Finally doing the one thing I really didn't want to do in my previous write-up... talking about batjokes... This ship will ruin friendships (joking) and ngl when i make a new DC friend i'm sometimes like do u fw batjokes..? not because their opinion will make me not want to be friends with them, but because i wanna know if they're one of the ones... A person who will lowkey tear some1s neck out over liking it

My thoughts on batjokes whew... buckle up... Alright, personally I feel indifferent but mostly like it. I won't ship them in every BM media nor am I super pedantic about consuming them 'ethically' or whatever the fuck, and honestly discourse around this ship puts me to bed so i don't ever search for it. Maybe if I have insomnia.

I mean it's a very simple basic premise... Enemies to lovers I guess but in my opinion there's no Batjokes utopia where the Joker is suddenly not crazy and doesn't try to stab Batman every time they're alone. Which also is why so many people like them I guess, the fact that they're toxic.

Personally, I don't care if they are, and the reason why I like them follow these to an extent but are more nuanced than these 2 reasons I brought up. Not that you ever need a reason to ship something like just do it but I want to lay it all out anyways.

I'll just start with my favorite, AND NGL ONE OF THE HARDEST TO DEFEND,, The telltale series one. See... I made this the bg of one of my pages and someone brought it up in my cbox which I DID NOT EXPECT but heyyy niceee

I have fully watched and played both games! ...Like purchased them and made my own decisions. And I could talk about how shitty and annoying Bruce is in this and ngl OOC so I lean waaaay more to liking the Joker (Sorry but you can't get me to say John) in this game.

For hours I felt AWFUL about being unintentionally manipulative to him but it's important to keep in mind in a lot of ways he is AWARE of what's happening. Like...... he's not dumb LMAO and the further you play the more you see the true him. That isn't to say that he's evil all the way through but mentally he is unstable and it's our (his)fault for using him for our gain anyway.

Here, I enjoy the 'bad' ending where he becomes THE JOKER and tries to ruin Bruce's life as much as possible. It evens them out and removes that imbalance they had before which previously made me quite uncomfortable! It also honestly gives... augh okay fine, JOHN, a bitter ex vibe that I find very funny.

There were multiple points where I wanted John to like DO SOMETHING about Bruce so when the evil dinner scene came on I had no choice but to internally agree with some of the things he was saying.

John Joker also does the same roundabout of them being "Two threads of the same stitch" but if you've seen this game it actually makes more sense here than anywhere else. Although drugged, Bruce did attack and batter someone (Penguin) (deserved) and got thrown in an asylum as a result, where he meets Joker. HONESTLY best and funnest part of the game, and you should play this arc.

In a way, they feel the most similar out of any batjokes, as they're both manipulative and self-serving, but at wildly different degrees and with completely different motives. Bruce meant to use him as a stepping stone but Joker was ultimately an aligator that dragged him down with him. Last I'll speak of them, but I always chose to see him in the afterword. Sorry.

If I had a nickel... For every time the Joker has done something to the batfam that makes people hate this ship, I would have enough money to buy DC and make Jason a decent comic. Which reminds me...

I don't like the Arkham Knight joker like AT ALL so don't expect to see me d riding the life out of him for the sake of liking batjokes. I love Jason istg I do so there's no way I can bring myself to like the Joker here. This guy is John's antichrist in like every way.

That Joker just has evil aura... He's obviously an evil clown but I don't like the weird misogynistic aura around him. The way I've always seen it, is that Joker is flamboyant in appearance and personality, so the way he treats women isn't like... that... I'm not sure how to word it, but he feels like that co worker that makes you uncomfortable for no reason. Maybe it's because he isn't harmlessly playful too, and lost that twinge of femininity.

The Twobats-isms of it all Sorry to drag another ship into this, but I saw a post that was something like "twobats is what people think batjokes is" and that got me thinking... As a certified Harvey Dent Understander I kind of get what they're saying here, even if I don't fully agree.

Twobats is definitely toxic like Batjokes, but their dynamic is different. Sure, Batman refuses to believe any of his villains are past saving, but he actually knew Harvey well before he became Two-face. I think what this person is saying that that aspect of Twobats is what Batjokes fans are chasing... Hm...

I disagree, because in Batjokes there's less "This isn't you" and more "Go back to Arkham and get the help you need". I do see how that could apply to Telltale Batjokes though. But that's just one version. Also I just like to talk about Twobats I miss those motherfuckers like crazy. I might make a write-up about them too.

you just said that you... How can one be a Batjokes enjoyer and like Jason Todd? Quite easily... A lot of Jason fans hate the Joker and I get it. But I aint one of them! Not every Joker beat the shit out of him (Harvey is just as guilty............) and honestly to this impossible problem I say there is no justification, alright! I just kind of don't care.

There's never going to be a way to say "It doesn't matter that he killed a kid or shot and disabled a woman". That's the thing with these kinds of things, you ignore it, or acknowledge that it happened! See the ship as you like. Personally, I consider it canon sometimes.

But. BUT. Batjokes is different than most Bruce ships because it doesn't lean on having a happy ending. Like the Batjokes Utopia I mentioned at the start. It doesn't exist. There are few fan AU's where the Joker isn't mentally ill or dangerous and like moves into the manor and everyone forgives him. That'd be cute with Harvey though.. My point is, that it doesn't not need to happen for people to still like the ship.

The Joker is always going to be Batman's nemesis, and that's what the ship is all about: That he will never change, and they will always stay toxic and unhealthy. Peak Batjokes is them fighting and bloody but Joker kisses him, not them snuggled in a blanket with hot chocolate. But, if you want that, anything's possible.

I guess Batjokes has a suspension of disbelief. There was an issue in batman 2011 where Bruce is not Batman and Joker is not Joker, and they sit on a bench and speak and I really love that issue. Without their identities they're not much to each other, so if that's taken away there's no meat left on the bone. Also I glaze that comic run for one of my favorite Batjokes runs EVER I have to reread that. If you want prime Batjokes, GO READ THAT.

That's why a sure-fire way to piss me off is to say "LEGO Batjokes only" when talking about shipping them. What??? WHY on Earth someone would want them only in their most diluted and sanitized version??? Why whyyyyy. LEGO Batjokes is my least favorite version and I edge on disliking them.

In execution they're quite funny, but they're also like intro level Batjokes. Telltale is like chugging toxic waste, so if you have no tolerance you will not survive the winter. When I see people who only tolerate that version I'm like... Where am I... Cause by saying that you are not going to interact with any real fans.

I don't determine who "really" likes a ship but if you only like that... You gotta step up your game fr.

We're at the ending now, so as always I am so so interested in reading what other people think of this post. This ship is semi-divisive in the DC fandom so if you agree or disagree tell me why in my Guestbook, I'm eager to know what others think.

I love shipping him with other people so much. He has such a unique personality that he has great chemistry with so many characters!!! Plus the fact that there are so many versions of him that have different personalities/motivations/backtories so that gives you a LOT of options.

BatCat [Batman/Catwoman] They are my parents. The most widely known and common ship. I already complained about this but I hate it when she's written incorrectly..... I loved TB2022 BatCat a lot, and telltales can be good too. ARKHAM KNIGHT IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. They're so sweet and adorable!!!! Did you know once Selina refered to him as 'Spooky'? YOU DO NOW

What I specifically like about them is Selina's clashing personality against his. She's a very independant and interesting person, and Bruce can't help but want to learn more about her. They're both very similar in the way they both don't like being helped but worry about eachother endlessly.

Their will-they-won't-they can be so frustrating and overplayed, but I love watching her just tease and be playful with him. Arkham Knight GOT THIS THE BEST, I LOOOVED WATCHING THEM ON SCREEN SHE DESERVED SO MUCH MORE SCREENTIME THAN WHAT WAS GIVEN TO HER. I honestly considered that to be their best iteration. (go watch it!)

Superbat [Superman/Batman] OK YOU WERE WAITINF FOR THIS ONE. I AM ROOTING FOR SUPERBAT SO MUCH EVERY SINGLE GODDAMN TIME I LOVE SUPERBAT SO FUCKING MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

You're gonna have to pry them from my cold dead hands and even then you'll be spending the next eternity haunted by me for doing so. The reason I love them so much is because of their dynamic. Bruce comes from money and is a billionare in uppercrust Gotham (New Jersey) but Clark is an alien from space who was raised in Kansas, and now lives in Metropolis (New York) as a reporter. (This also applies to BatCat)

In their upringings they are so vastly different but in their superhero identities they are the same. Superman is a seemingly perfect person, born with his powers but Batman uses his intellect combined with technology to stop crime. I know a lot of people boil them down to 'Black cat x Golden Retrevior' but oh boy I could go on and on with how much more nuanced they are.

It's true that Bruce is very reserved and untrusting but it's important that Superman is who he trusts. They both trust eachother a large amount and Batman simply isn't the type to be as lighthearted as him. Their back and forth is very entertaining to watch, the more you go into their relationship the more you see how similar they truly are.

JLU GOT THIS RIGHT.... I swear to god i'll find the clip, but the episode where Lex is assumingly 'reformed' but Clark refuses to trust him tickles me. UPDATE: FOUND IT FOUND IT!!! Please watch this whole clip it's so funny. This characterizes them so pefectly I was slack jawed when I first watched it. Like this is THEM. Superman isn't constantly happy, especially when it comes to Lex, probably the only human on Earth he doens't like.

I've been a Superbat shipper for years, so seeing that the Superman 2025 release causing a resurgance excites me so much!!! I'm eating up the superbattison so bad. The reporter and billionare dynamic art always puts me underground. I LOVE seeing them in their civilian attire so much more than in their superhero identities.

