10 Comics Villains Who Secretly Mirrored The Hero
4. Joker / Batman
Batman has never been short of villains who mirror his schtick in obvious ways: Owlman, Killer Moth, Azrael, Black Mask, and Man-Bat are just a few. Despite this, nobody can hold up a fun-house mirror to the Caped Crusader quite like his most iconic enemy of all: Joker.
It's not as if the two have a lot in common aesthetically: a bat and a playing card are not exactly two sides of the same coin. The choices behind their individual looks, however, have more in common than you might realise.
Batman chooses to be represented by the bat: a beast of the night, traditionally associated with Halloween and generally scary vibes. He twists these perceptions, using the bat symbol to strike fear into the hearts of criminals, while giving hope to the ordinary folk of Gotham City.
Joker, on the other hand, chooses a clown, twisting a traditionally lovable and familiar figure into a terrifying menace, that strikes fear in everyone. Although, in this day and age, clowns are generally seen as scary more than lovable, that is in large part due to the cultural impact of the Joker.
The two also choose to cover their faces to maximise their scare factor: Batman with a cowl, and Joker with make-up (and eventually his own disembodied face).
There's also the fact that Joker IS the Joker - he has no secret identity. He serves as a warning to what could happen to Batman if he ever lost touch with his Bruce Wayne side.