Why So Serious?

My Jokers.

The first was created when I was just a year old and for nearly twenty years, Jack Nickelson was my Joker. Tim Burton created the world that I fell in love with as a child and continue to adore. And Jack Nickelson was a huge part of that. I'm not too prideful to admit that as a child I had a massive crush on his Joker, though I often mused that I wished he was younger. I have a thing for bad boys/girls, whatevers. Always have, always will. And the Joker epitomized the bad boys.

From his humble roots as a gangster playing right hand to a "tired old man", to the laughing mutated criminal mastermind that terrorized the imaginary city of Gotham throughout the single Batman movie he appeared in.

I loved Jack's Joker. He was a killer, but he was also a snappy dresser and just crazy enough to still be amusing. He was a smooth talker, and a bit of a pig to be honest. But everything he did, he did with class, he tried to be suave and always... always... with a smile on his face.

My favorite part of the Joker was his back story, specifically his murder of Bruce's parents, making them the creators of one another. I felt it really accounted for alot of why the Joker became the Batman's arch enemy and a leader in the industy of villianny. When he was killed off, I thought I was never going to see the Joker, my secret hero of the movie world, again.

And then the Batman franchise was reopened in Batman Begins and I had hope that I was going to see the Joker. Instead it was Doctor Crane, the Scarecrow who made his appearance. Just as I really was losing hope once more, those fateful lines "leaves it as a calling card" appeared with the image of the famous Joker playing card and I knew... he was coming back. As Harley Quinn said, "Puddin's coming home!"


And so we come to The Dark Knight where Heath Ledger comes along to play the Joker. See, now I'm torn because Heath Ledger's Joker... was truly Oscar worthy! Amazing, honestly, far beyond what I could have hoped for. He did the Joker justice in his own way. A little less dashing and a little more nitty-gritty, clothes a little more grunge than Armani. Yet somehow it was still THE Joker.

Twitching his way through his performance, Heath reminded us why he was such an incredible and versatile actor. To go from Patrick in Ten Things I Hate About You, to the happy-go-lucky Jacob Grimm, to a cowboy concerned about his own homosexual tendancies, to the Joker... nobody will forget him and nobody will forget this performance. Ledger fans around the globe who had never even heard of Batman (as difficult as that may sound) made sure to see his last finished project and I doubt that anybody has been disappointed. I am avoiding talking too much about the film in fear that I may spoil it for the masses who haven't seen it yet... but needless to say, it was worth it. So very very worth it.

We come to the question... which Joker was better? Neither. Because to compare Jack and Heath's performances would be like comparing classic cars. You just can't do it because they're so very differant and yet so incredible. I love both and so they both are my Jokers. The psychopaths that won my heart. The reason Harley Quinn is (next to Catwoman, of course) my favorite female character in the comic book world.

Love and Kisses,
Andro Angel aka Harley Quinn

RIP Heath Ledger 1979-2008
"Why so serious?"