I Think You and I Are Destined To Do This Forever

“I Think You and I Are Destined To Do This Forever” said the Joker, hanging down from a building after being saved by Batman at the end of the Dark Knight. Michael Nichols adds further insight into this quote and the ongoing relationship between The Joker and Batman in a journal article he named after The Joker’s quote in the last scene of the movie. Nichols, in his article, creates connections between the two characters, Batman and The Joker, and the idea of the combat myth, which raises an interesting comparison of modern day characters and an ancient story. He begins his article by describing the combat myth, of the dragon and a divine being one trying to cause chaos while the other trying to stop it. Furthermore he continues to describe the backstories between Batman and The Joker and how they can directly represent the two characters from the combat myth. He furthers his discussion by providing symbolism in the stories for both of them that correlate directly to the Combat Myth story. Nichols concludes that after reading the comics and watching the movies with the perspective of the “Combat Myth Narratives”, Batman and The Joker are a revival of an old religious story.

My own view is that Batman and The Joker do generally resemble the ancient story, however, what makes them different are their specific characteristics and attributes. Back when the Combat Myth was a popularly told story, everyone aspired to be seen as a noble, heroic character, while in the contemporary world, some may see that as “fake” or an impossibility. Batman more thoroughly reflects a modern take on the Combat Myth, where the Divine Hero is not completely divine, they contain flaws like all humans do. The Joker also reflects this because he refuses to kill Batman, the hero, because “he’s too fun” as he commonly refers to Batman. This cynical and cruel relationship between both of them appeal to their audience by providing them with something new that has not been done before in old folklore, an imperfect hero due to his vengeance and an imperfect villain due to his self-entertainment.