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LOS ANGELES, April 27 (UPI) -- Batman confronts The Joker in the first trailer for Warner Bros. upcoming animated adaptation of Batman: The Killing Joke. Released Tuesday on Yahoo, the clip features iconic scenes from the famed graphic novel including The Dark Knight's Arkham Asylum chat with the Clown Prince of Crime and The Joker's meeting with Barbara Gordon/Batgirl.
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"I've been thinking about you and me," Batman, voiced by Kevin Conroy says to a smiling Joker played by Mark Hamill. "About how this is going to end. And who will end up killing who." Conroy and Hamill have been voicing the two DC comics characters opposite each other for decades starting with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992. Tara Strong also joins the cast as the voice of Batgirl.
Based on the classic 1988 tale written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland, the footage showcases the film's animation style which captures the look and feel of Bolland's original art.
True to the violent content seen in the graphic novel, the animated feature has been rated R. The Killing Joke is famous for its plot revolving around The Joker torturing and eventually paralyzing Batgirl inside her own home, leading her to become the wheelchair-bound hero Oracle.
"The Killing Joke is revered by the fans, particularly for its blunt, often-shocking adult themes and situations. We felt it was our responsibility to present our core audience — the comics-loving community — with an animated film that authentically represented the tale they know all too well," said president of Warner Bros. Animation and digital sales Sam Register to Entertainment Weekly.
Batman: The Killing Joke will make its world premiere at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July before being released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD later this year.
