“That’s Not Funny”: Pages on How the Demon Clown of City Learned (Not) to Love and What That Has to Do with Anything, Like Maybe the American Zeitgeist

Kyle A. Hammonds, University of North Texas

“In hindsight, there were signs…” is the belong. I empathize with communication line that begin Scott Snyder’s (2013) scholar and historian, Will Brooker Batman story, Death of the Family. Indeed, (2005), and his statement of disclosure at the there always seem to be little start of his book Batman Unmasked: foreshadowings regarding which life paths – Analyzing a Cultural Icon: “I feel the which stories – people will act out. The cultural experience which has woven me signs are always clearer in retrospect, but into Batman fandom is a benefit to my work, they are usually there – hiding in plain sight. offering me a subject to examine intimately; Humans refer to their past experiences in but this requires a degree of honesty and order to imagine viable options for future self-interrogation here and throughout.” (p. action. Acknowledging education from 5) experience is neither a new concept nor a Of course, I hope to use my subjectivity particularly difficult task (e.g., Dewey, and sense of belonging in Batman fandom to 1938). Learning to locate and attend to provide special insight in my following memory experience as a tool for imagining interpretation of Snyder and Capullo’s future action is the tricky part for academics Death of the Family, even though such and educators. interpretations may not represent an Signs, albeit not necessarily objective attempt to identify, categorize, or “predictors,” and symbols are the stuff that measure how diverse groups may respond excites communication studies scholars. (or be responding) to the subject matter. And, as a student of communication[s], my With such a new story as Death of the readings of certain fictional stories – Family, assessing the effects or categorizing interpretation of the signs and symbols in patterns of interpretations of the story may popular culture – have begun to feature prove difficult if not impossible anyway. searches for the meaning of narratives that The newness of Snyder’s work, relative to are proliferated among particular groups. other Batman stories, places readers in a Specifically, in recent times, my attention phase where the “cannon” meaning of the has turned to comic book fandom. text is still being negotiated, rather than Sometimes, as in this case, those groups are historically identified. This essay attempts to communities in which I also feel that I participate in such negotiation of meaning

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 385 and excavate possible pedagogical potentials interesting to me because it argued with of the text, especially as related to the what I believed were, to use Fisher’s (1978) subject of belonging. terms, “good reasons.” What follows in this The topic of belonging is incredibly essay will be a surfacing of possible significant to contemporary communication arguments to be drawn from Snyder and studies scholars – as will be further Cappullo’s (2013) Death of the Family, discussed later in this paper. “Belonging” is including a theoretical assessment of these associated with the topics of identity, arguments, primarily featuring Lee’s (1973) culture, and a veritable vichyssoise of love styles and Carrillo-Rowe’s (2005) subjects intimately related to these “differential belonging,” with a discussion communicative areas. The afore-mentioned of why Snyder’s story argues with what Batman piece, Death of the Family, stood constitute “good reasons” for me and maybe out to me as both a comic reader / fan and a for others as well. I will attempt to reach my communication studies student largely objectives by providing summary from because of Snyder and Capullo’s themes Death of the Family and commenting on related to belonging, even though they were story sections as I go along. not consciously clear to me upon my first Before delving more thoroughly into reading of the narrative. This project – the Death of the Family, though, it is pertinent essay you are now reading – was inspired by to give some context for the story. Professor my curiosity about why the Death of the of psychology and superherologist, Travis Family story caught my attention and Langley (2012), argued in his book Batman affected me in a way that felt so intimate. and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight A number of methods could be that, before investigating any Batman story, employed to understand this story and each it is important to ask “which Batman?” is method could lead one toward a different being addressed. For Langley and his [set of] end[s]. However, in satisfying my project, the core elements of Batman from curiosity, I have turned to Walter R. Fisher’s virtually the entire character cannon were (1985) assertion that “poetry is composed of useful. However, for the purposes of this ‘pseudo-statements’ whose function it is to essay, there is a particular Batman being give order to attitudes and experience” (p. considered – the Scott Snyder-written 81). Argument is embedded in the selection version from DC’s “New 52.” Though and arrangement of what is told in a given Batman has been around since the late 30s narrative. That is to say, in using logos – in (Finger, 1939 / 2014; Brooker, 2005, p. 34), story-telling – there is no clear separation stories about the Dark Knight have been between discursive forms: poetry/myth, revamped and rebooted on a number of rhetoric, and technical/philosophical occasions. The most recent reboot was the discourse are all present in stories. Fisher result of DC Comics’ decision in 2011 to argued that “human communication in all of cancel all of its existing titles in favor of its forms is imbued with mythos” (87). releasing 52 new titles, all of which were Therefore, the story I read must have beeen released simultaneously and featured

