Ahead of its release across home video early next week, Warner Bros. has premiered the first clip for Batman: The Killing Joke, revealing a pensive Caped Crusader.
Premiering via DC All Access, the footage in question kicks off around the 3:56 mark, giving us an early peek of Alan Moore’s acclaimed and indeed controversial comic book in motion. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are on board to reprise their roles as Batman and the Clown Prince of Crime, respectively, extending a run that stretches through Batman: The Animated Series and Rocksteady’s critically-adorned Arkham series.
Chronicling the Joker’s dark beginnings as a struggling comedian in Gotham city, Batman: The Killing Joke tees up a “fateful encounter with Batman that changes both of their lives forever.” That’s something that is teased in the clip above, with Bats paying a visit to the Joker, who is housed up in Arkham Asylum playing solitaire. Fast forward a few years and the Joker is behind bars no more, hatching a plan that places the proverbial crosshairs on Commissioner Gordon himself, forcing Gotham’s Dark Knight to spring into action.
Batman: The Killing Joke swoops onto Blu-ray and DVD on August 2. It’s in line to get a limited theatrical release, too, with Warner’s adaptation poised to light up the silver screen for one night only on July 25.