The Killing Joke Comic Questions

1. How is the depiction of The Joker in "The Killing Joke" similar to The Dark Knight? How is it different?

The similarities of the expression of the Joker in "TKJ" and The Dark Knight are unmistakably obvious. From how insane the Joker is as a whole, to the way he always has a different story about what led to him becoming the Joker in the first place, he is still pretty much the same guy, psychotic and anarchic. There is also another aspect to their similarity; the nihilistic aspect of his personality which results in violence and moralless actions that he gives no second thought to.

The way in which that they differ is how the Joker in "TKJ" is a little more human, even only for only a few panels toward the end. This shows a very strange aspect of him, and poses many questions to whether or not he is choosing to remain insane or is so tortured by what his past has created him to be that he truly believes it to be too late for him.

2. What is the theme in "TKJ"? What is the theme in TDK?

The theme of "TKJ" toys with the idea of the question, not "if" but "when" insanity will occur. The idea is supported by the ambiguous interpretations of the ending of this story, did Batman just break bad? Did he kill the Joker? Or did he do what he told the commissioner he would do and go "By the book?" 

The theme of TDK is one that deals more with the truth of the existence of good and evil. One does not exist without the other, and one cannot survive without its polar opposite, represented by Batman and the Joker.

3. In what ways is The Joker a moral nihilist? Give examples and quotes from both mediums.

Starting with examples from "TKJ", the Joker's nihilistic nature is expressed first of all when he breaks free from the asylum, and then because of what occurs after that; the shooting and potential rape of Barbara Gordon, the commissioner's daughter. He has no sense of morals, no boundaries to what he will do to fulfill his purpose, which is almost always obscure to everyone except himself.

Examples of the Joker's moral nihilism in TDK, in which the Joker expresses similar lack of morals when he relentlessly kills many people who are attempting the robbing of a bank. He blows up hospitals and poisons, blows up, and creates situations in which a tough choice must be made in order to save one person or the other which still results in explosions and harm to one or both members involved. When the people are fleeing Gotham city, he forces them into a situation in which they have the ability to save themselves by killing others, but despite the Joker's intentions they don't do what he wishes. He has no remorse for putting anyone in that sort of situation and would not even mourn one second for those lost in the case his plan was executed properly.

4. List the 3 most important quotes from "TKJ" and how they relate to the psychology of The Joker.

  1."Memory's so treacherous. one moment you're lost in a carnival of delights, with poignant childhood aromas , the flashing neon of puberty, all that sentimental candy-floss...the next , it leads you somewhere you don't want to go...somewhere dark and cold, filled with the damp, ambiguous shapes of thinks you'd hoped were forgotten."

  2."Madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away…forever."

  3."See, there were these two guys in a lunatic asylum... and one night, one night they decide they don't like living in an asylum any more. They decide they're going to escape! So, like, they get up onto the roof, and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the rooftops of the town, stretching away in the moon light... stretching away to freedom. Now, the first guy, he jumps right across with no problem. But his friend, his friend didn't dare make the leap. Y'see... Y'see, he's afraid of falling. So then, the first guy has an idea... He says 'Hey! I have my flashlight with me! I'll shine it across the gap between the buildings. You can walk along the beam and join me!' B-but the second guy just shakes his head. He suh-says... He says 'Wh-what do you think I am? Crazy? You'd turn it off when I was half way across!"

These three quotes represent a sort of progression of the Joker opening up and revealing a deeper part of himself. He subliminally reveals that his past memories haunt him, and also his reason for choosing to be insane. He wishes so bad to escape from his past that he has taken the "emergency exit" and just shut out all of his memories that he wanted so bad to forget. The third quote, found near the end where the Joker is opening up to Batman after his proposition (I used the right word this time!) to help him, to aid him in his coping with the events that had transpired in his past that molded him into the person he is. His humanity that is expressed shows how he still has, as stated, a human aspect left somewhere deep inside of him, but due to his repression of it for so long, it's much more painful for him to face it now since he had ignored it for so long; this is what creates the "it's too late" mentality in his mind, and is what holds the Joker captive. He dug a hole, stepped too far outside of the emergency exit to have any hope of even approaching the door that could easily lead to his redemption.