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 386 previously popular characters (Hyde, 2011). The “New 52” contained several titles that “… part of the character’s cultural included the Batman character (all taking resonance must be attributed to the place within the same fictional universe), fact that the societal concerns or audience meanings which the but only one book was simply titled Batman Batman has carried are not merely and served to follow the through-line of the absorbed by the yielding, malleable character’s adventures. Batman (2011 – figure of a man in a bat-mask, but 2016) is written by Scott Snyder, who has fitted within a quite rigid and created the version of the character being consistent template which specifies written about this essay. Noting the recent not just the character’s appearance occurrence of the reboot is significant but his location, associates, motivation and attributes.” (p. 39) because awareness of this character’s newness 1) clarifies that this Batman is not When assessing new Batman stories, necessarily related to other iterations of the then, it is significant to remember that “the character that may come to mind or familiar myth [of Batman] lies not in the details of histories and 2) recognizes the possibilities continuity debated by fans, but in the for the character and his fictional universe to narrative which has entered popular be re-constructed in various ways that may consciousness” (Brooker, 2005, p. 40). My reflect new cultural values and interests. The interest in the Death of the Family narrative entirety of the present narrative analysis will is then less about the changes that have refer to stories presented in the recently come about for Batman stories – although a rebooted “New 52” and not to other few of these that seem culturally important iterations of Batman stories unless will be noted along the way – than about specifically otherwise noted. how the myth and icon[s] of Batman are

being used to present new plots to readers: Signs and Omens: Horror Aesthetics in plots which may have pedagogical value and meaning beyond the confines of the comic

book[s]. The ethics of any pedagogy should The protagonist of Death of the Family be of concern and interest to those is / Batman – a vengeful participating in it; however, though much who, inspired by witnessing the could be said about the ethics of the various senseless murder of his parents, combats iterations of Batman, such an examination evil in Gotham City. Basic elements of be left for other scholars (e.g., White & Arp, “who” the Batman is in this iteration, as 2008; Johnson, 2014) because the line of with every iteration, remain the same as inquiry would be outside the scope of this those of the Batman we met in 1939. Even essay. Specific areas of ethical concern though “New 52” stories might not always related to the particular narrative under fit well with older Batman narratives, some consideration will be noted in the analysis familiarity is yet important. Brooker (2005) when specially applicable. argued,

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The narrative of Death of the Family is bright” (Snyder, 2014) Batman stories introduced in a peculiar way, as Batman is sometimes employed by Snyder (and other not physically present (drawn into the authors) is deformed by images of evil panels) at the beginning of the story even clowns, zombies, and other potentially though he does provide the verbal narration frightening images. Snyder uses Death of that commences the plot. The opening lines the Family to literally play with Batman’s unfold thusly: “In hindsight, there were genre and aesthetic, making the narrative signs… omens of the terrible things to itself a sort of grotesque, monstrous parody come.” Images of Gotham City drenched by (dare I say “joke”?) of earlier Batman water and illuminated by lightning stories. This aesthetic confusion provides a accompany the words in the first few comic meta-narrative on the difficulty of selecting panels. The aesthetic of horror is clearly stories to live out in the of crises of present. This aesthetic is appropriate for a belonging and cynicism – themes which will story marketed by a company originally be excavated from Death of the Family later called , as horror often in this essay. Cognizance of the aesthetic plays an intricate role in detective stories. In structure of Death of the Family provides discussing Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, framework for understanding the story as Philip Tallon (2007) observed that horror part of a distrustful, post-modern world. narratives “arouse in us a deep curiosity” (p. Because Batman needed hindsight to see 55). Therefore, detective pieces which the signs and omens foreshadowing danger, naturally incorporate elements of mystery, he played out a familiar life role until faced such as contemporary Batman stories, are with complications. But what particularly conducive to including elements of horror. should Batman have seen coming? To what However, more importantly, there are omens did he refer in his opening narration? indications of horror beyond the familiar The answer: the return of a terrorist called dark-and-stormy-night imagery: Batman The whose obsession with Batman stories feature monsters. In fact, the always draws him to Gotham City. The aesthetic of Death of the Family is Joker is, in this story, an already famous monstrous in-and-of-itself. Tallon further serial murderer who Batman had lost track wrote that “a monster is a being that displays of after discovering that another killer, the severe disorder or disproportion in surgically inclined Dollmaker, had cut off fundamental ways” (p. 55). In order for ’s face and caused him to retreat something to be monstrous, there must be from his usual antics (Daniel, 2012). In the “some deep incongruity at the center of… first sequence of Death of the Family, the being” (p. 56). In Death of the Family, Joker comes out of hiding by attacking a cartoons – comic characters often associated police station, making jokes as he kills off with children and lighthearted camp officers until he is able to steal back the (Mamatas, 2008) – are blended and/or remains of his face, which the police had juxtaposed with torment, murder, and other confiscated from the Dollmaker. During his forms of violence. The “bold, fun, fast, investigation of the attack, Batman explains

