的小丑之前，他也曾是黑暗骑士愿意献出生命去保护的对象——一个平凡人 。

是什么导致了这个平凡公民堕落成了哥谭有史以来臭名昭著的反派？蝙蝠侠能阻止小丑把戈登局长和他的女儿芭芭拉拖入疯狂深渊的计划吗？这对死敌能及时为他们之间无尽的对决画下一个句号吗？

Adapting what may be the most popular of graphic novels, by the edgy Hard Case Crime author, adding layers and exploring the nature of morality.

Faced with overwhelming poverty and a pregnant wife, a tragic, struggling comedian is forced to turn to crime. In his first heist, he is immersed in toxic chemicals that disfigure him bizarrely, driving him mad and thus giving birth to The Joker.

For years, the Clown Prince of Crime has been caught in a dance of violence with his greatest nemesis, the Batman. Escaping Arkham Asylum, he plots his most lethal caper. This will be the ultimate punch line... his KILLING JOKE.

In their mission to protect Gotham City, Batman and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) pursue ruthless criminals such as the grandiose Maxie Zeus and Antonio "Python" Palmares. Simultaneously, Commissioner James Gordon and Detective Harvey Bullock take on a cartel distributing the latest designer drug--"giggle sniff," derived from a venom created by The Joker.

This rapid-fire sequence of events spirals together to threaten Batman's closest friends and allies, and locks the two eternal foes in their ultimate death match.

Christa Faust is an author of hardboiled crime novels, including Choke Hold, Money Shot and Hoodtown. She has also written comics and a wide variety of media tie ins such as the award-winning novelization of Snakes on a Plane.

Gary Phillips has published crime fiction novels such as Warlord of Willow Ridge and Violent Spring, set in post '92 civil unrest L.A. He has edited several anthologies including the well-received The Obama Inheritance; and published more than 60 short stories in collections ranging from Jewish Noir to Black Pulp II.

Together, Faust and Phillips co-wrote the graphic novel Peepland which thefandompost.com called, "A damn near perfect comic, hardboiled in all the right ways."