So there has been some controversy stirring up the comic book world involving the just released Batman animated movie, "The Killing Joke." Reports have said that the film was screened at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con, and interesting is that the first 30 minutes of the films is a new prologue focusing on Batgirl before going into the remaining 45 minutes of the movie that adapts Alan Moore's original graphic novel.
The prologue caught the ire of fans, as some have deemed the 30 minutes prologue to be unecessary and offensive. Be warned, there are massive spoilers ahead. The entire criticism of adaptation centers around the Batgirl prologue - the pseudo sex scene, in particular. The prologue concentrates on her relationship with Batman, with implecations that they are romantically involved. Barbara Gordon was a young librarian who started doning the image of Batgirl to get the attention of Batman. This has been all too similar to her reason the animated series, but this time, the attention that she seeks is for love and affection.
A majority of those that have seen the film felt that the character of Batgirl and her motivations for being who she was has become shallow. In a report done by Vanity Fair, it would seem that writer Brian Azarello, who has done Wonder Woman for DC's new 52 comic made the decision of including the said questionable scene to give Barbara Gordon a meaningful role.
According to Vox, in a Comic Con panel, Azarello argued that "The Killing Joke" is already controversial, so they decided to add more controversy to it. He wanted to show that Barbara controls the men in her life, and that she is stroger because of it. It seems as though fans think that he need not add anymore controversy as reception to what he has added has been widely panned. It also does not help Azarello's case when he demeaned a fan who contested his decision.
There is still that rest of the film that one could still call "The Killing Joke." Ignoring the entire controversial prologue would still leave you with a movie that explains how having "one bad day," can change someone, and that it just takes one bad day to reduce the sanest man into lunacy.