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 388 to – his son, Damien – that the Joker The term “Bat-Family” is a little “didn’t let the Dollmaker get the best of problematic at this point in the comic arc him. He allowed his face to be cut off. He because the characters convey clear distrust left it there for us. Like a message” (Snyder, for one another and do not much resemble a 2013)… No doubt one of the signs Batman family. Most of the children have grown up regretted missing earlier. Unfortunately, and left the nest, as it were. The group is Batman is unsure what the message means. drifting apart more than deepening cohesion. The Joker clearly reveals later in the book An example from the story of escalating that he sees the use of masks as distrust may be when Bruce/Batman hides metaphorical (“You know what, Bats? … the fact that he had once found a joker Maybe your true face has changed…”, playing card, presumably left by the Joker, Snyder, 2013). A new “face” is a new birth, in the group’s head-quarters (“the Bat- a new life, a new story. The “sign” here was Cave”) from his partners – a sign indicating that Joker was seeking to change his that their base potentially had been narrative trajectory from one of randomness discovered by the villain. He also hides that and chaos to one of meaning – a meaning he knows what is meant by the Joker’s claim that he could only latch on to through a form at the police station that he had left Batman of belonging. Although the Joker’s opening a calling card (presumably the playing card act of carnage at the police station may seem left in the Bat-Cave) when directly asked by like a familiar Batman plot tactic at first . Further, each partner eventually glance, the reason for Joker’s murders has refuses to suspend their crime-fighting changed dramatically here. The Joker moves activities at Batman’s request (to protect from an uncertain and random narrative them from the Joker) because they perceive trajectory to one in which he targets specific that Batman does not reciprocate trust. In people for specific purposes, all of which are truth, the Partners’ instincts were correct in related to his desired connection with that Batman’s request becomes very Batman. obviously motivated by a fear that they will let their emotions stand in the way of doing Meet the Bat-Family good detective work. Batman will learn later in the story to value non-rational types Upon discovering that the Joker has reasoning in addition to solely privileging a returned, Batman alerts his crime-fighting rational-world paradigm. This shift is partners about the resurgent danger. This reflective of Fisher’s (1984) narrative “Bat-Family” – a term of fandom, not from rationality – a term implying a search for within the narrative – consists of Robin story consistencies within given value (Damien, Bruce’s biological son), Red frameworks – which may provide the Robin, Nightwing, (people who criteria for both the internal logics of the had once been adopted by Bruce), and story and my external analysis. In other (a police commissioner’s daughter words, narratives are typically designed to who received combat training from Bruce). be internally consistent in both logic and

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 389 philosophy – and readers tend to be drawn to origin is not etched in stone in any iteration narratives that match with their own, of the character. Before Batman escapes the personal value frameworks. Within the vat, Harley notes that her boss is “not my story, Batman and the Partners use different Mr. J anymore” (Snyder, 2013). She logics and play different narrative painfully recognizes that the Joker is less trajectories at the beginning of Death of the infatuated with her than he is with the idea Family, which proves their initial lack of of “belonging” with Batman. The simple cohesion as a group. Due to this lack of fact that Harley was being treated by Joker cohesion, I have (somewhat facetiously) as a means to the end of engaging Batman considered referring to the group of partners (whereas she was previously, frequently as a Flock of Robins or a Colony of Bats addressed as more of a friend or ally) is instead of a “Bat-Family.” However, evidence of the change described by Harley. considering that both Batgirl and a group of Attention to the transformative chemicals, Robins are present, I will settle on the title the overt mistreatment of Harley, and loss of “Partners.” This term is preferable to “side- both metaphoric and literal face all point to a kicks” because Nightwing and Red Hood theme of rebirth for the Joker. frequently operate as crime-fighters After Batman’s encounter with Harley, autonomously from Batman, as do Batgirl he realizes that the Joker is re-creating his and from time to time. This most famous crimes while putting new system of relationships is important to the twists on each of them. The chemical vat story because one of the major themes is the alluded to a previous encounter between the process of “becoming” family. two – and the next crime the Joker would commit would be to destroy an aqueduct and The Joker’s Ambiguous Identity diffuse poison into Gotham’s water supply. In alluding to the aqueduct incident, Snyder In keeping with expectations, the Joker re-cannonizes the work of Ed Brubaker begins killing civilians and attacking various (2003 / 2008) in the Joker story The Man authorities. Although the violence seems to Who Laughs in this iteration of Batman (the match the profile of the Joker’s previously “New 52” version). Snyder’s recognition of lived narrative of creating random chaos, the the events in The Man Who Laughs precise nature of his attacks represent a reaffirms the Joker’s previous narrative break from his earlier embodiment of trajectory and identity as being one of chaos anarchy. Another break from the Joker’s and aimless violence. prior lived narrative is manifested when he Before showing up at Gotham City’s frightens his [sometimes] side-kick, Harley major aqueduct in Death of the Family, the Quinn, before sending her to trap Batman in Joker manages to incapacitate Batman’s a vat to be filled with dangerous, friend, police commissioner Jim Gordon, transformative chemicals. She succeeds. and kidnap his companion and butler, Alfred These are arguably the chemicals that Pennyworth. The Joker emphasizes that originally created the Joker, although his Batman is not allowed any friends when he

