"ONE BAD DAY" ACROSS BAT-MEDIA

It's somewhat embarrassing being a comic book fan. I mean sure there's the cosplaying when I'm not at all in shape, or the constant quoting of movies, comics, TV, to my friends that may not get the joke. But ya know what else is embarrassing? Claiming to be an expert and then not realizing the homages when they are right in front of your face! Batman: The Killing Joke is now available on Blu Ray/DVD and Digital Download. Basically, this film is everything you want it to be and more. I mean, the first 25 minutes notwithstanding, and the less said about it the better, but the actual adaptation more than lives up to my expectations.

While I enjoyed The Dark Knight Returns, Under the Red Hood, and Year One and those performances by those Batmen and Jokers there is something truly special about Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill's performances. Maybe it's that they compliment each other so well. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor that makes it so memorable each time they come back in the roles whether it's the Arkham video games or the upcoming Justice League Action animated series. Who can say for sure? Either way, to my generation of fans and friends those two ARE Batman and the Joker. But we're not here to discuss the awesomeness of those two guys. Cuz that would take forever and while I'm willing to do that I have something else I want to get into.

As I said, sometimes the homages to the comic books escape me. I don't know why, but I'll be reading an article or a review and someone will point it out and I'll think, "Damn! I can't believe I didn't see it!" After watching The Killing Joke, I realized that in almost every adaptation of Batman and the Joker since the comic came out in 1988 has used it to some degree. Some in subtle ways that I will mention that you probably didn't catch either and some that are so obvious that it seems silly that I'm only now realizing it. Maybe it helps that the characters were moving and talking as opposed to just sitting there on a page. Or maybe I'm not as smart as I think I am. Well . . . it's definitely not that! Anyway, let's look at how the Killing Joke has influenced Bat-media since it's debut!

BATMAN - THE MIRROR SCENE

Tim Burton was very much inspired by the Killing Joke when he created his version of the Joker. It's obvious from the way the Joker dresses and Batman's obsession with catching him. One scene in particular that's practically ripped from the comic book, albeit with some differences is the "Joker sees what he's become and laughs his ass off" moment. In the comic, The Joker pulls off the Red Hood, sees his reflection in a puddle and bursts into his iconic maniacal laughter. In the film, the Joker is getting some sort of botched plastic surgery and the dude either fucked up or was totally incompetent. Joker screams for a mirror, looks at his face, and bursts into his maniacal laughter. It's a truly terrifying moment. At that moment, Jack the gangster is dead and gone and the Joker has been unleashed. Nicholson doesn't say much in the scene but we get the point. In this scene less was more and the result was the audience knowing that Batman and Gotham City are going to be in big trouble. 

BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER - THE FLASHBACK SCENE

Now this one is more of a personal opinion rather than an actual homage to the comic so let me explain. In Return of the Joker, the Joker returns . . . That much is obvious. However, Terry is confused as to how the Joker can still look so young and wonders how he came back. He begs Bruce for an explanation but Bruce refuses to give it. Eventually, after a brutal attack on Wayne Manor and the Batcave, Barbara steps up and tells Terry the last time Batman, Batgirl, and Robin faced Harley Quinn and the Joker. Similar to the comic, it's a simple battle that only involves these characters and not Gotham City as a whole. However, the Joker's actions are sick, twisted and done just to mess up Batman's life. The Joker had kidnapped Robin and turned him into a mini-Joker. Tim Drake was seemingly gone and JJ (hey that's my name!) took his place. Essentially the Joker gave Drake his "one bad day" mentioned multiple times in the comic book. However, Drake's sanity reappeared long enough to kill the Joker. Depending on what version you watch, I recommend the uncut PG-13 version which has Drake shooting Joker in the heart and Joker's last words being, "That's not funny!" 

Of course, the Joker comes back with some comic book science, which is to say a super ridiculous idea that seems crazy but hey maybe it exists in real life (actually it might). I won't give it away because I love this movie so much. It's actually one of my all time favorite Batman vs the Joker stories. It's extremely well done. In my opinion, the flashback scene detailing Batman and the Joker's final battle is very Killing Joke-esque. It evokes the same basic idea of giving Batman "one bad day." Only this time, it works and the Joker succeeded in driving Robin crazy if only for a while. Plus, as mentioned before, it's Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy. So . . . the awesomeness is implied. 

BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD - ORIGINAL RED HOOD

Another great DC animated film, and the first stand alone Batman film, Under the Red Hood is actually based on the comic of the same name but both are written by the uber-talented Judd Winick. Now, the Killing Joke reference is quite small in the film, but if you dig a little deeper, as fans like to do, you'll see there is more to it than just a quick flashback. Batman and Red Hood's first chase scene ends at the Ace Chemical plant. This is a deliberate manipulation on Red Hood's part to get Batman's memory jogging of the first time he met the Joker and unintentionally created him, just like in the comic book. Red Hood tells Batman that this is the sight of his greatest failure but not his last. It's a wonderful moment that gives the audience the first clue to the Red Hood's identity. 

Later in the film, it's revealed that Red Hood is the resurrected Jason Todd, the second Robin. When you really think about it, Red Hood now is the product of Joker's triumph over Batman. He gave Jason Todd "one bad day" and now Todd is forever changed into a murderous vigilante hellbent on being better than Batman. Joker has created Batman's worst nightmare, a fallen comrade that pursues justice outside of the law. While Batman does work outside the law, he still upholds justice and liberty. Red Hood does not. He plays judge, jury and executioner. He's the best parts of Batman and the worst parts of the Joker. He has become Batman's worst nightmare. And it started with one bad day . . . 

