Batman: The Killing Joke is not having an easy entry. The animated film based on the 1988 comic novel by Alan Moore (Watchmen) The Killing Joke has taken lumps for sexism that stands out even for a superhero film, where sexism is pretty normal. The attempt to round out the Batgirl character, giving her a richer backstory and more power? Critics generally say that didn’t happen. The Verge said “DC has fallen far shorter than expected.” Noah Berlatsky at The Guardian called it a “wretchedly awful” movie that turns “Batgirl into a clumsy agglomeration of misogynist tropes.” The Guardian writer wonders what might have happened if “some of those creators were women.”
But not too many women got near the project, it turns out, despite the promise to give Batgirl her propers. Wikipedia lists eight men before a woman’s name appears, and that’s actress Tara Strong. The Killing Joke was directed by Sam Liu. Written by Brian Azzarello. Editing by Christopher Lozinski. Casting by Wes Gleason. Art Department is listed as Justin, Steward, James, and Kirk. Of the 16 actors listed as cast on IMDB, just two are women. It was produced, according to IMDB, by Alan Burnett, Benjamin Melniker, Sam Register, Bruce Timm, and Michael Uslan.
