If you want to unleash unbridled pandemonium over Gotham on a whim you cant do it without first putting up some collateral. Both takes on the Joker show in some detail him amassing a large fortune for his subsequent misdeeds (be it through killing his mob boss or bargaining with, then killing his mob boss). But the key linking trait with the money here is that both Jokers have little care for it. In The Dark Knight he only sought it so he could begin to unravel Gothams ordered society, burning it all and simultaneously making a point to the mob because he can do whatever the hell he wants. The purpose in Batman is a little more involved a cash giveaway acting as the incentive to lure greedy Gothamites to their poisoned doom but the general sentiment that its not about the money, its about sending a message, applies to both. This is the last of three key Joker similarities between the two portrayals, so I think its fair to conclude that no matter how different the actors are, he is the big constant between the two universes. While itd be easy to say Nolan was just taking ideas from the previous film, I think it goes further back in the characters history. Most superhero movies are an amalgamation of various different comic book stories and although Batman has seventy-five years of development, both Nolan and Burton went to similar sources, meaning many of these similarities are natural within the development of the film. If anything its testament to the strength of the material that it can flourish in two totally different Gothams. Are there any similarities we missed? Which are you favourite? Let us know in the comments.
