Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "TRUFFLE SHUFFLE!"

starwolf_oakley (starwolf_oakley) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-10-03 13:17:00

Entry tags:

char: batgirl/oracle/barbara gordon, char: jason woodrue, char: robin/nightwing/dick grayson, creator: chuck dixon, event: last laugh, publisher: dc comics

LAST LAUGH #3: Dick and Babs discuss vigilante morality
Following up from the "What do Jason and Damian have in common" post.

The premise of "Last Laugh" is that the Joker thinks he's dying, so he "Jokerized" the super-villains in the Slab and turned them lose. A whole bunch of superpowers villains now have white faces, green hair, and are full-on loony. The superheroes are holding their own, but barely.

Tim Drake is the one interrupting.

I misread this earlier. Dick isn't saying that society (in the DCU) only tolerates superheroes because they don't kill the bad guys, it's that society would STOP tolerating them if they DID.

KINGDOM COME shows that if someone finally offed the Joker, society would support him. But that story showed it would inspire "newer" superheroes to start offing their enemies, as yaseen101 said on the "Damien and Jason like decapitating bad guys" post.

Here's an explanation of the "sending Gordon flowers" part.

(Post a new comment)

	bluejaybirdie 2009-10-03 05:54 pm UTC (link)
	And yet, I can't help but feel that Babs is right about the Joker, of all people. Bastard needs to be killed. Jim should have shot him in NML. Yeah, I know he won't ever be killed by DC, but it's a total wallbanger... (Reply to this) (Thread)

	jeyl 2009-10-03 05:59 pm UTC (link)
	Joker: You and I are destined to do this forever. Batman: Darn. cuts rope Sometimes a man just need to pull a Malcolm. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

iwfan53, 2009-10-03 08:45 pm UTC

jeyl, 2009-10-03 09:01 pm UTC

iwfan53, 2009-10-03 09:07 pm UTC

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2009-10-03 09:35 pm UTC

starwolf_oakley, 2009-10-04 03:38 am UTC

	yaseen101 2009-10-03 06:06 pm UTC (link)
	I hate the fact that they bring it up in the first place when it's obvious he is not going to die anyway. Like I said before, if this stuff were in a more 'real' world setting, Joker would have been sentenced to death before Dick got out of the panties. OTOH, Dick does make a good point about superheroes and lethal force, when not applied to the Joker of course. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

jarodrussell, 2009-10-03 06:48 pm UTC

darkblade, 2009-10-03 06:52 pm UTC

jarodrussell, 2009-10-03 06:59 pm UTC

freezer818, 2009-10-03 11:47 pm UTC

ashtoreth, 2009-10-04 12:24 am UTC

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 06:59 pm UTC

jarodrussell, 2009-10-03 07:02 pm UTC

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 07:09 pm UTC

jarodrussell, 2009-10-03 07:11 pm UTC

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 07:18 pm UTC

sherkahn, 2009-10-03 07:18 pm UTC

mcity, 2009-10-04 12:42 am UTC

	darkblade 2009-10-03 06:10 pm UTC (link)
	The real question is to why he hasn't been properly sent to death row yet. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bluefall, 2009-10-03 06:11 pm UTC

darkblade, 2009-10-03 06:15 pm UTC

bluefall, 2009-10-03 06:16 pm UTC

bluejaybirdie, 2009-10-03 06:40 pm UTC

bluefall, 2009-10-03 06:44 pm UTC

jarodrussell, 2009-10-03 07:00 pm UTC

unknownscribler, 2009-10-04 08:58 am UTC

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 06:38 pm UTC

darkblade, 2009-10-03 06:49 pm UTC

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 06:53 pm UTC

darkblade, 2009-10-03 06:57 pm UTC

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 07:03 pm UTC

darkblade, 2009-10-03 07:04 pm UTC

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 07:16 pm UTC

ladydouji, 2009-10-03 07:45 pm UTC

ada_c, 2009-10-03 08:14 pm UTC

ladydouji, 2009-10-03 09:25 pm UTC

ada_c, 2009-10-04 06:03 am UTC

unknownscribler, 2009-10-04 09:25 am UTC

janegray, 2009-10-04 12:39 pm UTC

unknownscribler, 2009-10-04 09:25 am UTC

iwfan53, 2009-10-04 09:52 pm UTC

	nezchan 2009-10-03 07:16 pm UTC (link)
	Wasn't one of his original shticks that he would frequently die in some inescapable way at the end of an adventure, and yet appear again in another story without explanation? Sort of a psychotic Kenny. I sort of liked that concept, it was appropriately surreal. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