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - MAKE 'EM LAUGH

One of my favorite episodes of Batman: the Animated Series. The Joker has stolen some of Mad Hatter's technology and turned three comedy legends into crazy villains running amok in Gotham. Batman and Robin later figure out that these comedians were judges on an America's Got Talent type of show and they had dismissed the Joker. They of course didn't realize it was the Joker, he was in disguise, trying to prove himself as the greatest comic in Gotham City. Now the plot may seem kind of hokey but it's actually a great episode in my opinion. It's nothing really like the Killing Joke but I like to think that Joker's backstory of being a failed comedian does have some truth to it. He's trying to recapture that with this show and be the funniest guy in Gotham, just like he always wanted. In a way, it's almost a sequel to that idea. I doubt that the reference was lost on the producers and animators when they made this episode. 

BIRDS OF PREY - JOKER CRIPPLES BARBARA GORDON

History lesson - after the success of Smallville, the WB network tried to capitalize on the superhero popularity by creating a new show. Their idea was Birds of Prey and it starred Barbara Gordon as Oracle, Dinah Lance as a budding Black Canary, who was actually the daughter of the original Black Canary, and Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. The show was . . . well it wasn't very good. Despite some promising ideas here and there, it really didn't hit the mark. The first problem was that it tried really hard not to be a comic book show even though it took it's name from one of the most famous comic books ever published. Secondly, the show was using the Smallville formula of having super-powered villains of the week. That was a mistake. Let's look further back in history - Superman is created and is insanely popular. Batman is created as a compliment. He's popular because he doesn't have any powers and is just a guy, so the stories are slightly more realistic. That SHOULD have been the direction that Birds of Prey went in, but they chose not to. Oh well. 

In any event, the show was off to a promising start. The first episode gave a backstory on Batman and Catwoman's relationship. The Joker is mentioned and he even figures out who Batgirl is and shoots her. This is very obviously taken from the Killing Joke, except the comic makes no mention of the Joker knowing if Barbara is Batgirl or not. He probably didn't, as he was just trying to drive Jim Gordon mad. However, the series went a slightly different direction and had the Joker attack Batgirl to get back at her and Batman for constantly beating him. Barbara becomes Oracle and still does her part to protect Gotham City. I have not seen this show in a very long time (maybe I'll see if I can dig it up somewhere) but I do remember this scene and loving the Killing Joke homage. Plus the voice of the Joker is none other than Mark Hamill. So that's an added bonus! 

THE DARK KNIGHT - THE FERRY SCENE AND LIKE THE WHOLE THING

More than any other Joker story, it's very clear that Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger were inspired by The Killing Joke. From the Joker having several different "how he got those scars" stories (his past is multiple choice), to his manipulation and driving Harvey Dent mad (as he tries to do with Gordon in the book), to the final battle with Batman for the "soul of Gotham City." That scene, more than any other, is a wonderfully crafted homage not only to the Killing Joke, but to the Batman vs the Joker relationship that had spanned across, at the time, almost 70 years of comic books. The entire ferry scene is crafted in such a way that it gives us two complete opposite approaches to the people of Gotham City. We are going to talk about it because I love it so much and it's my blog so shut up and listen. 

When the scene starts it's clear that Gordon was right and the Joker has plans to do something with Harvey Dent's prisoners. What transpires scares the hell not only out of Gordon but the people on the ferries, the people of Gotham City. Batman knows immediately that the Joker has something else up his sleeve. Gordon is already beginning to crack. He's convinced that one of the ferries will explode before midnight and if not then the Joker will blow both of them up. Batman is convinced that the people of Gotham will not kill each other. He knows who he is fighting for. When Batman finally confronts the Joker, Joker is excited, fully convinced that one of the ferries will blow up. Batman tells him it's not gonna happen. 12:01 arrives and neither ferry has exploded. "What were you trying to prove? That deep down everyone is as ugly as you? You're alone." Joker is genuinely confused and decides to blow up both ferries. Batman stops him of course. 

That line that Batman gives is almost verbatim from the comic book. Batman points out that "one bad day" doesn't always drive someone crazy. Sometimes, it brings out the good in them. The prisoner on the one ferry threw the detonator away. The unassuming, average man decided he couldn't kill anyone, even if they were hardened criminals. Batman knows that the people of Gotham are worth fighting for. That's why he goes out every night. The Joker thinks that no one is worth fighting for. Life is messy, chaotic, and not embracing that notion is utterly ridiculous. In a strange way, both men are right. In the film, just like in the comic, one bad day turns one man insane and another man stands by his convictions. In the comic book, the Joker goes insane while Commissioner Gordon remains sane. In The Dark Knight, the ordinary people of Gotham remain sane while Harvey Dent turns out insane. I suppose it's a law of averages, someone had to go nuts eventually right? It had to be Dent! Not just from the comic books, but in the film he's seen as a passionate D.A., on a mission to clean up Gotham City. Batman understands that things were going to get worse before they got better while Dent probably assumed that criminals would buckle under his enthusiasm. It's what made him such an easy target for the Joker. Gosh, didn't I tell you?? I love that movie so much. I could probably teach a class on it. 

These are just some of the examples I thought of while dissecting The Killing Joke with my friends. I know there are many, many more across the various interpretations of Batman and the Joker, but these ones are my favorite. What say you, Comic Junkies? What ones did I miss that you love? I hope to hear from you. Unless of course you are having that one bad day . . . 

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie