Hey peeps. Thomas here at Pastime Viewpoints has made an article deterring the fact Joker should be in Batman Arkham Origins. If you haven’t read it yet, here is the link:
See, I understand Thomas’ point. I am not going to straight up bash the guy because he believes The Joker should not be in the game, hell if anything he is completely just in his opinions. However as a fan of the Batman franchise, especially the Arkham franchise, I do believe 100% the The Joker is fundamental in this origin story.
The Joker is a part of Batman. Fair enough Batman was Bruce Wayne’s creation made due to crime of Gotham City. It was however The Joker that warped Batman, molded Batman, and really made Batman the Batman he is. The one that is not afraid, the one who is not afraid to die, the one who has an endless bond with this evil clown. In Arkham City, Joker’s death really shows what Batman is without him; nothing. When you reflect on Batman’s past and his origins, not having Joker there is as much of a mistake as not having Crime Alley, Robin or Alfred. Thomas did state that The Joker seemingly hogs the spotlight, and hinders other bad guys such as Scarecrow, Al Ghul, Riddler and Bane. I cannot argue that point completely, yet what I can say is was The Joker that big of a deal in the Arkham series?
Yes The Joker in the first game Arkham Asylum was taunting Batman throughout and seemingly escaped lock-down (as he does so well), needing capturing and the rescuing of innocent prisoners he has taken. In the game it felt that he was an integral part of the plot, but it also felt he never truly was clouding the way. He was instrumental in pushing the main plot, though the side plot is what made that game. Poison Ivy, Bane, Killer Croc, The Riddler, The Penguin etc, all got their mitts on that game and made huge impressions without Joker’s direct help. In Arkham City it was more of the same. More villains such as Deadshot, Mr. Freeze, Mad Hatter, Hugo Strange, Two Face, Clayface and Harley Quinn all get a chance to shine in City. The Joker doesn’t hinder these guys and their stories. He is a part of Batman’s journey as he always is. The Joker is Batman’s biggest rival. Done deal.
Thomas did point out that this story should feature a real story based outside of Joker and feature more on the Black Mask and his assassins. I love the aspect of Black Mask trying to take out the Batman. It makes for a great plot. The thing with Batman is that he is Gotham’s savior and a criminal’s worse nightmare. So what if we have 9 guys trying to rip Batman’s head off? What is different from any other day of the week? The Batman story is interesting and lathers rich in longevity. The 8 assassins (including Deathstroke YESSS) will have plenty of time to forge their stories and have their respective battles. Hell, Joker could have a five minute piece in the game and not even need to be the “main guy” as Thomas is afraid he will be. It is the fact that The Joker’s origins are essential to cover as they have not been touched so far in the series. How did he become Joker? How did he meet up with and rival Batman? How does he cause Gotham’s suffering? It is interesting stuff to know. Why can’t we have all of this plus more? Black Mask will come out of this looking a bad ass believe me.
I know Thomas is a fan of the Joker. I know he would enjoy a Batman game that is not based solely around the man. Similar to the movies Batman Begins and Dark Knight Rises, Batman can thrive without his number one rival. I solely believe that The Joker needs to be here for this origin story. Batman without Joker isn’t the same you know. Let me ask the viewers reading this, can you have an origin story on Batman without having Joker? Can you see it? Can you have an origin story about the building of Superman without Lex Luthor? Ask Man of Steel. It is the element that makes the character them. Loki made The Avengers, Lex makes Superman special, and The Joker makes Batman the Dark knight. The Joker must be a part of this origin story and must have his reserved spot into this classic title to be.
Thank you for reading peeps. Let us know who is right out of Thomas and I. Do you believe Joker needs to be in Arkham Origins? Or needs to stay away to let other villains shine?
Regards,
Zell – http://www.youtube.com/user/zell2626
Pastime Viewpoints 