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 390 hospitalizes Gordon, and he haphazardly Several things are stand out thematically reinforces the message when he takes about the Joker’s monologue. First, the Alfred. He is jealous of the attention that Joker conceptualizes real life events in Batman lends to others. It is in this way that narrative terms, referring to medieval the Joker begins to reveal his new narrative character types (i.e., jesters, kings, etc.) and trajectory to Batman – instead of being positioning / casting certain people as destructive with ambiguous intent, he hurt “villains.” Regarding the Partners as villains others to “talk” with Batman and to reveal sets up clear protagonists and antagonists in how he conceptualized his new sense of the Joker’s newly conceived lived narrative “self” in direct relation to Batman… a structure. The Joker sees himself as having “” to the King of Gotham (Snyder, an allegiance with Batman – and Batman’s 2013). concern for the Partners as somehow acting Batman predicts that he will be able to against Batman himself. In this case, as has find the Joker at a Gotham aqueduct and been briefly mentioned, the Joker sees the indeed finds his man. Unfortunately, this Partners as doing harm to the nature of time – unlike in The Man Who Laughs – it is Batman by influencing him to be more too late to stop Joker’s poison from infecting compassionate and soft than in his early the water supply and killing many years, which increases his vulnerability and Gothamites. (Here Batman refers to the weakens his ability to function as a symbol Joker as a “sick maniac,” a term that may of fear. Secondly, the whole set of lines in prove useful in an unconventional way the monologue have to do with identity and later.) Batman is subdued by the Joker, who belonging. In the Joker’s narration, he is a begins to monologue about his evil plans. jester; and by enacting the literal role of a Once again, the theme of the bad omen jester, he performs an act of redefinition in presents itself when the Joker offers himself terms of character – a new narrative as the jester in Batman’s court. He claims configuration in which a he exists only in that “it’s the jester’s job to entertain, but he relation with another group of characters often has another job, too. A deeper job. (such as a king). He accepts a particular life And that’s to deliver bad news to the king” role and acts out narratives that allow him to (Snyder, 2013). The bad news comes in two retain his particular point of view. The forms: the Joker asserts that he knows the Joker’s self-description is in keeping with true identities of Batman and the Partners, Allison’s (1994) concept of “narratization,” and he prophecies that the Partners will all in which a person participates in an soon die at the hands of Batman. Joker “ongoing mediation of his/her own physical claims that the Partners must die because and/or verbal actions within a temporally they are the “true villains” of Gotham for configured field in order to achieve an ruining the city’s king – making Batman envisioned but, as yet, unrealized end” (p. weaker through his compassion for them. 109). In other words, humans are future- After a minor skirmish, the Joker escapes. oriented and pursue goals. Humans learn from experience – prior stories – in order to

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 391 determine which structures to act out in what I give. Accountability: to you and thus order to realize their goals. The end for the to me” (p. 27). In this case, the Joker, in Joker in this case would be a revised social trying to draw Batman into his desired lived- order based on an anachronistic, though narrative, expresses longing for him. This intelligible plot, in which Batman would longing is not reciprocated until the other respond to the interpellation to become king longs in return. The Joker denied all others of Gotham. This action would join the two (e.g., ) in order to give full of them in the same narrative – one in which attention to Batman and he intends that Batman “longs” for the Joker and the Joker Batman will do the same by denying his longs for Batman. friends and Partners. Sociologist John Alan Lee (1977) described this longing for one Identity, Love, and Belonging who physically embodies “an image already Conceptualized through Batman held in the mind of the lover” as “eros” – a style of passionate love (p. 174). In this A (be)longing theory that I have found case, the Joker’s , his object of helpful in understanding Snyder and affection, is a Dark Knight who commits all Capullo’s story comes from feminist scholar of his time to challenges with the Joker and rhetorician Aimee Carrillo Rowe instead of being side-lined by taking care of (2005), who theorized belonging as the Partners. As will become clear during “differential” – which is to say that humans further analysis, Lee’s research on love “belong to and with people here and there” styles is incredibly fitting for understanding (p. 15). Carrillo Rowe’s use of the word the Joker as a very specific type of “differential” is in keeping with typical “maniac,” making his work uniquely suited definitions of the term as meaning “related for understanding Death of the Family. to or based on difference” (Merriam- Though there have been others since Lee Webster Online). By saying that humans are who have elaborated on the topic of love “not ‘the same’ here and there,” in terms of styles, the basic parts or categories from belonging, Carrillo Rowe (2005) argued that Lee’s research are still in popular circulation longings direct being in each given and germane to understanding Batman and circumstance (p. 15). In other words: the Joker. Lee’s categories and descriptions different longings, the unique longings that for various love styles provide an accessible, arise in each different relationship one may flexible, and presently useful entry point for have, play a role in constituting the nature of discussing love and belonging. those relationship. Therefore, in order for Although the Joker has historically never “belonging” to authentically exist, there explicitly expressed sexual desire – though must be some sense of mutual longing. he has, interestingly, been occasionally Reciprocity is a necessary responsibility of interpreted as a queer symbol (Debona, belonging because “if we are truly inclined 1997; Winstead, 2015) – there can be no toward each other, when I give, I also denial of his distorted infatuation for and receive. When I receive I also give. I get admiration of Batman. He has traditionally

