Graphic Novel

In this one-shot graphic novel, the Joker is in centrum. The plot partly revolves around the origin of The Joker, and his attempt to drive police commissioner Gordon insane. After having escaped Arkham Asylum the Joker tries to drive commissioner Gordon insane. He captures him, and transports him to an old amusement park, where he forces him to look at pictures of his recently disfigured daughter, Barbara Gordon. Batman is trying to find him, and after receiving two tickets to the amusement park from the Joker, he shows up only to find Gordon naked and deeply shaken. The Joker is convinced that he drove him insane, and flees into a funhouse. Though still in shock, Gordon says that Batman ''has to do it by the book'' and not sink down on the Joker's level. Eventually he captures the Joker, and tries to talk some sense into him. This attempt fails, of course, and the Joker cracks a joke about two inmates that tried to flee from an asylum. The story ends with Batman and the Joker both laughing manically while the sound of police sirens get louder.

The main character in the story is the Joker, while Batman serves as a supportive character. The Joker is - as always - portrayed as insane, but in this story we partly get to know why. He reflects on the ''random injustice'' of the world, while also talking about how both he and Batman are the results of a random and tragic ''one bad day''. Where we get to know that the life of the Joker completely changed one day where his pregnant wife died, and he later had to help some thugs with a robbery, because he had formerly worked at the chemical waste factory they tried to rob. In his defence, he was desperate for the money. Batman showed up and caused him to panic and fall down into a tub of acid, leading to his disfigurement and insanity. His nihilistic attitude towards the world causes him to use it as a playground, which in his case leads to violence. He raises some questions towards Batman's sanity, and says that he is just as insane as himself; the only difference is that Batman won't admit it. I see them as some sort of Yin and Yang, always battling each other, which inevitably will lead to the death of at least one of them. While Batman tries to bring some justice into the world, the Joker has an idea that justice doesn't exist. Psychologically, I think the Joker and Batman are mirror images of each other, an assertion that only gets clearer when considering the ending. While the Joker has given in to insanity, Batman tries to fight it, and tries to make sense by imprisoning villains, to hinder another tragedy such as the one with his own parents. The Joker also has massive insight, which shows when he talks about how he is the result of one bad day, and Batman has to be too. Why else would he be running around in a bat costume?

Gordon is probably the only sane man portrayed in the story,