"The Killing Joke"
The Killing Joke is definitely a masterpiece that DC Comics can rank among the best.
The second clown, Laughing Scar, is the clown in The Killing Joke.
The reason why he changed his name to "Laughing Scar" instead of the Joker is of course because Harley already had a Joker before.
Gotham's super criminals all know that the Joker was tortured by Harley until he lost the courage to live and committed suicide. Laughing Scar also planned to disguise himself as "Cobot Second", so naturally he would not choose a name that brought bad luck.
Let’s talk about the origin of the Joker in The Killing Joke.
The reason why that comic is a masterpiece is because the clown in the comic is no longer "unattainable", he is just an ordinary person. When readers read about his life, they feel like they are watching themselves.
He has some small ideals and is not very courageous. He has a family and needs to be busy with life.
Before he became the Joker, he was no different from any of us normal people.
But he experienced a "bad day": his wife was electrocuted, killing one and two, and he lost the direction of his struggle. Unexpectedly, he was deceived and coerced by gang members, and was chased by Batman. As a result, he fell into a biochemical wastewater pool. His face was lost, his voice was lost, his skin was corroded, and his soul and body suffered a double extreme blow within a day.
He's crazy.
The Joker is born.
Although he had criminal intentions, first of all, it was the gang members who found him; secondly, he needed money, his wife was waiting to give birth, and his baby needed milk powder.
It can be said that before he became a clown and committed his first crime, Jimmy was worthy of sympathy.
Some people may say that he deserves it. He obviously has a job as a laboratory assistant, but he chose to quit his job to pursue art.
The reason for this setting is to add to his tragedy: society cannot tolerate ideals. Not only was Jimmy destroyed by life, but his dreams were also destroyed.
To put it simply, destroying beautiful things is called tragedy, and destroying bad things is called "garbage recycling."
A person with ideals is obviously better than an old salted fish.
And Jimmy has the capital to pursue his ideals, he is not unrealistically blind.
Who dares to say that a clown has a talent for telling jokes?
After talking about the origin of the clown in "The Killing Joke", let's talk about what the comic is about.
The plot of the comic is actually simple. The Joker wants to use Gordon to prove to Batman that life is a joke and everyone is a Joker, as long as he encounters that one bad day.
The Joker's theory is not exaggerated and is much more grounded than Nolan's "The Dark Knight."
Because this is his experience, and it is also the experience of us ordinary people.
There is a saying in China that adults often collapse in an instant.
After a collapse, most people get up and continue their numb lives.
The clown did not choose to be numb, but calculated that there were too many people who were numb, so the author fantasized about someone who was not numb and made other choices.
After Jimmy became the clown, life and death, wealth and poverty were meaningless to him. His life was over and he was crazy.
To a madman, wealth and money mean nothing.
So, don’t say crazy things like “The clown has robbed so much money, why not live a good life”, the clown is already crazy! ! ! !
The madman's pursuit is probably to "play" with his companions.
The "Crazy Joker's" quest is to prove his ideals to Batman.
Well, in the eyes of the Joker, Batman is just like him, a madman who has experienced a "bad day".
The Joker's way of proving his concept is cruel, at least to Gordon (he was purely lying and was involved in the grudges of two madmen).
——The clown broke into Gordon's house, shattered Barbara's spine with one shot, and beat a living girl to paralysis. Not only that, he also stripped Barbara of her clothes and took photos of her in various positions.
Well, not for sex.
Then, the clown kidnapped Gordon to an abandoned amusement park, stripped Gordon of his clothes, and put him into the most humiliating situation, and then tortured Gordon in various ways.
For example, he forced Gordon, who was naked, to look at naked photos of his daughter Barbara (if you are interested, you can read the comics, Gordon is really miserable)
The Joker's purpose is simple, to let Gordon experience a "bad day".
If Gordon gives up the idea of justice he once insisted on and shoots him to death, then although he dies, he also proves to Batman: life is a joke, everyone is a clown, and he has not become a clown just because he is bad. The day has not come.
As a result, Gordon proved to the clown: Even though I am a supporting character, my ideas are firmer than Bateman's.
Well, the first male protagonist in "The Killing Joke" is the Joker, and the second male protagonist is Bateman. Gordon is just a poor prop man, but in the end, he overpowers the two male protagonists and successfully becomes a god!
Even Bateman was half-crazy after his "bad day" (witnessing his parents being killed), but Gordon remained firm in his faith after experiencing "the Joker's special version of a bad day."
Therefore, "The Killing Joke" is Gordon's Good Friday and his battle to become a god.
This is one of the main reasons why I prefer Gordon.
Gordon has long since surpassed the "no-killing principle" that Batman set for himself, but he has not fallen.
Finally, let’s talk about Batman in “The Killing Joke”.
As a masterpiece, the protagonist Batman is also very solid.
The Joker wants to prove his philosophy to him, and Batman also wants to prove to him that there is always hope and beauty in life.
He wants to save the Joker.
Well, a very great ideal.
I won’t talk about the process of saving the clown. Personally, I don’t think there is anything new. It’s just “even if you commit a crime that deserves death by death by a thousand cuts, I won’t kill you. I hope you can reflect on it.”
What’s interesting is the Joker’s reaction after losing the bet.
He told Batman a joke: Two psychopaths climbed onto the roof at night, preparing to escape from the mental hospital.
Both of them climbed up to the rooftop. Psychotic A mustered up the courage and successfully jumped to the distant roof, while Psychotic B did not dare to jump.
Then A said: Be brave, jump over and we will be free. A beautiful life is waiting behind.
B said: I dare not, there is darkness everywhere.
A said: Let's see if this works. I'll use a flashlight to guide you, and you can walk along the light of the electric light.
B said: It’s okay to walk on the light, but if you turn off the light when I walk halfway, I’m not allowed to fall?
In fact, the Joker also understands Batman's good intentions in wanting to save him, but he sees it more clearly, or in other words, is more desperate.
A in the joke is Batman and B is the Joker. Both are madmen and "companions" who understand each other. Batman saying I will help you is just as ridiculous as Psycho A saying to use lights to guide Psycho B.
The two of them stood on the rooftop, surrounded by darkness and an abyss beneath their feet. If they made the wrong move, they would slip and fall. There would be no bright future. Batman was indeed braver than him. He dared to face the darkness and jump out, but what happened next? ?
In the endless darkness, Batman must be extremely careful at every step to avoid "falling".
He couldn't even guarantee his own future. He might fall off halfway. Where would the light be to guide the clown behind?
Therefore, the Joker rejected Batman's kindness and chose to stay in the mental hospital.
The plot of "The Killing Joke" obviously cannot appear in this novel. Batman once stood on the rooftop, but he met an "angel (devil?)" Harley.
Harley gave him a pair of wings, and he flew directly through the darkness and ushered in new life.
Gordon even became the "Hell Detective", capable of beating up the big ugly with one punch.
I'm just introducing the general plot here to supplement the current "big ugly" character.