Batman: The Killing Joke remains one of the most influential races in the The story of the black knight. Written by Alan Moore and drawn by Brian Bolland, it’s a twisty odyssey into a legendary rivalry. Test Batman’s mettle and unleash a downright vicious vision for the once nerdy Clown Prince of crime. It’s still a highlight for fans, with obvious influences on Batman’s wider legacy. A boutique publisher wants to test the price they can get, because the new “Avant-Garde” edition will work for collectors $17,409.
Based in Croatia, Money Comics “reorganizes iconic DC stories into objects of art.” Their first outing with this terrain is Batman: The Killing Joke, avant-garde edition. Packaged in a replica of the camera the Joker used on Barbara Gordon’s raped body, this version of the comic is giclée printed, bound between aluminum boards, and lined with goatskin. There will only be 47 copies representing the atomic number of the Hahnemühle silver metallic paper (but not the “Silver Age” comics, where the Joker was still busy escaping in a hot air balloon). Each copy will be signed by Bolland, but not by Moore. Good luck getting Moore to sign him.
Maybe the funniest thing about Avant-garde this is how she underlines the greatest grievance of the current Joke to kill prints. In 2008, DC Comics released the Deluxe Edition of The murderous jokewith new coloring work from Bolland. This treatment stripped away and desaturated the lush, textured work that colorist John Higgins did for the 1988 original. This has been a constant point of contention for fans and a point of reference whenever new reprints treat pre-digitally composed comics similarly. The Argent Comics version proudly renders Higgins’ colors, probably the most compelling argument in favor of the box set.
Argent Comics invites loyal collectors to come to their Zagreb offices to see their Joke to kill for themselves, by appointment. Such a high price for a comic book stands in stark contrast to the success of DC Compact Comics Linean incredibly popular series of classic stories, including Moore’s Guardiansin spacious and economical packages.