magus_69, 2009-10-03 10:42 pm UTC

psychop_rex, 2009-10-04 05:33 am UTC

	xdoop 2009-10-03 06:27 pm UTC (link)
	KINGDOM COME shows that if someone finally offed the Joker, society would support him. But that story showed it would inspire "newer" superheroes to start offing their enemies, as yaseen101 said on the "Damien and Jason like decapitating bad guys" post. Maybe they could have him killed in private, and then get rid of the body. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-10-03 07:17 pm UTC (link)
	Like they did in "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

darkblade, 2009-10-03 07:24 pm UTC

	unknownscribler 2009-10-04 08:59 am UTC (link)
	Batgas him then shoot him into the sun. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	menagerie 2009-10-03 06:33 pm UTC (link)
	Hell, I think the public would hold a celebration should Joker be killed. I can't see at this point why they wouldn't. (Reply to this) (Thread)

jarodrussell
2009-10-03 06:52 pm UTC (link)

You think that, but look at the Michael Jackson and Roman Polanski fallout. These are two people who, by most accounts, have done terrible, terrible things, yet people still honor their memory and defend them.

There would be people in places of power defending Joker, damning the death penalty, putting Batman on trial, etc., all complicating his execution. People are crazy.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

icon_uk, 2009-10-03 07:18 pm UTC

freezer818, 2009-10-03 11:51 pm UTC

ashtoreth, 2009-10-04 12:37 am UTC

	ada_c 2009-10-03 06:42 pm UTC (link)
	They could always just kill him privately. I would pay for a book where Cass and Jason quietly off the Joker and then burn and bury his remains in the woods somewhere. (Of course I say Cass and Jason because anyone else would have a ridiculous guilt trip afterwards.) Then all the world knows is that Joker disappeared. The end. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	darkblade 2009-10-03 06:51 pm UTC (link)
	Cass would be majorly guilt tripping too. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ada_c, 2009-10-03 07:03 pm UTC

unknownscribler, 2009-10-04 09:02 am UTC

ada_c, 2009-10-04 09:24 pm UTC

	yaseen101 2009-10-03 06:52 pm UTC (link)
	Well then, even if they did it they would still have Bats and Gordon on their tails. You have to understand, DC is not going to kill off the Joker anytime soon, he is too big of a character, too iconic to be killed off. Even if they did, it won't last someone will one day bring him back. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ada_c, 2009-10-03 06:58 pm UTC

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 07:05 pm UTC

	jarodrussell 2009-10-03 06:54 pm UTC (link)
	I'd pay to read a story about some random cop who killed him, knowing full well the consequences he'd face. Some lone guy who took a stand. To some extent, that's what made the first two issues of Absolution interesting. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ada_c, 2009-10-03 07:01 pm UTC

jarodrussell, 2009-10-03 07:07 pm UTC

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 07:23 pm UTC

arilou_skiff, 2009-10-03 07:58 pm UTC

unknownscribler, 2009-10-04 09:05 am UTC

angelophile, 2009-10-03 11:43 pm UTC

ashtoreth, 2009-10-04 12:44 am UTC

angelophile, 2009-10-04 09:52 am UTC

starwolf_oakley, 2009-10-04 03:58 am UTC

angelophile, 2009-10-04 09:48 am UTC

janegray, 2009-10-04 12:45 pm UTC

starwolf_oakley, 2009-10-03 08:29 pm UTC

retro_nouveau, 2009-10-04 12:27 am UTC

ladymirth, 2009-10-04 09:08 am UTC

	sherkahn 2009-10-03 07:21 pm UTC (link)
	Damien could do it, as his response to his first traumatic encounter with Mr. J. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

