Wes Serafine
Equinox Staff
I’ve shared with you my vast knowledge of the comic book universe for this long, so it’s now time I share with you one of my single favorite comic book stories of all time: Action Comics #719. While not a particularly groundbreaking story, it is one of the first comics I ever read as well as one of the best demonstrations of the relationships between three of DC’s most popular characters. As this review is already going to be quite long and most of you likely already know the stories of Batman, Superman and Joker, we’ll skip the background information this week and just get right to the fun.
While cleaning her apartment one day, Lois Lane collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Apparently, a figurine of Joker that she had kept as a souvenir from one of Superman’s previous encounters with the clown prince of crime was coated with a toxic agent she had gradually absorbed over time and is killing her. Enraged by his lack of foresight Superman flies off in search of Joker, not knowing what he’ll do to him.
He seeks the help of Batman but Bruce recognizes that Clark is not thinking clearly because of Lois’s situation and sends him on a wild goose chase while he confronts Joker in Arkham. Superman, not one to be so easily fooled, catches up to him and is ready to force Joker to give him the cure for Lois’s poison by any means necessary. Joker offers Superman an ultimatum. Apparently, the cure is actually the original poison combined with Joker’s chemically altered DNA. In order to get it, Superman must inject the poison into Joker, killing him in the process.
The idea here is that Joker would effectively destroy what Superman represents since he will have taken a life with his own hands. Both he and Lois would have to live with that on their conscience. Superman is ready to do it, but Batman tries to talk some sense into him and tell him not to play Joker’s twisted game.
Superman almost kills Batman but is ultimately convinced that letting Lois die is the right thing to do. At the hospital Lois flatlines and Superman is wrought with grief but Batman reassures him that this is what she would have wanted. However, just as all hope seems lost, Lois starts slowly returning to health. Batman exposits that the poison would have killed The Joker but probably would only take others to the brink and then right back, the “joke” being that Superman would have essentially killed The Joker for no reason.
That’s right, Joker was willing to die just to screw with Superman. Clark and Lois have a touching reunion and we end with Joker laughing long into the night. As I said before, this issue goes a long way toward the development of the three central characters.
Let’s start with Superman. This issue shows Superman at one of his most vulnerable points. In the comic he says, “I can crush mountains, melt steel, are you saying I can’t save one woman?” It’s very rare that we see Superman feeling this powerless. It brings out a side of him that is not often seen. Most people I know who criticize Superman say that they don’t like him because he’s too powerful and therefore can’t be defeated.
If you are of that mindset, I highly suggest you track down this issue. Superman may not be harmed by bullets, but that does not mean he’s invincible. It actually is very similar to how Legato destroyed Vash’s psyche in the anime “Trigun” by dying by Vash’s own hand. Now on to Joker. I’ve always thought of Joker as the epitome of human evil. No powers, no morals, no regrets and no mercy, just psychosis and boredom.
Villains like Darkseid, who are arguably just as powerful as Superman, may be able to hurt him, but it’s the normal human who nearly destroys what he is. There is literally nothing Joker will not do in order to get what he wants, making him more dangerous than any other villain in the DCU. He has no regard for any life, not even his own. He is willing to give his own life just so he could pull a prank on Superman. That’s a level of evil that almost defies description.
Finally there’s Batman. This comic does a great job of demonstrating the relationships he has with the other two. While not as much of a boy scout as Superman, he is more level headed and is sometimes needed to talk sense into his colleague.
As for his relationship with Joker, that’s a bit tougher to explain. Essentially, Joker is playing a game with Superman and Supes plays right into it, much to The Joker’s amusement. However, Batman always defeats The Joker because he refuses to play The Joker’s game, which is how he’s able to convince Superman to let him live; thus, Joker’s obsession with him grows.
Wes Serafine can be contacted at
wserafine@keene-equinox.com