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A review by bdhroasted
Batman Confidential, Vol. 2: Lovers and Madmen by Michael Green
4.0
It's interesting to think of the Joker as Batman's biggest mistake---and that thought has nothing to do with Batman not being able to kill him/sending him to be offed in the first place. In this version of the story, the Joker is born simply because there is a Batman. Bruce Wayne broke convention, so the Joker broke convention, too. The implications of that act are both intoxicating and terrifying.
I have to say though, I liked cool & level headed Joker more than batshit crazy high on drugs Joker. I feel like he could've played a better game, if only because he would've been able to hide better. Jake-before-the-anti-psychotics was scary cuz he could've been just like you, or me, and he had enough of that background experience in social conventions to really pack a punch in his evil deeds~ sort of like a wolf in sheep's clothing. The idea that Jake could have been any other guy and still do the things he did would have upped the chill factor to 1000x, because if there is one then there is more and how can you tell? (You can't.) Jake after the anti psychotics however? He seems so disconnected--in his own brain even!--that he's in relatable. Easy to scapegoat, throw away as the rule instead of the exception.
Still, the origin story was interesting. And knowing that every kill the joker makes after this will be on batman's conscious is interesting too.
I have to say though, I liked cool & level headed Joker more than batshit crazy high on drugs Joker. I feel like he could've played a better game, if only because he would've been able to hide better. Jake-before-the-anti-psychotics was scary cuz he could've been just like you, or me, and he had enough of that background experience in social conventions to really pack a punch in his evil deeds~ sort of like a wolf in sheep's clothing. The idea that Jake could have been any other guy and still do the things he did would have upped the chill factor to 1000x, because if there is one then there is more and how can you tell? (You can't.) Jake after the anti psychotics however? He seems so disconnected--in his own brain even!--that he's in relatable. Easy to scapegoat, throw away as the rule instead of the exception.
Still, the origin story was interesting. And knowing that every kill the joker makes after this will be on batman's conscious is interesting too.