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 392 only been interested in sex as a tactic for Joker to be visible as the narration from combat and/or control and manipulation Batman about the Joker’s pupils may be (Miller, 1986/2002; Moore, 1988/2008). read. Capullo’s penciling choices may be a Tactics and games seem to be a part of his bit less shadowy (at least metaphorically) in modus operandi. By enacting game-like light of writing from popular comics theorist tactics, such as leaving clues for Batman Scott McCloud (1994), though. McCloud (e.g., the “calling card,” symbols of rebirth, theorized that characters drawn with less following patterns), and carefully detail are more iconic and more easily controlling interactions with Batman, the relatable because their vagueness may be Joker also enacts “ludus,” the “playful or filled with meaning from the reader. On the game love” (p. 174). The combination of other hand, characters drawn with more these love styles, according to Lee, detail become less iconic and more like constitute a form known as “mania,” a love “other” as details increase. Capullo’s frame style that is “obsessive, jealous, [and] featuring the Joker with narration about his emotionally intense” in addition to being fixed pupils is extremely detailed except “characterised by preoccupation with the where there are shadows. Whereas some beloved and a need for repeated reassurance artists will draw shadowed characters in of being loved” (p. 175). If the Joker is a such a way as to still convey a character’s “maniac” in his enactment of evil, it is frame or form, Capullo worked together because of his unproductive, unreciprocated with inker Jonathan Glapion to engulf the style of loving. The Joker desires and Joker in blackness. What becomes evident in obsessively pursues without regard for the looking at the image is that the monstrosity humanity of others. of the Joker appears in his lack of iconicity. While Batman and the Joker converse on Everything that we can see of the Joker is the aqueduct, Batman remembers noticing otherized and foreign. Anything that Joker’s “pupils stay fixed” instead of recognizable, iconic, or enlightening is responding to emotions (Snyder, 2013). This hidden in darkness. Perhaps the Joker-as- symptom, in combination with the Joker’s Other is more palatable than one who is tendency to try and live out narratives that more garish and iconic. Audiences likely do indicate perceptual breaks with reality, not wish to think they can identify with a implies separation from everything outside character capable of such meaningless of his fantasies and may indicate to some terror. As will become clear, though, that the Joker is a “maniac” in more ways whether we take our actions to the same than one – such as being a literal sociopath. extremes as the Joker or not, all of us are It is possible that his grotesque attempts to capable of loving in destructive ways and express longing may produce evil in embodying the mania described by John addition to acting upon some sort of Alan Lee. sociopathy or other psychopathology. Strikingly, Death of the Family artist Greg Capullo drew a shadowed image of the

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Ill or Evil? Batman is what motivates the Joker to act out in ways that harm others. Arguably, Observations about the Joker’s mental even before the Joker met Batman, he was health versus his destructive mode of longing for a companion and acted violently belonging raise questions that may have out of crisis of belonging and unwillingness been best articulated by Bender, Kambam, to comply with normative ways of resolving and Pozios (2011) in their op-ed in the New this conflict. Though the Joker has had York Times calling for DC Comics authors longings for companions besides Batman, to produce mental illness narratives in the such as Harley Quinn, these longings seem “New 52” that would be less harmful and to be of convenience rather than those which inaccurate than those in previous DC stories. provide a sense of purpose and offer The trio asserted that “comic books have insightful life plots. In the context of the long relied on mental disorders to drive their “New 52,” the Joker’s crisis of belonging most memorable villains” and that when and obsessive nature provide better “contemporary psychiatric terms or explanations for his violent behaviors than disorders have been used in stories, they do mental illness. In connection to the have been misapplied to explain villainy” hypothesis of Joker’s sociopathy, Batman (2011). More pertinent to Death of the eventually remembers that he actually had Family, they go on to mention that “the seen the Joker’s pupils dilate at one time Joker is often called ‘psychotic,’ despite a when he finally tells himself to “ignore the lack of hallucinations or other symptoms of fact that what you saw those black points a psychotic disorder” (2011). Little, if any, expand with… was love” (Snyder, 2013). academic work has assessed whether any Batman’s (and our) knowledge of the DC writers have responded to Bender, Joker’s eye behavior reinforces that mis- Kambam, and Pozios’ call. matched love styles and crises of belonging My argument regarding Death of the are more consistent with Joker’s evil than Family is that Snyder has negotiated having potential sociopathy, as the Joker’s lack of a character traditionally associated with responsiveness to emotion is either limited, being psychotic and the need for more not non-existent, or it is faked / controlled. accurate mental illness narrative in two ways. First, harm is reduced by Snyder’s Belonging in the Bat-Family avoidance of terms such as “psychotic” – a word which Bender, Kambam, and Pozios On the aquaduct, the Joker made certain explicitly asked DC writers to escape due to that Batman’s nearby Partners heard his loud its misrepresentative qualities. Secondly, proclamation that he knew all their true Snyder works to de-link psychopathology identities. After retreating from the incident from evil. In Snyder’s universe, the Joker at the aquaduct, Batman comes clean to the does not necessarily harm others because he Partners about having once discovered a lacks empathy or experiences a skewed Joker card in the Bat-Cave. Expressions of version of reality. Joker’s longing for distrust ensue. The Partners are concerned

