Joker/Bruce Wayne

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Pairing
Pairing: Joker/Bruce Wayne
Alternative name(s): Batjokes, John Doe/Bruce Wayne, Joker/Batman
Gender category: Slash
Fandom: Batman, BTAS, DCAU, Nolanverse, The LEGO Batman Movie, Batman: The Telltale Series, Batman: Arkham, DCU
Canonical?: No
Prevalence: Popular (but sometimes controversial)
Archives:
Other:
"Illustration of Batman and the Joker kissing, with speech bubbles above their heads Batman's saying 'I Hate You' and Joker's saying 'I Hate You More'"
I Hate You More by Sapphiresenthiss (2018)
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Joker/Bruce Wayne, also known as Batjokes, is the popular non-canonical slash pairing of Joker and Bruce Wayne (Batman) in Batman fandom. Many iterations of the pair are shipped together from many different media, from the comics, TV shows, films, and video games.

Originally a crack ship, Batjokes has risen to become a popular ship in DC fandom. It is currently the second most popular slash pairing for Bruce and the most popular pairing overall for Joker, on fanfiction website Ao3. The Dark Knight movie provided compelling live action versions of both characters and helped to reinvigorate this ship. The fandom has continued to grow with each successive release of new canon, regardless of the media format.

Fanworks often focus on the co-dependent, obsessive and somewhat ambiguous relationship between these two enemies. There are lots of identity porn stories and stories where the two enemies must work together but fics where these two end up in a happily-ever-after style romantic relationship are less common. However, The LEGO Batman Movie and The Telltale Series video game are two source materials which provide creators with less antagonistic iterations of the characters, and that's reflected in the Batjokes fanworks coming from those fandoms.

Batjokes is notable as an enemies to lovers ship with very little antishipping.

Canon

Throughout their 80 years of history together, the relationship between the Batman and the Joker has been relatively consistent. The Joker escapes Arkham Asylum and does something villainous, often resulting in the injury/death of civilians or members of the Batfamily. Batman stops him. This often involves physical fights where the Joker taunts the Batman with innuendo. Then Batman returns Joker to Arkham Asylum, only for it all to happen again the next time Joker escapes.

The two are canonically obsessed with each other, and multiple source materials imply that the Joker is in love with Batman. Despite the danger that the Joker poses to Gotham, Batman has never failed to save his life.

Fandom

This ship has been around a long time. It was originally viewed as a crack ship by many due to their antagonistic relationship and violent interactions in the source material. Early Batman/Joker works came from the DC comics and Batman: The Animated Series fandoms.

The Dark Knight was a film that led to an influx of new shippers.[1] The film focused a lot on their relationship, and the parallels between Batman and Joker, without the added baggage of comics canon events such as the murder of Jason Todd. With that said, the Joker's murder of Rachel Dawes served a similar narrative purpose in TDK fics to the murder of Jason Todd in comic-inspired fics. The murder or maiming of batfamily members is often a big obstacle to a Batjokes relationship.

Around this time the ship name, Batjokes, was coined by AshToSilver, who was looking for a suitable name for a Joker x Batman fansite.[2] In August 2013, Batjokes.com was launched and became a community for fan creators.

In this batjokes fandom, we see people come and go. It’s natural. Perhaps, we came to this little fandom at 1st Wave (pre-New 52 DC comics), 2nd Wave (The Dark Knight), 3rd Wave (Arkham Game series), or 4th Wave (Batman from Snyder’s run). It’s not surprising if some of us come for the 5th Wave, marked by Suicide Squad movie. Our reason to stay in this fandom perhaps also different. Our view about Batman/Joker dynamic can be vastly different. It’s okay. Your Mileage May Vary, right?[3]

The fandom continued to grow as new comics featuring these two were released. The Lego Batman Movie also inspired shippers, with a new fluffier and less violent Joker. Batman: The Telltale Series, a video game, also renewed interest in this pairing, with the game's story choices leading to either Vigilante Joker or Villain Joker character arcs. Batjokes shippers were particularly drawn to the Vigilante!Joker.

On the Gotham (TV Series), characters Jerome, and later Jeremiah Valeska, were viewed as early iterations of the Joker. They have both been paired with that universe's Bruce Wayne. These pairings are rare in the overall Gotham fandom.

Several more recent live action films featuring these characters have focused exclusively on either Batman or Joker, such as the 2019 film Joker and the 2022 movie The Batman. Fans have begun to ship Battinson with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, but other versions of the Joker also appear. Fanworks pairing Bruce/Joker can use elements from multiple DC source materials, similar to other DC based fanworks. The lack of canon interactions in the Snyderverse has also encouraged shippers to draw inspiration from multiple source materials from their Snyderverse Batjokes works.

Despite the problematic nature of this pairing, there is little noticeable antishipping.

shoutout to batjokes for being probably one of the most problematic things I have ever shipped, but surprisingly has the least amount of hate.[4]

Common Tropes & Storylines

House Arrest at Wayne Manor

There are many works where Batman keeps Joker prisoner to protect Gotham, and this often involves the Joker imprisoned in the Bat cave. The situation may arise because Joker was injured, or it may be the only alternative to Batman killing the Joker.

A popular variation on this is the Joker under house arrest at Wayne Manor trope. In these works, it is often Bruce Wayne who offers to keep Joker at Wayne Manor, with the Gotham police and Arkham Asylum staff facilitating the Joker's house arrest. These fics often allow for more interactions between the two characters that are almost domestic and fluffy. House Arrest stories sometimes overlap with Rehabilitation fics as house arrest may be viewed as a step towards eventual release for a seemingly rehabilitated Joker. In other fics, Joker's repeated escapes from Arkham Asylum make the authorities desperate enough to consider House Arrest, particularly as billionaire Bruce Wayne has offered to foot the bill.

