The Killing Joke

[The Laughing Fish]

Here is the synopsis:

What does it take for a person to snap? How much despair for a mind to fracture? These are the twisted questions that The Joker has set out to answer, to show Gotham that even an ordinary man like Commissioner Gordon is only one bad day away from sheer insanity. Based on the acclaimed DC Comics graphic novel, witness a journey into the dark psyche of the Clown Prince of Crime. Follow his humble beginnings as a struggling comic to his fateful encounter with the Dark Knight that changed everything. Fueled by the return of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as The Joker, witness the birth of a super villain, the fortitude of a hero and the punch line that will leave you speechless.

Does anybody reckon this backstory will cast doubts in fans who believe the Joker is an unreliable narrator? In the comic, he was incensed when Batman suggested he became insane because there was always something inherently wrong with him. In the end, Joker looked remorseful as he declines Batman's offer for rehabilitation before the two share a laugh together over a joke. It will be interesting to see if the movie stays faithful to that ending.

Here is a screenshot of Batgirl in the film:



Source: http://comicbook.com/dc/2016/05/21/new-batman-the-killing-joke-image-shows-batgirl/

[The Dark Knight]

Does anybody reckon this backstory will cast doubts in fans who believe the Joker is an unreliable narrator?

In my opinion Joker knows what happened, and he masks his pain with randomised narratives.

[The Laughing Fish]

I agree, but too many people are fascinated by the idea that Joker should have a completely unknown past, to the point they seem to ignore his anguish. And I find it very bizarre.

[Catwoman]

Does anybody reckon this backstory will cast doubts in fans who believe the Joker is an unreliable narrator?

In my opinion Joker knows what happened, and he masks his pain with randomised narratives.

To me he knew at the start but through his own insanity and all the different versions he's told even he lost track. Not that I want to spend much (read: any) time thinking about what goes on his head. It'd probably take the icky feelings I had reading the Star Wars Dark Empire or whatever it was called where Luke infiltrates the dark side (I literally felt unsafe and ill at ease reading) and ratchet it up by, like, a thousand.

[The Dark Knight]

The Joker is a total free spirit. He's also like the weather. Some days he may pass without incident, and be nothing but a gentle breeze. But other days, he may be a raging typhoon who uproots trees and brings about tsunamis. He can devise brilliant strategies and improvise on the spot. From turning water supplies into jelly, to capturing and killing people of interest on live TV. He may seem erratic, but I think he has a brilliant mind. That's why he has survived for so long. I don't think such a man would forget his origin. But he may want to, though. There's the difference.

[Silver Nemesis]

It'd probably take the icky feelings I had reading the Star Wars Dark Empire or whatever it was called where Luke infiltrates the dark side (I literally felt unsafe and ill at ease reading) and ratchet it up by, like, a thousand.

I love that comic. I got it for Christmas the year it came out. But I do remember being a bit freaked out by Luke's descent to the Dark Side. It was frightening seeing my hero turn evil like that.

Palpatine was also very intimidating in that story. The creepiest scene was where Luke frantically destroys Palpatine's clone bodies in an effort to prevent his rebirth, only for the Emperor to rise from the slime, younger and stronger, and easily best Luke with the lightsaber.

I think one of the reasons I like Revenge of the Sith more than most fans is because it reminds me a lot of Dark Empire.

Apropos The Killing Joke origin, I seem to recall it was largely taken as canon until around 2007/8. Grant Morrison introduced the idea of the Joker's 'super-sanity' back in Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (1989). But fans generally didn't connect the dots between that and his "multiple choice" line in TKJ until much later:

"Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another... If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!"

A few stories presented the flashbacks from TKJ as fact. For example, in 'Wildcard!' (Batman Vol 1 #450, July 1990) the Joker's shown reminiscing about his fateful immersion at Ace Chemicals, and his recollections perfectly match those depicted in Moore's book. He's even shown to have kept the original red hood that he wore when he leaped into the vat, proving the Red Hood origin was more than just a misremembered delusion.

Meanwhile the story about the Joker's wife being killed is confirmed during Hush Returns (2004), where the Riddler presents himself as a third-party witness to the event. The Joker himself verifies it in Batman: Gotham Knights Vol 1 #52 (June 2004).

But then DC started to move away from the idea of The Killing Joke flashbacks being canon. In 'The Origin of the Joker' (Countdown #31, September 2007) he presents the reader with three different versions of his back story. This foreshadows a recent revelation in Justice League Vol 2 #50, where the Mobius Chair responded to Batman's question about the Joker's true name by saying, "There are three." Though no one really knows what that means at this point. Three names? Three origins? Three personalities?

[Catwoman]

I just meant being that deep in the dark side as we follow Luke. We were deep in the Empire but the dark side stuff was still mysterious so Palpatine's guided tour was a serious "I do NOT need to be here" moment. It was freaky.

I figure being in The Joker's mind would be even worse. They could probably never print a comic like that if they do it justice.

Ug. I'm super creeped out just thinking about it. I never should have mentioned that.

[Silver Nemesis]

Judge Death got a glimpse of the Joker's mind in Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham (1991) and even he was freaked out. And that's saying something.

I'd imagine the landscape of the Joker's mind being a cross between Hieronymus Bosch, Francis Bacon, H R Giger and Monty Python.

[johnnygobbs]

I'd imagine the landscape of the Joker's mind being a cross between Hieronymus Bosch, Francis Bacon, H R Giger and Monty Python.

[Silver Nemesis]