A Panel from Batman 14's BackUp Story

[espanolbot]

The backup of the issue consists of the Joker attempting to recruit the Penguin to join in to his current plot, and it leads to an interesting discussion of what the Joker thinks of Batman.

This I think was an interesting panel from the story,



The weird thing is... as out of context as it is, this is actually kinda true.

Not information from the story as of yet, though all I know thus far is that something happened to Alfred, and the Joker knows EVERYTHING. Yes, even the Big Secret.

Comments

[mullon]

They do no such thing. Worship is an act of devotion, most of the criminals in Gotham outside of Joker and Riddler would rather see Batman gone. Joker's trying to sound smarter than he is.

[espanolbot]

It's less worship as in an act of love for a deity, and more the God Fearing sort were you run around with a coat over your head to avoid being smited/smitten by a wrathful deity who hangs you by your ankles in an alley and punches you.

[sherkahn]

Yeah, I was going to go with the "fear of God" thing, a differerent form of worship and awe.

[darkknightjrk]

One thing Snyder's said about his take on the Joker is that he is an opportunistic liar--and the best liars use a bit of the truth to make the lie seem more probable.

[icon_uk]

Worship is an act of reverence, but that can be inspired by fear as well as by love.

[shadowpsykie]

something happened to Alfred, and the Joker knows EVERYTHING. Yes, even the Big Secret.

apparently something happens to everyone.

Barbara, Tim, Jim and Alfred....

[darkknightjrk]

Yep, especially the third--look at what Joker's wearing on top of his head on the cover for Batman #17. O_O

[shadowpsykie]

.... his hair? i don't see anything....

[espanolbot]

From what I've seen, the Joker in the very least Chelsea Smiled him.

[shadowpsykie]

wait what? how do you see that?

[espanolbot]

Here,
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/rorschachsrants/news/?a=70039

[icon_uk]

Not seeing it to be honest, he's covered in blood, but there no evidence that it's even his own and if he had been slashed in the face, he'd be covering that in an effort to hold it together and stop the bleeding.

[shadowpsykie]

well the blood trail goes up to his ears....

ah okay. it was a blood thinner that caused him bleed out badly.

[icon_uk]

If you have blood on your hands and put your hand to your face (in shock, to prevent throwing up at whatever you're looking at, etc) then you'd get blood on the lower half of your face too, quite possibly up to your ears.

[shadowpsykie]

ack stop, i was trying to put under a spoiler cut but it didn't take, now i cant! :(

[shadowpsykie]

Spoilers:
Looks like the Joker some how drugged Jim with a blood thinner that caused him to bleed out of his eyes, mouth and ears....

But what I want to know is....

Does Jim KNOW, know?

He tells Jim that Alfred was attacked and that people close to him are next, and wanted him (Gordon) to go into hiding... Wouldn't Jim be thinking, "Why attack Bruce Wayne's Buttler?"

[shadowpsykie]

in the words of Sue from DCWomenKickingAss....

JIIIIIIMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!

[darkknightjrk]

Maybe I'm seeing things, but it looks like Joker scalped Jim and is wearing his hair as a hat:

[shadowpsykie]

no i am pretty sure that is his own hair, that brown part is a leather strap that is being used to hold his face on.

[darkknightjrk]

You know, these are solid stories, but this issue just proved that I shouldn't read any of Snyder's interviews anymore--he's mentioned that "Batman is the God-King of Gotham and Joker is his jester" thing at least half a dozen times within the past few months, and it would only help the book if he either went a little more subtle in his dialogue or if he just stopped being so giving about info in his interviews.

[theflames]

Meh, I don't agree -- most villains outside of the Joker want him gone; like the first poster said.

Any type of worship doesn't end with killing your God and revelling in the power vacuum...

... wait. That'd be an interesting religion.

[espanolbot]

It's less killing your God as it is killing and maiming his priests and angels to keep him from being diluted through his companionship.

[shadowpsykie]

yep

without judging any religions,

it's like Protestants Vs. Catholics

Catholics Pray not only to God and Jesus, but to the saints, and the Angels and The Virgin Mary (for intersession) where as the Protestants believe that that is Idoletry (sp)

[theflames]

Ah, but that'd only be from the Joker's point of view. He's suggesting all the criminals see the Bat this way - which isn't really true. They want the Bat gone, Robin too.

[runespoor]

Maybe they want him gone, but that's only their hope. Their prayer, if you like.

They look over their shoulder every time they commit a crime, afraid they'll find a black cape detaching from the shadows. In the back of their mind, they pray the Bat won't show up. He knows things he shouldn't and he survives things he shouldn't either.

The villains who are used to Batman - people like Joker and Ivy and Penguin - and probably a number of organized crime bosses know he's only human. But the very petty criminals Joker is complaining about? I have no issue believing they're scared of Batman as they'd be scared of something more than human. It's part of the "superstitious and cowardly lot" package and part of Batman's strategy and mythos/

[icon_uk]

I'll stop before I start sounding like a bad record, but that Joker/face/mask they keep saying will impress and terrify me... just doesn't.

[leoboiko]

Same here. I wouldn't like it anyway, but the hype only raised the bar and made it worse.

[superfangirl1]

I feel the same way.

[kingofmadcows]

That actually does make sense in the context of the DC universe. There are pretty much no more "regular criminals" in Gotham anymore. You know, the kinds of criminals who commit crime for a reason, like robbing a bank because they want to live a life of leisure. Criminals who may be bad people but have limits to the kinds of bad things they're willing to do.

No regular criminals would even go to Gotham because not only do they have to deal with Batman, they have a lot of competition from super villains. The criminals who are left in Gotham are all sadistic psychopaths who are willing to maim and slaughter without hesitation and they commit crime for its own sake.

Those are the criminals who essentially form a cult devoted to Batman. The indiscriminate murders they commit are sacrifice to sustain Batman.