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 394 that the stoic, but still usually veracious love and concern. The Partners love Batman had omitted what they perceived to inclusively by trying to increase group be important information from them. cohesion and operating with teamwork. Batman insists that he did not want the Batman loves exclusively by shutting others Partners to over-react and let their emotions out. The tension from these mis-matched cloud their judgment – selfishly privileging love styles leads to a crisis of belonging that the form of knowing that he was most moves Batman toward being more like the comfortable with (rationality; deduction) Joker – denying others in order to pursue a and excluding the possibility the Partners single figure who helps to define his being. could make their own decisions on such Batman traces the Joker to Arkham matters. Once confident longings – Asylum where he is attacked by guards and perceived reciprocal love styles of orderlies who have been blackmailed or friendship and admiration – between the coerced by the gruesome jester. He also, Partners and Batman became uncertain as rather quickly, fights through a horde of those longings were revealed to be have villains from his rogues gallery. After been expressed in different ways. Batman ascending through the building and attempted to love pragmatically by offering overcoming various trials, Batman finds the friendship and by enacting game-play by Joker assembled with a “court” of others strategically self-disclosing and occasionally around a living tapestry – that is, human manipulating others; meanwhile, the bodies sewn together and marked upon with Partners largely attempted to love by acting some sort of coloring agent even as the as companions (Lee, 1977, p. 175). These people are kept alive. This gross symbol is inconsistent styles of loving do more to another expression of love: bodies that obfuscate feelings and put emotional become one – an allusion to marriage in distance between Batman and the Partners Ephesians 5:31. This is perhaps the first of than connect them and bring them closer as many Biblical allusions in Death of the a family. Ultimately, the Partners, unwilling Family. Finding such allusions is not to leave Bruce to dangerously pursue the particularly surprising as comic books are a Joker alone, reject his seemingly unfeeling popular source of moral pedagogy. Botzakis commands for them to avoid investigating (2011) found that reading comic books the Joker. On the other hand, patronizingly involve “an array of meaning making and condescendingly rejecting the feelings activities that are bound in reading popular of the Partners on account of their youth, culture texts”, including “reading practices Bruce enacts destructive overprotection by [that have] critical, moral, literary and sneaking away and trying to track down the dialogic dimensions” (p. 113, abstract). The Joker without help. In their own ways, both possibilities for these dimensions as related Bruce and the Partners are trying to do what to Death of the Family will be cultivated they think is best for the other. However, throughout this essay. both parties – especially Bruce – disregard The living tapestry also perpetuates the the feelings of those attempting to express medieval court theme of the Joker’s new

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 395 narratization. Part of Joker’s court includes articulates a frequently debated by victims dressed as other superheroes who Batman fans: “Why have you never killed are coerced into trying to pull a chainsaw me?” (Snyder, 2013). Despite Batman’s from an anvil – clearly alluding the protest that killing the Joker would let the Arthurian legend of the sword in the stone. villain “win” by allowing him to stoop to the The pseudo-heroes are electrocuted as they Joker’s level, the jester insists, “This is how grasp the chainsaw. Joker’s tactic to torment I win, Batssss. I win by living. By keep on the innocent is meant by the Joker to keeping on.” (Snyder, 2013, emphasis manipulate Batman into completing the added) He also refers to Batman’s failures to King’s court by taking his place as “King of keep people safe (with implied references to Gotham” – to join in the Joker’s fantasy. the death of a Robin) as “little love letters” The tactic also advances the Joker’s fantasy (Snyder, 2013). The argument being made by intimating that there are other potential by the Joker is that Batman must belong Kings (the pseudo-superheroes who perhaps with / love the Joker because allowing the represent their actual Joker to live acts against Batman’s greater counterparts) who are unworthy purpose to protect the people of Gotham. In of ruling Gotham and must act in addition, allowing the Joker to live even subjugation. In order to protect Joker’s after killing a previous Partner (Robin) victims, Batman agrees to sit upon a throne signifies to the Joker that Batman’s provided for him: an electric chair. The allegiance to his partners is weak compared Joker straps Batman down, shows him video to his drive to exist in the same “world” as footage of all of the Partners being subdued the Joker. Joker’s longings are reiterated in and captured, and then electrocutes him until his further attempts to interpellate Batman he falls unconscious. by hailing him to longing for an immortalized status that might be achieved A Love That Doesn’t Die by working with him – [Joker:] “It’s [the Partner’s deaths] what you want to happen. The crises of love and belonging come It’s what you neeeeed. Because you see, to a climax when Batman wakes tied to a with us [Batman/Joker together] you’re chair in a cave at a table with the Partners, more! With us, you transsscend! With us, who are also tied down to chairs. Each you’re always! But them, they make you Partner has bandages over his or her face everything you want to forget you are, and are each served a platter by a zombie everything you’re afraid of” (Snyder, 2013). Alfred, who had been brainwashed by a A double-bind is revealed to Batman, in toxin employed by the Joker. On each platter which either Joker starts a spark that will is the skinned face of each Partner. The cause the Partners to catch on fire – be lit up Joker quips about the dinner that he “made it as celebratory candles – or Batman will with lots of love” (Snyder, 2013). As the ignite the spark himself by trying to escape Joker converses with Batman, the subject of his chair. The Joker is unable to recognize love becomes even more explicit. The Joker that Batman’s “choice” would reinforce his

