The Joker: Devil’s Advocate

[cyberghostface]

Comments

[lucean]

I've always utterly loved this story aside from the last pages which feel like they were forced by editorial so that Joker doesn't get a victory moment at the end. I mean his reaction makes absolutely no sense here.

Although I'm kind of sad that the post doesn't include the show scene, as that is priceless, although I understand as it has so many awesome moments.

[alicemacher]

The ending's always made sense to me. The Joker may have an, er, special bond with Batman, but that doesn't mean Joker wants to owe him anything, especially his life. A matter of pride!

[silverhammerman]

It seems like a reaction which really only works for certain takes on the Joker. It would definitely be just as easy to spin this a "you're responsible for all the bad stuff I do" or even a "you really do love me" direction. It does seem to fit with how the Joker appears in the rest of these pages, in that he's focused enough on his own mythology and showmanship that he's annoyed at being undermined.

[lego_joker]

Completely understandable, that impulse - in an era where The Killing Joke and A Death in the Family were still looming large, handing the Joker another unqualified victory definitely would've rankled.

That said - Dixon revisited this style ending a few years later in The Demon Laughs, and it's much less awkward there, what with Bruce dangling the possibility of Ra's coming back for revenge when Joker least expects it.

[dcbanacek]

They should have fried him. To use part of a quote from Brian Mills, "...this switch will stay on until they turn the power off for lack of payment on the bill."

[silverhammerman]

"What was that you said, Warden? I couldn't here you over the sound of my enthusiastically flipping the switch to kill the unrepentant mass murderer."

It's not a public execution anymore, there's no one there but the four of them. Just say word didn't reach you in time. As conspiracies go it's extremely simple, and no one has any reason to doubt them. It certainly wouldn't be the worst thing prison officials have lied about.

[mazway_75]

Left off is one of my best bits after even Alfred has suggested Batman look away just this once....

Batman: "Aren't you going to join the pack? Ask why I'm fighting to save Gotham's greatest menace?"
Robin: "You have your reasons. The same ones that bring you out here every night."
Batman has the hint of a proud smile.

[reveen]

Lol I wonder how Joker feels about the fact that the Prosecutor had the smuggest grin in the world while playing her ruse and he immediately fell for it anyway. If Batman didn't pull that shit on him at the end I bet Joker would have told him to fuck off because he has a new nemesis now.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

I love the strawberries bit.

And Joker falling asleep in the chair.

[kurenai_tenka]

My favourite bit is him flipping out about his execution not being televised lol. This is a good story.

[sean_613]

This would have made an excellent episode for Batman the animated series. I would love to hear Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill read off most of the dialogue from this story more than the Killing Joke. Given how they would tone this story down for kids, Instead of having the stamps kill people, they end up in a coma. Also I won't mind if the ending was that the Joker would ask why Batman he would not let him be executed for a crime he didn't commit and then taunt him about if saving him was worth it while laughing in victory.