▁appears ▁in ▁Alan ▁Moore ' s ▁Bat man : ▁The ▁K illing ▁Jo ke . ▁In ▁this ▁graph ic ▁novel , ▁the ▁J oker ▁sho ots ▁and ▁par aly zes ▁Barbara ▁Gordon ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁drive ▁her ▁father ▁ins ane , ▁thereby ▁prov ing ▁to ▁Bat man ▁that ▁anyone ▁can ▁lose ▁their ▁minds ▁after ▁having ▁" one ▁bad ▁day ". ▁She ▁is ▁deployed ▁as ▁a ▁plot ▁device ▁to ▁c ement ▁the ▁J oker ' s ▁vend etta ▁against ▁Commission er ▁Gordon ▁and ▁Bat man . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁during ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁W izard , ▁Moore ▁expressed ▁regret ▁over ▁his ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁character , ▁calling ▁it ▁" sh allow ▁and ▁ill - con ce ived ". ▁He ▁stated ▁prior ▁to ▁writing ▁the ▁graph ic ▁novel , ▁" I ▁asked ▁DC ▁if ▁they ▁had ▁any ▁problem ▁with ▁me ▁cri pp ling ▁Barbara ▁Gordon — who ▁was ▁Bat g irl ▁at ▁the ▁time — and ▁if ▁I ▁remember , ▁I ▁spoke ▁to ▁Len ▁Wein , ▁who ▁was ▁our ▁editor ▁on ▁the ▁project ", ▁and ▁following ▁a ▁discussion ▁with ▁then - Exec utive ▁Editor ial ▁Director ▁Dick ▁Gi ord ano , ▁" Len ▁got ▁back ▁onto ▁the ▁phone ▁and ▁said , ▁‘ Y e ah , ▁okay , ▁cri pp le ▁the ▁b itch .' " ▁ ▁Although ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁spec ulation ▁as ▁to ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁edit ors ▁at ▁DC ▁specifically ▁intended ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁character ' s ▁par al ysis ▁become ▁permanent , ▁Brian ▁C ron in