# The Batman not killing the Joker

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-not-killing-the-joker/703045>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 30, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-not-killing-the-joker/703045 "2014-10-30T19:01:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-not-killing-the-joker/703045/21 "2014-10-31T22:17:36Z")

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> [@Trinopus](#):
>
> But what about a comic book universe, in which Batman does know that the Joker will escape, kill, get captured, escape again, over and over, until something is done about it?

Comic book Batman also knows that killing the Joker isn’t going to stop him for much longer than locking him up.

More seriously, as someone noted up thread, while the Joker may have escaped from Arkham dozens of times since 1940, in any given contemporary comic, the Joker has only been around for maybe ten years, tops. So not all of those escapes can be in-cannon at the same time. My head cannon for Batman books is that in any given appearance by the Joker, he’s only escaped from Arkham twice, maybe three times, and that that constitutes a record for inmates there.

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2014, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-not-killing-the-joker/703045/22 "2014-11-03T10:55:46Z")

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_pfffft_

The reason the Batman doesn’t kill the Joker is because he knows that if he started killing off his special guest villains, the A-list stars would stop accepting invitations to appear on the show (taking Batman too seriously can cause you to WAAAAAY overthink these things).  
BUT, if you simply must insist on looking at Batman as other than the beloved character portrayed by Adam West, sure, I can play along for a bit.

Okay, let’s say that Arkham _can’t_ hold the Joker. And Batman can’t bring himself to kill the Joker. Why can’t Batman hold the Joker? Surely, he can build an escape-proof cage in the Batcave and keep him there.

If Batman is worried that the Joker will figure out where he is, he can always put the Joker’s eyes out.

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**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-batman-not-killing-the-joker/703045/23 "2014-11-05T05:58:49Z")

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> [@msmith537](#):
>
> Remember that Batman has a strict policy of “no guns”.
> 
> Which I suppose doesn’t count the rockets and autocannons on his Batmobile, Bat Bike, and Bat Wing VTOL gunship.

Rubber bullets. Honest.

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