Ludicrous $17,400 Batman Graphic Novel Looks Like a Camera
One of the most famous and beloved Batman graphic novels ever, “Batman: The Killing Joke,” is getting a new special limited-edition release that looks like an oversized film camera.
As reported by Digital Camera World, the idea of a graphic novel shaped like a camera may seem completely insane at first. However, the bizarre and expensive crossover is closely tied to the graphic novel’s story itself.
Originally published in 1988, “Batman: The Killing Joke”‘s iconic cover shows Batman villain, the Joker, front and center, holding a “Witz”-branded 35mm film camera. On the cover, the Joker is holding the camera in portrait orientation and saying, “Smile.” Classic Joker humor. The graphic novel, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland, is an extremely popular one-shot.
“The Killing Joke” proved to be such a hit that its events have been embraced by subsequent comic book storylines, and the comic was eventually adapted into an animated film of the same name in 2016. The movie’s poster brought back the Joker holding his Witz camera.
For the new, special “Batman: The Killing Joke” Avant-Garde Edition, publisher Argent Comics turned the comic itself into a big Witz camera, complete with an accompanying brown leather “camera” case and camera strap modeled after the kit the Joker uses in the graphic novel. The volume includes both the original 1988 coloring by John Higgins and the 2008 recolor by the original illustrator, Bolland.
It’s an ostentatious camera-themed collector’s edition, to be sure, and no expense has been spared. Each side of every page in the volume is individually giclée printed and then hand-fused. Per the publisher, it is the very first comic book to be giclée-printed, a process typically reserved for fine art. The team even had Hahnemühle custom make a Photo Rag Metallic paper specifically for the comic book.
The volume is bound into aluminum boards, hand-lined with goatskin leather. The case is cinnamon calf leather with purple and green suede lining and a tropical-themed strap. Argent Comics describes the camera case as “equal parts protection and display piece.”
The “lens” on the front of the graphic novel even spins. It’s also detachable and held in place by magnets.
It is, in every sense of the word, luxurious. To that end, it costs $17,409.75. Although, having the money is not even enough. Argent Comics is accepting applications to allow people the chance to purchase one of the 47 copies available. Serious collectors are even encouraged to schedule a private appointment to view the comic book at Argent’s Croatian headquarters.
Image credits: Argent Comics, DC Comics
