He is the hero Gotham’s not sure it wants, but he’s the one its going to get.

via GIPHY

People these days aren’t terribly into comics anymore, but this one in particular, I think deserves some attention.

DC Comics’ Batman: The White Knight, answers the question: what if The Joker were to become the most real evil in modern society: a politician! (cue creepy organ music).

Writer and artist of the comic miniseries, Sean Murphy said: “We know Joker’s a genius, we know he’s relentless, and we know he can play the crowd, so why not make him a politician?

“Why not strip away the psychosis (the thing that’s holding him back) and let him challenge Batman unimpeded?”

There have been stories told from a villain’s perspective before, but this one is really stirring my inner Joker fanboy.

The good people of Twitter, however, seems to have gone elsewhere…

Ok then… moving on.

Basic synopsis: the Clown Prince of Crime gets cured of his insanity, and comes to the sudden realisation that everything he did as The Joker may or may not have been bad. Big shocker.

Now calling himself Jack, he sets out to right the wrongs he’s done by attempting to rid Gotham City of crime. Jack reckons that vigilantes like Batman serve only to perpetuate the cycle of crime in the city, and decides to fight him the “right” way.

As an added fan service bonus, he also apologises and reconciles with his (let’s just call her what she is) captive, Harley Quinn. Who will probably go back to being Harleen Quinzel.

Don’t get your hopes up, ladies…

This is definitely an interesting story-line. Even if you’re not too familiar with the bitter rivalry between the two, it’s obvious that the hero/villain dynamic is going to change, perhaps even get thrown away altogether.

Think of it this way: two rival gangsters have a bitter, long-standing rivalry; one of them decide to turn over a new leaf, becomes an elected official, and decides to take down the other gang leader using more legal methods.

See why it might be difficult for the other gang leader to fight back?

Despite working with the police, Batman is still a vigilante and as such, he is outside the law. The Joker was a formidable enough enemy for Bats as a criminal, but as a politician, he would be nearly untouchable by the Caped Crusader.

This comic forces the realisation that Batman is, in fact, on the wrong side of the law and always has been. If this isn’t enough to sell you, you’re either a stuck-up who thinks that comics are for kids (in which case, read any Deadpool comic), or your life is just so exciting that politician Joker pales in comparison, which I sincerely doubt.

The Joker as the hero, and Batman as the villain.

That’s a winning formula if I ever saw one.

via GIPHY

– Tyler Roodt

Categories: Entertainment