#madluv

I got a couple!  For obvious reasons, I will not mention any of Mark Hamill’s takes or Heath Ledger’s, because both of them are a given.  They’re favorites of mine but there isn’t anything I can say about either that hasn’t already been said.

The Dark Knight Returns

Probably my all-time favorite Joker.  I’ve always loved TDKR’s take on Joker, and while Miller’s other ventures into writing him haven’t been…  great to say the least, I like what he did with him in this book.  His mannerisms, the way he talks, his look, I just really like it!

This quote in particular is another part of what does it for me because it sums up Joker and Batman’s whole schtick really well 

“They could put me in a helicopter and fly me up into the air and line up the bodies head to toe on the ground in delightful geometric patterns like an endless June Taylor dance routine — and it would never be enough. No, I don’t keep count. But you do. And I love you for it.”

Their final fight in the Tunnel of Love, ending with Joker being disappointed in Batman for not going through with killing him and breaking his own neck to frame him for murder is one of those holy shit moments, y’know?  I feel like this and Ledger’s take are about as dark as you should get with the character, they’re the measuring sticks for darkness.

It’s part of the reason I was initially excited about Suicide Squad, because supposedly Joker was going to be portrayed very in line with this guy here, but…  well, that clearly wasn’t the case in any way shape or form lmao 

Telltale Batman

This is a more recent one.  I didn’t know what to expect from Telltale in how they’d handle Joker since his small part in Season One didn’t shed a lot of light on him, deliberately so as to build up anticipation for his appearance in Season Two, and they seriously did one of my favorite takes on Joker.

John Doe is unique because the troubles and difficulties he suffers are very real, like, he feels more like a fully fleshed out character than a lot of takes.  He actually feels like somebody who struggles with mental illness, and the fact that his fall to villainy can be a direct result of Bruce’s own manipulation and treatment makes the dynamic between them that much more personal.

Plus, I love that in the Vigilante route, there’s still hope for him?  Bruce isn’t gonna give up on him.  I really like that.

Lego Batman

He’s friggin adorable, just look at him 

Gotham

I can’t heap enough praise on Cameron Monagan for playing two incredibly distinct flavors of Joker in the fairly limited time he’s had on Gotham (only a few episodes a season, really)

I love both Jerome and Jeremiah, Jerome for being an actually good take on a more modern ‘unhinged’ Joker and Jeremiah for the more classic vintage flavor, as well as being the closest thing to an ideal TDKR inspired Joker that I always wanted to see.

He’s just super good.

As for Ivy, she’s been written so inconsistently over the years that it’s hard to nail down a few particular takes on her, especially in more modern times where she’s either a satellite love interest or bafflingly being written as an anti-hero instead of a villain.

Overall though, I’d say that Paul Dini handles her the best, at least from what I’ve read.  The issues of Gotham City Sirens that he’s written features her written well, keeping her a villain, and having the attitude I’d expect from someone who’s a super huge misanthrope.  She’s rude, short-tempered, acts like everyone around her is trash, and you get an idea that beneath it all there’s someone more vulnerable there who’s lonely but just can’t let anyone close?  And that’s how her temperament should be as opposed to…  whatever they’re doing in more modern comics.

This includes her appearance in BTAS by extension since he was a part of that as well.

I also liked, for the most part, how she was done in the Arkham games, especially Arkham Knight.

Joker couldn't help but don his proudest grin at Scarecrow's indignation; he was just so FUN!  He took himself so seriously, TOO seriously.  The clown would be doing him, and everyone, a disservice by not poking and prodding and pushing any and all buttons the failed doctor had.  And oh, how he failed!  A disgrace to be sure, one that would undoubtedly be disowned and cast out by his family, if he had even had a family.  In that regard, Joker supposed they were birds of a feather (ha!).  Imagine -- a KING having anything in common with the lowest of the low, a worm who writhed and wriggled in the dirt.

