Humanity as a Sick Joke: Killing Joke Review

The constant battle between Joker and Batman is deeply rooted into the graphic novel genre. Though different adaptations came arisen through the decades, like children’s cartoons and more mature films. This piece goes into Joker’s mind. As terrifying as that may seem, it is and more. Joker may well be a tragic anti-hero of sorts. His philosophy is something to examine.

           

First, the art work. I am certainly no art critic, but the focus seems to be on the emotion, which seems to be standard. I cannot compare this piece to something like Gaiman’s Sandman series; those are worlds apart and built upon different things. Killing Joke, the focus is primarily on action, but there is time for the philosophy.

Speaking of philosophy: Joker’s insight on society, as cynical as it is, it true from his experience. His own backstory is certainly solid enough to provide a foundation for his perspective. Joker’s perspective hearkens to Poe’s and Hawthorne’s dark romanticism where humanity makes life intolerable to itself. Perhaps Joker is right: maybe there is no sense to life if all humanity does is break itself down to rise above. But rise above what?

Why is one form of madness preferable to another? Joker admits he went crazy, but humanity is far more twisted and hypocritical. If governments can get away with killing thousands and gain something from it, why can’t an individual? This seems Joker’s perspective, but only on a surface level.

 Joker hinted at another failing of humanity: its fragility. His strongest point was what triggered World War 2: other countries decided Germany had too many telegraph poles. In context Germany was left if shambled after World War 1 and took a madness to restore it and nearly bring the world down in flames. Perhaps Joker is being vague, but in attempting to decipher his rants, let’s consider that politics is a form of madness itself (which it is!).

Joker is right in this regard: the humanity is unjust to itself. With his reference to Germany, consider that Hitler gave the German people a false hope to realistic it turned into madness that scorched the world. What may be good for the goose is likely not good for the gander.

Sometimes, it takes a monster in the dark to show you the importance of the light.

In summary, Joker is an amalgamation of humanity’s weaknesses. We try to do what we can to survive, but that is all we do and often worse. Eking out a living in a society that sees an individual’s worth by their income is damned near impossible and leads to depression in many cases.

I find it odd when Joke jumped into the polluted river he was baptized. He came out with a cynical but ultimately true perspective. In an odd way, he was reborn knowing the truth and it drove him mad.

“Notice the hideously bloated sense of humanity’s sense of importance” (Joker, Batman, the Killing Joke.) As much as one would hate to agree with a psychopathic madman, he is right. Pride is an ugly thing. And one vice leads to another. Pride comes before the fall.

As far as I liked this piece, I couldn’t grasp the ending. Maybe. The more I think about it, the more it seems like Batman was killed by humanity’s own ego and selfish desires. Joker is right, humanity enjoys its own filth.