Original artwork, not a still
Madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened.
— Batman: The Killing Joke · 1988
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The Joker offers insanity as a rational escape hatch from trauma, which is the dark centre of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's book: one bad day, then a door you can lock behind you. The line is quoted as black comedy about coping, and it quietly admits that he cannot face his own past, which is why his origin comes out as a jumble.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Batman: The Killing JokeShow the scene
The Joker, escaped from Arkham, buys an abandoned amusement park (killing its owner) and uses it as his stage, holding Commissioner Gordon in the freak show. As he takes possession of the place he is lost in thoughts of his past, and the book moves into the flashback of the failed comedian who becomes the Red Hood. His monologue on memory, which begins "Remembering's dangerous," ends with madness as the emergency exit: you can step outside and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened.
Sources (2)
- DC Database: Batman: The Killing JokeSynopsis1Reference checked
- Wikiquote: The JokerEntry beginning "Remembering's dangerous"Reference checked
Context reviewed