However Joker arrives at Wayne Manor, the increased interactions and close proximity often lead to romantic or sexual encounters, and Joker discovering Batman or Bruce's secret identity.

Identity Porn

Identity Porn is very common in Batman source material and fanworks given Bruce's vigilante alter ego. In almost all source materials the Joker is (seemingly) unaware that Bruce Wayne is Batman.

There are many fanfictions where Bruce Wayne is taken hostage or kidnapped by the Joker. Bruce is rarely the target, and is usually just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and unable to slip away. The Joker's obsession with Batman often results in confusion and disappointment when the Bat doesn't show up to stop his plans.

There are fanworks where the Joker interacts with Bruce Wayne without any violence or hostage taking. Joker might be in disguise at a Wayne charity gala, or Bruce might be a patient at Arkham Asylum. They may become friends or more, with the Joker seemingly still unaware that Bruce is Batman.

There are also Matchjokes fics, that pair the Joker with Bruce's criminal alter ego Matches Malone. In many of these, Bruce as Matches is looking for information or investigating a crime when he happens upon the Joker.

Identity Porn stories often result in a secret identity reveal with the Joker discovering Bruce is Batman, or alternatively, Joker may have to admit that he already knows Batman's identity. Many fanworks play with the idea that Joker is already aware of Batman's identity. In many cases, the Joker does not act on this information as it would ruin their game.

Other Tropes

  • Unhealthy relationships: Fanworks don't shy away from the unhealthy aspects of their canon relationship. These two often fight physically, even in works where they are in an established relationship.
  • Working together: The Batman sometimes works with Joker to uncover abuses at Arkham Asylum or take down a different villain. (Usually a villain who is targeting the Joker while also endangering the citizens of Gotham) As with House Arrest stories, increased interaction between these two often results in their relationship changing. This trope is particularly common in The Telltale Series fanfics based on John Doe taking the Vigilante path, and can result in hurt/comfort fics.
  • Rehabilitation fics: Sometimes AUs set after the Killing Joke depict the Joker taking Batman up on his offer to rehabilitate him. Attempts to rehabilitate the Joker are common in fanon. He often reverts to his former name in these works, usually John or Jack.
  • Joker Made Them Do It: Non-con and Dubcon are common. Joker may dose Batman with sex pollen, or threaten to kill innocents to force Batman into romantic or sexual situations he wouldn't otherwise consider.
  • Works where the two end up together in a romantic and sexual relationship often involve one character sacrificing his alter ego for their relationship. Many fans consider these OOC characterizations and a small number are tagged OOC. Much more common are fanfics where these two are in a secret relationship, but any relationship is often tested by the Joker's violent antics, and Bruce's need to prevent the loss of life.
  • Mourning: In works or canons where one of these two dies, or is presumed dead, the other rarely handles their death well. There are many fics set in the aftermath of Joker's death in the Arkham game series that focus on Bruce's grief and complicated feelings about the Joker.

Fanworks

Fanfiction

  • Maddening Torture by Kabuki, PWP and noncon. The Joker torturing Batman. (1999)
  • Slipping into Entropy on LiveJournal and Slipping into Entropy Book ((Waybackmachine) Author's Webpage link) one of the first if not the first compiled Nolanverse Batjokes book including chapter art by loony_lucifer and razothredfire, Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum, but his plan is a little different this time. Instead of indulging the whole city in the methods of his madness, his focus has been drawn sharply to the object of his obsession. (2008)
  • Life is so much better when you're dead or LISMBWYD (Archived link on AO3 and LJ) by toluenesister, During the two years following the Joker's escape from Arkham, Gotham city gradually becomes rid of its criminal element in a particularly ghastly way. The appearances of Batman and the Joker become more and more scarce as well to the point of vanishing from the public eye, leaving the city fairly clean. Then Bruce get's blackmailed. (2008)
  • A Hostage Situation by kowaiyoukai, The Joker takes a bank and its patrons hostage, waiting for Batman to appear. Bruce Wayne is one of those hostages. (2008)
  • Daily Grind by K_dAzrael, Bruce Wayne has a best friend who's also his most troublesome employee. An AU where Martha and Thomas Wayne don't die, consequently Bruce doesn't become Batman and the Joker can't exist without his straight man. (2010)
  • Atrophy by TimmyJaybird, Bruce Wayne tries to rehabilitate the Joker. (2015)
  • A New Game ((dead) Ao3 link) by Mellie Art, The game's been going for almost twenty years. Bruce knows the rules, he knows the moves, he knows how it'll end. But when he tries to change the game and someone else starts a new one, Bruce can only hope he learns these rules quickly enough to win. (2016)
  • scenes from retirement by Dracze and mitzvahmelting (2016)
  • Somewhere Between Love And Abuse by Saremina, Bruce tries to date Joker and keep him from finding out he's Batman at the same time. (2017)
  • Half Way Across by Dracze, Set immediately after "The Killing Joke": Joker changes his mind on the way back to Arkham and agrees to Batman's offer to rehabilitate him. What follows is a mess of conflicting needs, emotional ugliness and a whole lot of bad decisions, but no one ever said it was going to be easy. (2019)
  • repetitio est mater studiorum by distortopia, a Groundhog Day fic (2021)

Fanart

Gallery

Fanvids

Meta

Other

Archives & Fannish Links

Communities

Events, Fests & Exchanges

References

  1. ^ When was the Batjokes renaissance? Response by ladyredlipclassic, on tumblr, May 2018.
  2. ^ Why is it BatJokes and not Batjoke? Response by Ashtosilver
  3. ^ Tumblr post by Tumblr user anybatmanjoker, Apr 2016.
  4. ^ Tumblr post by a-joke-about-a-bat, 2016
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