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 396 own bias about Batman supposedly their lives… they may attempt to reciprocating his love no matter what resituate themselves within a decision is made. That is, in the Joker’s previous narrative structure by continuing to perform ‘in character.’ mind, Batman proves his longing for Joker However, sometimes the lived whether he does so by omission or narrative itself is called into commission. The Joker’s actions not only question; in such cases, the disregard the Batman’s feelings and sense of individual may seek an alternative choice, but also the Partners’. Ironically for narrative—a structure that will allow the Joker, tensions between Batman and the the individual to find coherence and Partners are already threatening their meaning in his or her experiences by creating a new lived narrative (Carr, relationship and the Joker’s interference 1986)—a new identity. (p. 5) makes him a common enemy for Batman and the Partners to unite against, ultimately In this case, the Joker flees – appearing to be subverting his own purpose. superficially trying to adhere to his previous Batman opts to escape the chair and is role of a mere chaotic criminal that must able to save the Partners from fire by using cause and then leave to fight his knowledge of Gotham’s caves to break a another day. However, it quickly becomes part of the ceiling that allows water to rush evident in following scenes that the Joker’s down and douse the flames ignited by sense of identity has been shattered as a Batman’s escape. Suddenly the Joker asserts result of being rejected by Batman. His “that’s not funny” (Snyder, 2013). The post- narratization is disrupted by lack of modern, ironic seriousness of the Joker is reciprocity from Batman and his desired dropped in this moment, indicating the true future trajectory suddenly becomes and somber darkness associated confusion. unfeasible. (Later story arcs from Snyder When the Joker feels Batman slipping out of reveal new narratives that the Joker his control, his personal identity, which has pursues.) come to be based on his relationship with Batman frees the Partners who discover, Batman, is threated. Joker’s expression of after removing their bandages, that their discomfort indicates that he had entered a actual faces were never removed and that narrative abyss – a “loss of personal the props served to them were a joke. The identity” resulting from “a dark and looming climax of the conflict between Batman and outer limit of experience characterized by the Partners occurs here as Batman finds chaos” (Gravley, Richardson, & Allison, himself in another dangerous double-bind: 2015, p. 5). Gravley, Richardson, and he can trust his Partners to deal with Allison (2015) argue that: remaining problems (in a subplot involving Joker toxin) and pursue the Joker… or he … When narrative coherence is lost, can stay to ensure the safety of the Partners individuals attempt to restore the and let the Joker escape. The Partners tell original narrative coherence in one of two ways. As individuals strive to Bruce that they can handle the danger in regain legitimacy or continuity in Joker’s lair. In a moment of great trust –

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 397 letting go of his condescending bias against of others. He chooses to love his family with youth and accepting the agency of others – an “agape” style – an altruistic belonging Bruce leaves to find his nemesis. that trusts and does not necessarily require Batman catches up to the Joker and reciprocity (Lee, 1977, p. 175). In other battles him on a cliff dropping off into a words: Batman and his family realize ways deep cavern – a literal abyss. In the midst of to reciprocally express longings / love for their fight, Batman claims that he has one another in their choices to trust one deduced Joker’s true identity and will reveal another and also to consider the wishes of it to his Partners; interpellating the Joker to each other. To behave sacrificially out of revert to a previous, undesired narratization: mutual respect. In this way, the Bat-Family the one in which he had no part in Batman’s exemplifies productive expressions of love life. A narrative where Batman’s attention is and longing by realizing the agency of one free to devote wholly to the Partners. The another and avoiding acts of oppression. For Joker retorts, “You won’t! They’re not your example, consider that Batman previously real family! We are! I am!” (Snyder, 2013). constrained the Partners by withholding Batman replies, “Well, this is the end of that information relevant, perhaps ethically family, then. Because I choose them” owed, to them in an attempt to manipulate (Snyder, 2013). As the two fight, the Joker their behaviors (keep them away from the falls over the edge of the cliff and is rescued Joker). Likewise, the Partners resisted by Batman; however, Joker refuses to be manipulation by trying to force Batman to saved if Batman wants to reveal his previous include them. Only by Batman and the identity. To the Joker, if either he or Batman Partners’ mutual acknowledgement of the found out the other’s identity, it would “ruin value and agency of the other in the final his fun” (Snyder, 2013). The Joker plunges conflict in Joker’s lair resulted in productive down the cliff, his recovered face drifting expressions of love and a true sense of off of his body as he falls. By dropping into belonging. the literal and metaphorical abyss, the Joker acknowledges, even chooses, his loss of Pedagogy from the Joker’s Lair identity. In facing the decision of whether to trust So, what’s the moral of the story? Why his Bat-Family to handle danger while he should anyone care about the content of this pursued the Joker, Batman also faced a crisis book? The answers may differ from reader of belonging in which he had to decide to reader, but the narrative certainly makes whether he would reciprocate longing, some compelling arguments about how the enacting Carrillo Rowe’s statement that concepts of love and belonging might work “contradictions and crises that arise are most together and how they might be considered instructive of our becoming” (p. 33). In as readers develop plots for their own “choosing them,” Batman resisted the narratizations. I, myself, find the story Joker’s interpellation and expressed helpful as I consider my own struggles with productive love that recognized the desires answering “Who am I?” and how I am to

