![]() That’s not to say that confrontations between the two were basic. In fact, after 1942’s Detective Comics #62, the Joker would not be seen committing murder for over thirty years. The Joker was a fan favorite, but the stakes weren’t terribly high. A Batman versus Joker story wasn’t much different than a Batman versus random crook story. Obviously, this plan was super unethical, but knowing what would come in subsequent decades, we can’t say we blame Batman for considering it.īasically, in the early days there just wasn’t much to say about Batman and the Joker’s relationship. Batman planned to kidnap the Joker from his hospital bed and take him to a brain surgeon who would lobotomize the villain until he was no longer felt the desire to commit crimes. Interestingly, the Joker’s second appearance (1940’s Batman #2) found the Dark Knight attempting to reform the Clown Prince. Jason Todd wouldn’t be afraid of crowbars and Joaquin Phoenix would’ve had a lot more free time in 2019. If Ellsworth hadn’t done that, it’s hard to imagine how different the past eighty years would have been. DC Comics editor Whitney Ellsworth saw value in the character and reworked the dialogue in the final panels to show readers that the Joker had survived. The final story in Batman #1 was originally supposed to end with the Joker accidentally stabbing himself to death. It's interesting to note that Batman and the Joker’s rivalry almost ended before it had the chance to get off the ground. Needless to say, their banter would get a lot better. Have you ever wondered what the first words Batman and Joker ever said to one another were? Joker says, “You! Prepare to die.” To which Batman replies, “I’d rather live if you don’t mind.” Or any of the Joker’s now-expected dark humor. Their first meeting in 1940’s Batman #1 was intense and action-packed, but it didn’t give any suggestion of the pathos their modern relationship would go on to have. As we head into this year’s Batman Day, I thought it might be fun to examine the rivalry between the Caped Crusader and his greatest enemy. Sure, they’re enemies, but there is a unmistakable codependency to their conflict. But anybody who has taken a deeper look at their relationship knows that the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime share one of the most complex relationships in comics. You could ask any preschooler who has ever watched a Batman cartoon and they’ll tell you simply that Batman is the hero and Joker is the villain. What’s the deal with Batman and the Joker? On a surface level their relationship is simple.
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