Of course, their family situation was where their similarities ended; Scarecrow's disposition and demeanor was a product of his upbringing, a culmination of a life of trauma, tragedy, and cruelty.  Himself?  Mother Superior hardly treated him well (or so he claimed, nobody at arkham could find any records from the orphanage he supposedly was raised in thanks to a fire that claimed most of the building thirty years ago), but he just...  WAS.  This WAS who he was, take it or leave it.  He suspected that he'd have wound up exactly the same even if raised in a more 'traditional' family unit, woe betide the poor schmucks who'd have been stuck with him.

"What do I want?"  Joker said, his hand splaying against his chest as his eyes glinted the very second Croc's attention swayed from Scarecrow to him.  One of his more frequent collaborators, Croc happened to be one of the few people who tolerated, even liked, the Clown Prince of Crime's attitude, behavior, and mannerisms.  Were it not for Scarecrow's repeated attempts at experimentation, those two might have had a similar relationship; men who hate everything flock together like birds of a feather, don't they?  

Of course, there were others in Gotham who had similar dispositions.  Some of them could be fun.  Victor Zsasz came to mind, depending on the day.  Others, one in particular, made Joker want to rip out her lungs with his bare hands.

"My face on the one dollar bill, for starters."  A drawn out haaaaaaaaaaa crawled from his throat -- a long squawkish sound intended to to irritate and annoy.  "But I suppose I could settle for a handsome fella like yourself helpin' me back on my throne.  You game for--"

You game for that, big guy?  was cut short by Crane attempting a ballsy escape attempt, though for the life of him Joker couldn’t figure out why.  Had they not been getting on well enough?  Were they not well on their way out to freedom?  He thought so, but Crane clearly didn’t.

“Ain’t it a shame?”  Joker said, taking a slow, casual saunter over towards the wall Croc had Crane pinned at, ignoring the rage and fury and sputtering spewing from his mouth like hot fire.  It wasn’t the first time he’d been called a ‘fuckin invalid’, Johnny.  Gotta try harder than that!  “So, SO close, and you went and did this.”  He shook his head and clucked, slipping into the role of the disapproving mother (or perhaps...  great-grandmother) as he ran his hand down Crane’s cheek, a slight sneer curling his lip up at how his skin felt, before firmly clamping his hand to Crane’s mouth, giving him a wide, tattooed grin.  “Good thing we’re already in the cellar, eh?  No need to drag you kick--”

“The fuck you doin’?”  Croc’s rage subsided for just a moment, long enough to cast a glare tinged with confusion Joker’s way.  Great guy, really, but he didn’t have a single funny bone in his body.

“Look,” Joker said, rolling his eyes and planting his free hand right next to Scarecrow’s head, “it would be so easy to just let my dear friend here tear you to bits.  You know that, right?  ‘course you do.  But I’ll tell you what,” he leaned in close, voice dropped to a hushed whisper, “I’ll talk him out of this, huh?”  Croc narrowed his eyes, a growl rumbling deep in his chest at Joker and Scarecrow’s private conversation, catching only snippets here and there.  He didn’t like being kept in the dark.  “I’ll talk him into letting you go, and you’ll owe me.  ‘kay?”

You owe me are three of the most dangerous, sinister words a man like Joker could ever utter.  Being trapped beneath anybody’s thumb isn’t a fortunate situation to find oneself in, but under his thumb?  Someone who had stalked and gaslit a man who’d done nothing more than curse him out in traffic?  An obsessive man who will never, EVER let you forget the one little favor?

“Give it a rest, big guy.”  Joker let go of Scarecrow’s mouth and gave Croc a friendly pat on the back.  “Look at him -- just a sad, sorry sack of bones!  Ain’t worth your time at all, y’know,” he said, shooting Croc a wicked grin.  “Not when there’s more fun to be had in town, and he can get us out quicker,” his eyes fell to Scarecrow, his lips twitching into a slight smirk, “can’t you?”