Oh, well, okay, if all we are going to do is repeat our own posts, I'll play!

Originally posted by Dreampanther
I dunno, hey.

I base my argument on several points:

One, Batman has never killed anybody. In fact, that is one of his most distinguishing characteristics. If he does ever kill anybody , in my opinion, one of several things would take place as well: First, he would have to change so much, change one of his most fundamental aspects so much, that he would just never be the same again. After all, where do you draw the line? (I think this is one of his argumets as well.)

See, according to several books I've read, and the opinions expressed therein, there is a fundamental difference between a killer and somebody who's not. Batman has a great regard for life, as is proved by his tenacity, his determination to survive.

The Joker doesn't. He will kill you for no more than a whim, and make no mistake: Batman is still alive because of a whim. Because, as has been stated elsewhere, he has a great regard for Batman's intelligence, and regards him, in a twisted way, almost as a peer.

In short, he finds him interesting. And therefore entertaining.

But the Joker is crazy. And a lot of people tend to forget that, because he can be so charming.

But here is another fundamental difference between Batman and the Joker: Besides the fact that Batman regards life as sacrosant, he is also one of the greatest detectives in the world. In fact, he is frequently compared to the great Holmes. Detective work, as you would know if you had spent as much time with Sherlock Holmes as I used to when I was a kid, is based on logic.

And Batman, ultimately, is a logical creature. All his decisions, all his life, have been based on logic and great personal courage.

The Joker is not logical. He is not predictable. He is not cute, or charming, or any of the other phallacies he have been lulling the entire world with (let's not forget, if anybody understands the concept of PR, it's the Joker).

He is a cold blooded, demented, sociopathic killer, and his obsession with the Bat, as everybody has speculated in the past, will eventually lead to the ultimate showdown.

But Bruce Wayne, the toughest streetfighter in the world, will always have one weakness, one the Joker does not have: He has a conscience.

The Joker? He is your worst nightmare - a fool with a gun.