The Killing Joke (2 points)

 The Killing Joke - 


1. What is your reaction to the text you just read?

I know little to nothing about the Marvel/DC superhero universes. I've truly only seen the Tobey Maguire spiderman series on top of random movies here and there. I've also watched Joker 2019. So Joker 2019/Spiderman are the only ones i have any relatively good knowledge of. I feel like both of these pieces of media both go into the reasons as to why they are who they are. The comic goes into more detail since it doesn't have any major restrictions. You almost start to feel bad for the Joker since he was created when he was the most mentaly broken. His wife dies with a baby randomly, the mob tricks him then he falls into radioactive goop that permanently deforms him all in an afternoon. This shift within the batman universe has definitely helped give depth to these normally good or bad heroes especially in this time period. But even with these good bits there is a lot of bad as well.  


2. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss what elements of the story with which you were able to connect?

I don't think I could have connected with any of the characters. Did they humanize the Joker more than he is a bad guy because he just is, yes. But I still feel like there are a lot of gaps with his villain introduction. I've been through trauma of my own, not as bad as being thrown into a radioactive tub to be permanently scarred, but pretty close to what the other trauma. I couldn't understand why I would want to kill/permanently injure a person to torcher another. I also wouldn't understand that if I'm a hero like Batman, people would want to protect them. Batman refuses to not kill villians that are doing horrible horrible things that just puts the people he is trying to protect is extremely selfish. I feel like the longer Batman and the Joker fought the more every time he looked at a victim he realised that it was his fault that these people are damaged. I could never understand why people would see Batman as a hero when it's his fault that villains are still killing people. Both characters are selfish and want to either protect themselves through their own means. Protecting their morals by not killing or killing/injuring others just to make people feel bad. 


3. What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you choose; what changes would you make?

I would say showing more about why Joker became who he became. Lots of the reasoning behind trying to be a good or bad guy seems to be the more extreme options. The joker's story is the most guilty of that. He is who he is because of  “oh no i can't make people laugh, wife dead, mob tricked me then i fell into a pool of yuk.” Most people when dealing with trauma know that there is a different alternative to death. It's confusing that the Joker only picked death. If i went through something like that and picked the death route it would extend to the company that killed my wife and the mob. The Joker killing random people who have some political power doesn't make sense to me. I would have tried to change the system by joining it and showing ignorant people what is wrong with our society, then fix it myself once I gained enough power to do so. I feel like a person getting into a position of power to then abuse the power for their own personal gain seems more realistic. 


4. In what ways does this story differ from the typical expectations the reader might have for a superhero story?

Well since the story tries to explain why the Joker is as bad as he is. It is already different. Readers are supposed to feel bad for joker and understand why he could have fallen into this death trap. Both the hero and villians are selfish and are the bad guys. Batman is bad since he refuses to kill the villians that he knows that will break out and continue to be villains. Joker is Joker. Sometimes just killing something/someone who is clearly bad and is harming society is the good thing to do. I never liked Batman since he would just basically let the villains go with a little slap on the wrist and a vacation in jail. In this time period, this comic was groundbreaking then but nowadays there are a lot of flaws within that are unrealistic. Our viewpoints and morals have changed since the beginning and golden age of comics. 

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