Batman Faces The Joker in First Trailer for The Killing Joke

Long before Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder were making superhero movies, the '90s show Batman: The Animated Series was exploring the dark side of the Caped Crusader to great acclaim. The team behind that series has now returned with a new adaptation of the classic graphic novel The Killing Joke. A first trailer has landed--check it out below:

Kevin Conroy is back as Batman, with Mark Hamill taking time off from the Star Wars saga to lend his voice to the Joker once more. Twin Peaks star Ray Wise plays Commissioner Gordon, with Tara Strong as his daughter Barbara (aka Batgirl).

The Killing Joke was created by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, and published by DC in 1988. Earlier this month it was confirmed that it would be the first release in Warner's "DC Universe Original Movie" franchise to receive an R certificate.

In a statement, Warner animation boss Sam Register explained that the team behind The Killing Joke were given the creative freedom to explore the same dark areas as the comic book. "We encouraged producer Bruce Timm and our team to remain faithful to the original story--regardless of the eventual MPAA rating," he said. "The Killing Joke is revered by the fans, particularly for its blunt, often-shocking adult themes and situations.

"We felt it was our responsibility to present our core audience--the comics-loving community--with an animated film that authentically represented the tale they know all too well."

Batman: The Killing Joke is to premiere at the San Diego Comic-Con in July, before hitting home entertainment platforms later in the year.