yaseen101, 2009-10-03 07:27 pm UTC

	daningram 2009-10-03 07:17 pm UTC (link)
	I really wish they'd justify not killing Joker for fear of creating copy-cats. Works better than trying to take a moral high ground that's always soaked in blood. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	jlbarnett 2009-10-03 08:51 pm UTC (link)
	that's pretty good. Kill the Joker and twenty copycats show up. Sure they wouldn't be as dangerous individually but all of them? The Joker himself could be the reason they don't show up. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ashtoreth, 2009-10-04 12:47 am UTC

	benicio127 2009-10-03 07:19 pm UTC (link)
	OH Man. Would you believe I was totally thinking of posting those exact two first scans today? There's another scene in Legends of the Dark Knight: The Demon Laughs arc where Babs and Bats fight about keeping the Joker alive and even Joker asks Batman why he does. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	scottyquick 2009-10-03 07:40 pm UTC (link)
	I would! That happens all the time! Also, I am shocked to death that you have an Ivy/Harley icon. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

benicio127, 2009-10-03 07:44 pm UTC

sistermagpie
2009-10-03 07:38 pm UTC (link)

The good point that I like that Dick makes here is "We're not soldiers. We're not cops." Because either one could kill. A cop could take out the Joker and it would be totally legitimate. Then planning to go out, catch him and kill him would be a major line-crossing, I think. It sounds silly, but I really think they're right about that, in terms of their own psychology.

But more importantly, wtf with Dick's hair? It's the kind of 'do I'd expect on a supervillain.

Btw, is Dick the only one of them that actually has killed? I mean, he kills the Joker in--is it in this story? And Batman brings him back. And while he didn't kill Blockbuster he did seem to run out of reasons not to keep him alive. That is, I can see how he thinks of himself as killing him.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	jarodrussell 2009-10-03 07:48 pm UTC (link)
	Cassandra killed someone when she was eight, but that was her only kill (until the excrement his the turbine). Barbara has shot a Secret Service agent who was trying to abduct her, in The Hacker Files, but I don't recall if it was a kill shot or not. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ada_c, 2009-10-03 08:13 pm UTC

daningram, 2009-10-03 10:49 pm UTC

icon_uk, 2009-10-03 08:10 pm UTC

janegray, 2009-10-04 12:59 pm UTC

retro_nouveau, 2009-10-04 12:35 am UTC

starwolf_oakley
2009-10-03 08:25 pm UTC (link)

Some of what everyone here has mentioned reminds me of two things, one Batman related, one not.

1. OFFICER DOWN revealed that the man who shot Commissioner Gordon joined the Gotham PD for the express purpose of getting close enough to Gordon to kill him. They even explained how the GCPD were hurting for applicants after No Man's Land.

2. In the first season of BONES, a killer on Death Row (at first saying his was innocent) dropped hints so Brennan and Boothe eventually discovered his other victims. The killer explained that he would have to go on trial for those murders, thus delaying his execution for years. He even said "Maybe by that time they won't have the death penalty anymore."

(Reply to this) (Thread)

daningram, 2009-10-03 11:42 pm UTC

freezer818, 2009-10-04 12:00 am UTC

	timgueguen 2009-10-03 08:36 pm UTC (link)
	Anyone else find it a bit eyerolling that Barbara calls the Gotham disaster No Man's Land? That's a little bit too 4th wall breaking for me in what's supposed to be a serious scene. (Reply to this) (Thread)

ravenous_raven, 2009-10-03 09:05 pm UTC

icon_uk, 2009-10-03 09:05 pm UTC

timgueguen, 2009-10-03 09:14 pm UTC

runespoor7, 2009-10-03 09:09 pm UTC

	*incoherent rage* ashtoreth 2009-10-04 12:52 am UTC (link)
	THOSE AREN'T BABY'S BREATH! THESE ARE! (Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: *incoherent rage* -

parsimonia, 2009-10-04 01:46 pm UTC

ashtoreth, 2009-10-04 08:05 pm UTC

parsimonia, 2009-10-04 09:47 pm UTC

	zordboy 2009-10-04 09:23 am UTC (link)
	The Joker still being alive is a wall-banger, there's no two ways around it. I can buy the Bat-team not killing him, but a cop or other supervillain or even another hero should've. DC needs to either tone the guy's crimes down, or give us a break for a few years. (Reply to this) (Thread)

starwolf_oakley, 2009-10-04 10:25 pm UTC

icon_uk, 2009-10-05 12:50 pm UTC