Bruce Wayne at an expensive party and Clark Kent there as a reporter pretending not to know eachother is gonna kill me EVERY TIME. I LOVE IT. Obviously this could be any one of them but I like seeing this as superbattison... lol. I think this Bruce would ruin him on purpose.

BatLantern [Batman/Green Lantern] I mentioned Selina calling Bruce 'Spooky', but this is Hal's whole thing. If ship media excludes this I get so dissapointed!!! LIKE CMONNN THATS SPOOKY T_T

Hal is portrayed as more flirty than Bruce, and I love that so much. I also love the idea of Hal being in outer space so much that he just has no clue who Bruce is. Cut to the Justice League movie where he just goes "Who the hell is Bruce Wayne?" need that more tbh.

They're the only reason I watched that movie I'm sorry. Their dynamic the whole time was making me laugh Don't even watch the movie just watch that clip and you'll get the general gist.

I don't know what it is about them, but I feel like if Bruce ever became a GL he would be pretty similar to Hal, so them together makes a lot of sense to me. If any queer ship with Bruce were canonized (it won't but still) I think realistically they would make the most sense. Sorry Barry.

GhostBat [Ghostmaker/Batman] Dare I say... I've never even read any comic with Minhkhoa in it I'm SORRY. I just haven't gotten around to them yet and I'm lazy... But I still love this ship!

I don't actually know *a lot* about them so I won't go on and on, but they knew eachother when Bruce was training to become Batman and Khoa came back to haunt him in the future. He's messy.

Brutalia [Talia Al Ghul/Batman] My parents part 2.

RiddleBat [The Riddler/Batman] WAIT WAIT,,, I know some peoples minds blank to TB2022 fanart but just keep reading... I'll admit I first heard of this ship when I first watched that movie and liked the idea of it (like cmon, the idea of is like kinda genius) but I hate to be that guy but Edward literally hates Bruce Wayne. Like he hates him. He quite literally tried to kill him and Alfred by sending a pipebomb to their house in the second half of the movie. LMAO.

I think that this ship would work out so much more if we dropped the rose-tinted glasses and LEANED MORE INTO THIS... Though I have a lot more to say about his relationship with batman. Edward straight up despising him is for the singular reason of him being an orphan but he's rich.

"I was there that day. The day the great Thomas Wayne announced that he was running for mayor, made all those promises. A week later, he was dead, and everybody just forgot about us. All they could talk about was poor Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne the orphan. Orphan. Living in some tower over the park isn’t being an orphan. Looking down on everyone with all that money, don’t you tell me. Do you know what being an orphan is? It's thirty kids to a room, twelve years old and already a drophead, you wake up screaming with rats chewing your fingers, and every winter one of the babies die because it's so cold."

Still IDK if they would work out... Edward's endearment of Batman is because he does what Edward wishes he could. It's why he has a meltdown about it in jail when he visits him. He built up an entire image of him and it was shattered in front of him. I've gotta write an analysis and shrine about this Riddler cause I love him so much. Damn I'm about to watch this movie agin.

He genuinely believed they were on the same side, and in his mind they were partners. eeeh it's him idolizing a false version of Bruce + Hating the real him + being severely mentally ill and obsessed is why I can't fully hop on this boat!!! But the fact that they never ever work out and will always be doomed is only pulling me in further unfortunately. I'll still like fanart from time to time though don't get me wrong... Either way I like Arkham Knight and Zero Year RiddleBat the most!!! send tweet

TwoBats [Two-Face/Batman] Also referred to as BruHarvey. I already said this but doomed messy queer ships are my favorite always always. Whether or not they're long time friends, or acquaintances the reason I like this ship is beacause of the duality of Harvey and Bruces friendship.

Morally, he's still there in a way, and this is just a HC or maybe it's canon I dunno but I like the idea of him coin-flipping is a part of him that still wants to go good, and leaving it up to chance lets him believe he isn't responsible for his choices.

Batman believes in this too, it's why he rarely ever refers to him as two-face when talking to him. He calls him Harvey because that's who he considers him to be. I saw someone point out that his 'no killing' rule especially pertains to him, as he wants to believe that Harvey truly isn't gone, and I love that!!!

I liked reading 'The Judas Coin', it portrays their relationship exactly as how I see them. panel 1/3 panel 2/3 panel 3/3. Yeah sorry I pulled up with proof. I love how they talk to eachother in panel 1, I personally think they'd become very adjusted to eachother over the years. But early on I want to see the hate Two-Face has towards both Batman/Bruce, as in most versions of him he was there/involved in some way when he first became Two-Face.

ending That's all! If there's some I missed I'll likely update this later, so I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you also like any of these ships for another reason or agree/disagree lmk in my Guestbook, I would love to see others perspective!