Batman Continues

01d55 · 08-02-2008, 04:37 AM

My take on the Joker's two origin stories is that they were constructed to threaten his audience.

The first time, he tells a Mafia boss that his father was "a drunk and a fiend" - connecting his scars to drug use connects them to organized crime. The second time, he tells Rachel Dawes that she reminds him of his wife, and then tells a story in which his scars were self-inflicted for the sake of that wife. Both times, the real purpose of the story is to suggest to his victim that hey about to suffer for the actions of another, simply because there is a superficial connection in his mind between them. And another thing:
I think Two-Face's character was diminished in order to make his story about the Joker as much as it was about Harvey Dent. Harvey's two-headed coin and associated catchphrase "I make my own luck" are emblematic of Harvey's plans and determination to control events for the sake of justice. When the Joker is first captured, it's a direct consequence of Harvey's plan, a plan which Harvey came up with and executed on the spot and effectively single-handed. When the Joker turns that plan in on itself - using his own arrest to smuggle a bomb into the police station, gain access to the witness against the mafia bosses, and kill Rachel, the destruction of one side of the coin becomes and emblem of the destruction of Harvey's plans. When Harvey surrenders his will to the coin, he is in fact surrendering to the Joker, admitting that his plans are powerless. This is why the "good" side of the coin led to inaction instead of good action, as is often the case in comics.

08-02-2008, 04:37 AM	#11
01d55 Not 55 years old. Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 2,098	My take on the Joker's two origin stories is that they were constructed to threaten his audience. The first time, he tells a Mafia boss that his father was "a drunk and a fiend" - connecting his scars to drug use connects them to organized crime. The second time, he tells Rachel Dawes that she reminds him of his wife, and then tells a story in which his scars were self-inflicted for the sake of that wife. Both times, the real purpose of the story is to suggest to his victim that hey about to suffer for the actions of another, simply because there is a superficial connection in his mind between them. And another thing: I think Two-Face's character was diminished in order to make his story about the Joker as much as it was about Harvey Dent. Harvey's two-headed coin and associated catchphrase "I make my own luck" are emblematic of Harvey's plans and determination to control events for the sake of justice. When the Joker is first captured, it's a direct consequence of Harvey's plan, a plan which Harvey came up with and executed on the spot and effectively single-handed. When the Joker turns that plan in on itself - using his own arrest to smuggle a bomb into the police station, gain access to the witness against the mafia bosses, and kill Rachel, the destruction of one side of the coin becomes and emblem of the destruction of Harvey's plans. When Harvey surrenders his will to the coin, he is in fact surrendering to the Joker, admitting that his plans are powerless. This is why the "good" side of the coin led to inaction instead of good action, as is often the case in comics.