Batman Vox Humana Issue #2 Page 1
Page 1
Location: Arkahm Asylum
Scene : Same as the last panel of Issue #1, though no text. Rain has started and it is coming in through the bars. Batman is just staring at the Joker.
Next panel, looking in from the outside into Joker’s cell through bars. It is raining still and Joker has started chuckling, then laughing.
Next panel, further out, Joker’s laughter is trailing out from cell.
Jack Napier and the Origin of the Joker
In issue 1.5 the Joker tells a story about Jack Napier feeding the anti-corruption crusader, Edwin Atherton, to several members of Gotham’s criminal and corrupt element before the advent of Batman. Some may complain that the Joker was a comedian, a la Killing Joke, or the Red Hood. Personally, I always really liked the Jack Napier origin.
That being said, this is not meant to define Jack Napier as the origin of the Joker, but rather, to simply add to the supposed many origin stories of the Joker as to who these myriad of people were before Joker came about. This story may be true, it may not. It is the Joker after all. Even he, in this story, does not know why he remembers the tale, he just tells it.
What is the deal with the Joker?
With the advent of The Dark Knight, everybody is talking about the Joker again. Not that the Joker ever went away, but now the average person on the street is talking about him. People who I have never seen in the store are now coming in to purchase the Joker graphic novel, small kids want the Heath Ledger toy, and the Killing Joke is selling that sample sized pieces of crack.
But what is the deal with the Joker anyway? My friend Ben loves the Joker and says that the Joker is a mirror image of Batman, and that neither could exist without the other. I think that is bullshit. The Joker is now anti-Batman and Batman would continue to do what he does without the Joker around. It is the Joker who needs Batman, not vice versa.
Ben also says that the Joker isn’t crazy, but is rather super-sane and it only appears like craziness to us normal sane people. I will also say that is bullshit. The Joker is crazy. I say this because sane people can describe something they are not, craziness, but no one has ever been able to describe super sanity to me. You know why? It doesn’t exist. That’s why.
So, what is the deal with the Joker? The Joker feels a need to make other people like himself, hence Joker gas, my having him mutilate random people, and his obssession with Batman. Why his obssession with Batman? Well, because Batman is someone who will never, under any circumstances, be like the Joker, and so the Joker has to try to change him.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 21
Page 21
Location: Arkham Asykum – Inside Batzarro’s cell
Batzarro now looks like a bizarro version of the Joker. Do Bizarker however you want. I suggest overalls instead of a suit. Remember Batzarro has no eyes, so none for the bizarro Joker.
Batzarro: Batzarro never Bizarker!
Bizarker: Bizarker stop crime!
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 20
Page 20
Joker: So Batman took Batzarro out of Arkham.
Joker: Where Batzarro will never rot, for so small was Batman’s love.
End of Joker Story
Location: Arkham Asylum Cafeteria
Joker (whispering in Batzarro’s ear): Batman will always love you.
Batzarro (tears on his face, his mouth open and screaming): Batzarro stop crime! Batman good!
Batzarro runs out of cafeteria.
Location: Arkham Asylum – Outside Batzarro’s Cell
Batzarro: Batman good. Batman good. Joker bad. Batzarro still wants to be Batman. Batzarro will be Batzarro still.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 19
Page 19
Joker: But Batman loved Batzarro, and he told Batzarro.
Joker: Batman loved Batzarro so much, Batman didn’t want to hurt Batzarro.
Joker: Batman gave Batzarro good instructions.
Batman: Stop crime.
Picture of Batzarro with dead child’s body.
Joker: So Batzarro didn’t do just that.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 18
Page 18
Joker: Batzarro hated Batman, and never wanted to be like Batman.
Joker: Batzarro didn’t want Batman to hate him.
Joker: Batman seemed to hate Batzarro.
Joker: Batman was Batzarro’s enemy.
Joker: Batzarro was sad.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 17
Page 17
Joker is annoyed and angred by Batzarro.
Joker (screaming): Who cares about fucking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
The Joker collects himself.
Joker (malevolent): I don’t have a story for you.
The section of Joker’s storytelling should have a non-descript background.
Joker: Don’t let me paint a picture for you.
Joker: There never was Batzarro.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 15
Page 15
The guests have now sat down.
Professor Hugo Strange: And will you be joining us?
Jack Napier: No, I won’t be. Just think, after tonight, you will all have the same secret. When you go after each other, remember what you did together,…
Jack Napier: And remember who made you do this.
Jack Napier (smiling): Now take, eat, all of you. This is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for me and by many. Do this and forever remember me.
Location: Arkham Asylum Cafeteria
Scene: All of the people at the Joker’s table, except for Batzarro, is just staring at the Joker, wide-eyed with their mouths open. They cannot believe what they just heard. The Joker is laughing.
Joker: I don’t know why I even remember that story, but it has always made me smile.
Batman Vox Humana Issue #1.5 Page 10
Page 10
Location: Morning in the Arkham Asylum Cafeteria
Scene: The Joker and Batzarro are in line getting food put in their trays. Crazy Quilt is in the line with them, as is Two-Face, Maxie Zeus, The Mad Hatter, and Mr. Zsasz.
New Panel
Scene: Batzarro and Joker are sitting down to eat.
Joker: You know, I used to eat like this all the time, all the time. Everyone would come. Everyone who was anyone. No one turned down my invitations.
Location: Joker’s Warehouse
Scene: The Joker, (as Jack Napier) has set up a banquet table. On it is a large covered platter, candelabras, drinks, and place settings. Sitting at the table is a woman who looks like a non-costumed Harley Quinn (it isn’t Harley Quinn, I just thought that it would be good to have a lookalike for her here, it kind of sets the stage for Harley in the future), Luigi Maroni, Professor Hugo Strange, Police Commissioner Gillian B. Loeb, Tony Zucco, Vincent Falcone, Penguin, and Doctor Karl Hellfern (Batman’s first supervillain). The lady who looks like Harley Quinn is sitting at one end of the table, the Joker (as Jack Napier) is standing with his chair behind him at the other end.
To help distinguish this Jack Napier from the later Joker, for this section I will refer to him as Jack Napier.
Peter Grogan (annoyed): What’s the meaning of this, Jack?
Professor Hugo Strange: Yes, some of us have business to attend to.
Jack Napier: Gentlemen, please, surely we have time to be civil. I promise I didn’t ask all of you to be here for idle chat.
Luigi Maroni: Then why are we here?
