Batman The Killing Joke movie Controversy

My thoughts on this.



I don't like when writers make Babs have romantic interest in the bat family. I have my issues with her and Dick Grayson but I'd rather have that then her with anyone else in the family. It feels very forced, incestuous and there's lots of bad implications that go with it. Especially since certain arcs in the comics have her seeing Bruce in a more fatherly light. Seriously the grieving arc in Batman and Robin (Batman and Batgirl #21) has her wanting his approval since her dad was looking down on Batgirl. I never liked the hints in Batman the Animated series and Batman Beyond. Honestly Bruce never seemed interested in her in those and given the comics interpenetration of it the whole thing was a mess. I also can't see Bruce ever pursuing her for similar reasons.

"The thing about this is that it's controversial, so we added more controversy," explained Azzarello. "I think she is stronger than the men in her life in this story. She controls the men in her life in this story."


So they added controversy just for the sake of controversy ? Instead of working on the actual story or focusing on Barbara as a character that has aspirations beyond crime fighting they focus on a relationship that was never canon in the comics? Granted I haven't seen it but the original Killing Joke took place when she was retired. There's a lot to work with that wasn't explored at the time. What about her wanting to be a cop and deciding to go to another city before she's shot ? How she wanted to help people but was tired of being a vigilante ?

I think I get what Azzarello is trying to say about "controls the men in her life" but it probably could have been phrased better. I haven't read comments on this but I can already guess some of the reactions.

"They both make mistakes, but she's the one who decides, 'I have to stop. There's a problem here, and I need to step away from this,'" Liu explained. "I think that comes from an emotional strength. I think she makes the decisions that strong people make."

"She comes off as a stronger character at the end of that arc," Azzarello agreed.

...And this couldn't have happened unless she had sex with Bruce? I'm being honest when I say that I have no idea what that could possibly add to the story or why it's worth the trouble. She had an emotional connection to him already that didn't need to be sexual. Would they do the same thing with Cassandra Cain who actually was his adopted kid at one point? I don't get the thought process here. I don't like it but at the same time I'm at the point where I can just shrug it off. Disappointed but as I don't plan on seeing it I'm just going to try to ignore it.