What If Batman Was The Joker? [Archive]

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Evil Avatar

12-05-2009, 01:19 PM

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/8/2009/12/500x_nemesis1.jpg

Comic Book Resources has posted an interview (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23934) with Mark Millar (Wanted, Kick-Ass) and Steve McNiven, talking about their new Marvel project, Nemesis, which asks the question, "What if the Batman was the Joker?" (Without using DC's trademarks, of course.)

CBR: When we first emailed back and forth about this project, Mark, you teased me with the tagline your friend suggested: "What if Batman was The Joker?' I guess the answer to that is you'd have "Nemesis." What was the genesis of this project?

Millar: Yeah, a lot of people who've read it have been coming up with hilarious tag-lines. "What if Batman was The Joker?" is the tame one. "What if Batman was a total cunt?" is maybe my favourite, although it's hardly going to be an ad. Marvel President Dan Buckley sort of paid me a compliment, saying, "This is such a stupidly simple and obvious idea. I can't believe nobody's ever come up with it before. You are the master of the stupidly simple idea." Which I suppose is kind of flattering because everyone said that about "Kick-Ass" too. It's almost too simple.

But, yeah. "Nemesis" is a reversal of the Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark archetype. What if this genius billionaire was just this total shit, and the only thing that stood between him and a city was the cops? It's Batman versus Commissioner Gordon, in a weird way. Or maybe a super-villain version of "Se7en." A billionaire anarchist up against ordinary people. The Joker's the best thing in the Batman movies, so this guy is a bit of an amalgamation of all the stuff we like.

Word is that like Wanted and Kick-Ass, Nemesis will be a movie.

JazGalaxy

12-05-2009, 01:54 PM

... you mean... like... Matt Wagner's Grendel?

O_o

WpnX

12-05-2009, 01:56 PM

Evil Avatar

12-05-2009, 02:01 PM

"What if Batman was the Joker" is only an interesting question if you are allowed to use Batman or the Joker. I'm not sure this would work as a new IP. I also don't read many comic books these days, so take that for what it's worth.

If you missed Wanted (the comic book) or Kick-Ass I can see where you might think that. Millar is a great writer and his stuff is excellent.

He has a simple way of deconstructing the average comic book mythology that seems like something anyone could write, but since no one else is doing it there has to be some skill in there somewhere.

Great stuff, I will be buying this one fore sure.

mrbrick

12-05-2009, 02:56 PM

... you mean... like... Matt Wagner's Grendel?

O_o

That is exactly what I was thinking.
Grendel was a fantastic character that evolved into something so much more... one of my favorite comic book characters / series.

The Batman VS Grendel comic was also pretty fantastic. It was basically Batman vs Batman.

lost

12-05-2009, 03:01 PM

Mark Millar is one of the most creative people in comics right now purely because he doesn't think in terms of continuity.

I'd love to see his Superman trilogy.

lost

12-05-2009, 03:15 PM

Just looked at the art...deary me, thats pushing DCs good will quite far. It IS Batman and Gordon.

wasd

12-05-2009, 03:46 PM

What if this genius billionaire was just this total shit, and the only thing that stood between him and a city was the cops?
Am I just really off base or is this Lex Luthor without Superman?

TeeCakes

12-05-2009, 03:57 PM

Am I just really off base or is this Lex Luthor without Superman?

Or Norman Osborn in the current Marvel Universe. This idea is hardly "never been done before", but nice spin in the OP quote to make it seem like 'twere so!

blackzc

12-05-2009, 07:13 PM

Or Norman Osborn in the current Marvel Universe. This idea is hardly "never been done before", but nice spin in the OP quote to make it seem like 'twere so!

I loved the What Ifs?
http://i45.tinypic.com/2qd68aa.jpg

JazGalaxy

12-05-2009, 07:29 PM

That is exactly what I was thinking.
Grendel was a fantastic character that evolved into something so much more... one of my favorite comic book characters / series.

The Batman VS Grendel comic was also pretty fantastic. It was basically Batman vs Batman.

I find it at least a little hard to believe that Mark Milar has never read Grendel, but it seems EXACTLY what he's saying he's dreamed up. It's a little weird.

Anenome

12-05-2009, 08:17 PM

Evil Avatar

12-05-2009, 09:50 PM

March 2010. Put me down for 10 copies. I have to cover the Ebay spread.

laggerific

12-06-2009, 02:03 AM

Hmm...perhaps he'd be something like Dexter? Just more chaotic. Dexter, I believe, is lawful evil, currently. Joker strikes me as a chaotic evil sort.

Zetsuei

12-06-2009, 08:09 AM

Wait wait.... I've got it...... What if Catwoman was actually Mr. Freeze? Bam, take that shit to the bank.

Paranoia

12-06-2009, 08:26 AM

I love to see how this Batman 'Joker' go one on one against Superman. Red Son was a great example.

Dellamore

12-06-2009, 08:57 AM

Wait wait.... I've got it...... What if Catwoman was actually Mr. Freeze? Bam, take that shit to the bank.

How about What if Catwoman was actually a man?

Evil Avatar

12-06-2009, 10:26 AM

I love to see how this Batman 'Joker' go one on one against Superman. Red Son was a great example.

Since we know the regular Batman can kick Superman's ass up one side of Gotham and down the other, I can only imagine that an Evil Batman would be able to kill Superman without a second thought.

Heck, the regular Joker could probably kill Batman, but he doesn't because there would be no fun in it.

White667

12-06-2009, 11:03 AM

Since we know the regular Batman can kick Superman's ass up one side of Gotham and down the other, I can only imagine that an Evil Batman would be able to kill Superman without a second thought.

Heck, the regular Joker could probably kill Batman, but he doesn't because there would be no fun in it.

No, no, problem. The only reason The Joker can kill Batman is because Batman is full of structure and laws, Joker is all about adaptation and so can combat against that. In the same way, the only way the Batman can kill Superman would be through a ridiculous amount of planning, sorting through every single possible situation and finding the one which would end with him winning, then implementing that one. The Joker might be able to kill Superman, but it's less likely.

Dag-Sabot

12-06-2009, 04:26 PM

I'd rather see good batman get drafted to go to Iraq, thus becoming evil surge batman.

Elrik Murder

12-07-2009, 08:04 AM

Yeah, I love the What If series too. My favorite is "What if the Silver Surfer had gotten the Infinity Gems during the Infinity Crisis" starring my favorite comic baddie of all time: Thanos ;)
Another good one was what if Phoenix had killed Wolverine, that was hardcore. Burned to a crisp to the point of unregenerability.

You make me sad b/c you remind me of my backlog of comics/books to catch up on. Any chance you know which issues those are? And any other What Ifs worth reading. Anyone for that matter?

Anenome

12-07-2009, 08:10 PM

You make me sad b/c you remind me of my backlog of comics/books to catch up on. Any chance you know which issues those are? And any other What Ifs worth reading. Anyone for that matter?
Wellll, here's the original Infinity Gauntlet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Infinity_Gauntlet) series, a true classic in its own right. Impressive bit of writing that.

And the What If version that parodies that series appears to be What If? #49, May 1993.

Anenome

12-07-2009, 08:12 PM

Wait wait.... I've got it...... What if Catwoman was actually Mr. Freeze? Bam, take that shit to the bank.

Lol! Good one :D Somehow I think it'd be funnier if it was What If Catwoman was actually the Penguin! Just, unzip that sexy tight leather outfit and let the flab flow like a torrent. Now we know why there's so many rips sewn up on the costume containing all his girth >_>