It's been a long time since I read any new Alan Moore, and I'd almost forgotten that he'd written a few Batman stories, the most canonical of which was The Killing Joke. Brian Bolland's art is distinctive for its clean lines and well-demarked detail, so the grim and gritty look is out of the question. Alan Moore uses this to show off how horrifying The Joker truly is, and how unlikely it is that a truly moral Batman could let him live.
The book's also well known for its depiction of the Joker's origin, which ties nicely into the actual story itself. I didn't like the resolution, but to my mind, there's no resolution I would find satisfying that wouldn't result in the Joker's execution, so maybe that's not surprising.
What's interesting about this Batman story is that the Batman is hardly a character here --- he's depicted as always being one step behind the Joker, and does no detecting whatsoever. He's purely there as a contrast to the Joker, and even then he's redundant compared with Commisioner Gordon.
The Killing Joke doesn't stand up to any of Alan Moore's more independent work. Nevertheless, it's a good story and worth the relatively short read.
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