Some think that comics about superheroes are only for kids and they have no deeper meaning, but many people have a different opinion. Comicbook movies have blown up in popularity in the last decade. Majority of the audience are adults, so stories evolved to better suit them. Adults demand more than just action and catchphrases. They want movies to tackle important subject, characters to be relatable and interesting at the same time. Some movies show-up and are quickly forgotten (eg. "Green Lantern" a.k.a. "We don't talk abut this movie") , but the one that most of casual movie-goers missed is the adaptation of a 30-year old comicbook "The Killing Joke".
(Graphic from comicbook "The Killing Joke")
This comicbook was a game changer for me. I was reading a lot of spider-man and avengers at that time, but then I've found out about Batman I instantly became a fan of the rivalry of Batman and the Joker. Although, neither Batman, nor Joker were my favorite characters alone, when put together in one storyline, they created magic that I haven't seen before. There was something about the way they interact with each other that I couldn't explain, until I've read "The Killing Joke".
Joker and Batman are basically two sides of the same coin. Two extremes on the same scale. Both had a bad day where something tragic happened and they have been transformed into a new persona, both went crazy, but why they turned out to be different if their backstory is so similar?
1. The First Reason Is Family.
From what we see, Joker lost everybody he cared about. He had a pregnant wife, that died and the child died with her. He had nobody to help him ease the pain of loss and he later chose to stay alone.
Similarly, Batman lost his parents. Yet, after the accident young Bruce (Batman) was raised by the family's butler, who was his friend for a long time. Bruce had someone he could trust and who would help him. Furthermore, Batman choose to build his new family by befriending James Gordon (Head of the police force), Barbra Gordon (Batgirl) and raising an adopted child (Robin). Batman lost his family, but he didn't give up and he made himself a new one from people he trusted, unlike the Joker.
2. The Second Reason Is Money.
It is a controversial view, because people tend to view morality as a holy thing that can not be tainted. People thing that morality can't be sold. Most of comicbook writers wouldn't talk about touchy subjects like that, but Alan Moore (creator of "The Killing Joke") wrote the "Watchmen" and "V for Vandetta" (some of the most controversial comicbooks), so I think that it wasn't a coincedance, that he made the Joker's backstory tied to the poverty.
The Joker, before his accident, was strugling to support his pregnant wife. He wanted to move to a better neighbourhood, before the child arrives, but he couldn't even afford the rent for his current appartment. This is why he decided to commit a crime. He was forced by the viciousness of this world to become a criminal. He didn't wanted it, but he had to do it to have a decent life. Hours after his wife died, he was forced to commit a crime, so he didn't even had time to mourn his loss.
Bruce was a son of a billionaire, and the heir to the fortune. After his parents died he could afford a luxury of taking time to cry and think about everything that happened. I know that it doesn't sound like much, but it's important to get some time to recover from an injury. Mental or physical alike.
3. The Third Thing Is The Way of Dealing with Pain.
Somebody said "To deal with pain, you have to go through it". (I really can't find a source. Please, don't hate me.)
This is one of the most important things here. One chose to forget the pain and one chose to relive it.
Joker forgot everything when he became a psychotic mass murderer.
"Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another. If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice." - Joker "The Killing Joke"
He doesn't remember anymore who he was. All that is left now is the Joker.
"When you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought, heading for the places in your past where the screamin is unberable, remember there's always madness. Madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away forever." - Joker "The Killing Joke"
This is the way of the Joker. Forget the pain and go insane.
So Batman had to be victorious in his way of dealing with pain, right?
Well.... no!
You may think, that this comic was supposed to show that the Joker is a failure and Batman is a shining example of mental health and justice, but... Does a person who spends all nights in a bat costiume beating up criminals is really sane?
Batman chose to go trough his pain. He swore that he will protect his city and he is doing just that, but as you can see in many movies and comicbooks, he didn't fully recover from his loss. The memories are still painful for him, so in a way, Batman also went crazy and his way also doesn't work. This is explained in one of most confusing jokes, that I will explain in details.
Batman and Joker are the friends that want to escape. They are both crazy and they're both looking for a way out. They have their chance, but one of them can't escape. Batman can escape, but he doesn't because he tries to help the Joker. Yet, the solutions he's offering would never work, so the two will never truly escape.
Batman and Joker are personlities created after the tragic event. Batman is a way of escaping the pain of loss, as well as the Joker, but Batman has his pre-accident personality (Bruce Wayne), he can always take of the mask. Joker's face is permanently painted and he has no pre-accident personality to come back to, so he can not escape.
All it takes is a one bad day and our sanity can break like a twig.
For some people it may be depressing that our personality and everything we believe in is so fragile, but I think that we should be happy if we are still sane.
THE END
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Great article thanks. The Killing Joke is one of the greatest Batman stories. Fantastic artwork, story, characterisation. Along with the Watchmen, also by Alan Moore and Maus (read it if you haven't) it introduced me to what this incredible artform can do. Cheers
Thanks :)
I googled Maus.
I will definitely read it, because it looks great and I think that there might be a lot of clever social commentary.
It is incredible, won the Pulitzer prize.
Love it! The #joker is my favorite comic book character. Followed, Upvoted and Reblogged 🍀
That's a nice piece of post :) I could tell right away that you know what you're talking about. I've read "The Killing Joke" and this is really good comicbook.