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 398 reconcile both the productive and the renegotiation of self and of the aspirations of problematic that comes with every identity what life is to represent” (p. 3). Another way category in my own personal narrative. to explain Klypchak’s argument may be Death of the Family – no doubt terms of narrative theory: confusion about metaphorically referring to the death of the role[s] that one plays may cause traditional conceptions of family as merely difficulty in determining what plots should biological – articulates the value of a be enacted. Death of the Family is differential belonging and suggests that appropriate to post-modern audiences longings might be negotiated through styles because it acknowledges the personal of love. This type of longing / love is narrative crises of belonging that flourish in achieved through desire, choice, reciprocity. the present age and by providing examples Also, Death of the Family is set in a of ways to negotiate such crises through world affected by post-modern cynicism, cognizance and enactment of various love much like the world I live in. Batman’s styles tailored to the style[s] of the longed distrustfulness and the frequent, various for other. Comic books seem ideal for crises of belonging in the story reflect addressing these crises as they are a popular Klypchak’s (2009) description of the and accessible literary form that provide contemporary (non-fictitous) human age tools for praxis. Botzakis (2011) found that wherein “as postmodern societies destabilize at least one adult comic reader that he metanarratives, the utility of referencing interviewed spoke of “receiving ‘kind of one’s cultural history and the historical instructions’ from what he read, as Spider- significance to such identity also becomes Man’s adventures held moral messages for challenged” (p. 21). The question “Who am him” (p. 118). Further, these messages I?” has never been harder to answer because “provided [the interviewee] with doubt of what may be known about the self ‘organizational fantasies’ (Jones, 2002) that or others problematizes our ability to place helped him make sense of life events… The ourselves in stable identity categories. To be interrelated stories and characters created clear: I am not arguing that we cannot find contexts that helped [the interviewee] reflect any sense of consistency in ourselves – on his own social world” (p. 119). rather, that the post-modern society is in Essentially, comic books hold powerful need of new theoretical tools for pedagogical potential that may often be conceptualizing the self in ways that account easily accessed by readers. Therefore, for the differential nature of love and comics are useful for teaching about belonging. As Klypchak (2012) again, in contemporary philosophical subjects – in setting up a discussion on a post-modern this case, post-modern crises of love and influenced stage play, articulated: because belonging. While there is much academic “Post-Boomer generations have been writing on the potential classroom value of socialized within the post-modern world… graphic narrative as a medium, few those raised in such circumstances are recognize the medium’s function as a forced into a position of constant relatively new literary form that generates

The Phoenix Papers, Vol. 3, No. 1, August 2017 399 mythos which is clearly instructive to many the Joker. After the presence of the Partners in the present culture. complicated their exclusive relationship, the Not only does Snyder suggest ways to Joker tried to reclaim a metanarrative that no develop positive strategies for navigating longer existed – specifically, the plot that he crises of belonging, but he also provides and Batman enabled with one another and examples in his work of unproductive ways must co-exist together in order to continue. to negotiate these issues; namely, through This plot was, of course, challenged by the pursuing one’s desire without regard for the notion that Batman could exist to combat other. Klypchak (2009) explained other villains and / or cease to exist in order sociologist Emile Durkheim’s findings on for Bruce to attend to his family. In short, post-modern anomie as “stemming from a because Joker began to see his identity only cyclical pattern of an individual’s unrealistic as related to Batman, his notion of self is expectations coupled with one’s desperate challenged by the presence of others in attempts to achieve such unattainable aims” Batman’s life. His unrealistic expectations, (p. 20). The Joker is a clear example of a then, also contributed to his desperate acts of character who developed into a state of evil. anomie due to an unstable identity paired The post-modern superhero story carries with unchecked longings. His pursuit of implications beyond the mere recognition of chaos and then of Batman was relentless and cultural identity instability, though. destructive because he loved without regard Contemporary post-modern American for the other. superheroes also exist as part of a “post-9/11 The Joker’s desperation in his vehement superhero zeitgeist” (Treat, 2009, p. 105). pursuit of an exclusive relationship with Treat (2009) argued, among other things, in Batman was no doubt also fueled by need to his discussion of the current superhero escape the post-modern predicament. His zeitgeist that the recent boom in the desire to separate Batman from the Partners popularity of superheroes – particularly was motived by nostalgia, which, when characters such as and Batman – “read in terms of post-modernism… can be may in part be a response to “our troubling understood as eschewing the complexities of enjoyment of 9/11, a trauma facilitating post-modernity itself in an attempt to attractions to violent messiahs and crusading reclaim the meta-narratives of modernism” vigilantes” (p. 106). In the case of Death of (Klypchak, 2012, p. 4). Joker’s narratization the Family, Batman plays the paradoxical was doomed to collapse because his roles of both beneficent messiah and enplotment largely relied on revitalizing the vengeful vigilante. Superheroes always exist past instead moving forward. In his attempt in relationship to a threat, usually a to be “reborn,” the Joker sought to change . Batman, in every iteration, the present situation in which Batman shared exists out of a need to save others. The his attention with others (usually the Joker, then, necessarily exists – at least in Partners) to be more like a past situation in relation to Batman – in order to put others in which Batman devoted all of his attention to a position where they are in need of saving.

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In the case of Snyder and Capullo’s (2013) xvii). The point is that Death of the Family story, the Joker realizes that Batman may responds to Treat’s (2009) observation that exist independently of him by acting solely we, as “terrorized subjects” in a post-9/11 as a vigilante – his quest to take revenge on world, are “forced to decide between criminals for their evils may go on as long becoming outlaws or victims for the as crime persists. However, the Joker only necessary fictions we live” (p. 108). In a fits in with the monumental story of the state of post-modern crisis and post-9/11 Batman by turning Batman into a savior. If cynicism, we can either stand by and let Batman needs to save someone from the others act for us to resolve our crises or we Joker, then the Joker will always have a can realize agency for ourselves and with place in Batman’s story. others. We can engage in solidarity and Interpellating Batman back into the role dialogue with others (Freire, 1968 / 2000) or of savior is another way that the Joker may cynically, passively yield to a hegemon and have enplotted his twisted narratization. He hope that those who we are empowering are enacted traditional Biblical messianic stories more Batmen than Jokers. by walking as a “roaring lion” and seeking Batman’s original attempt to express whom he could devour (1 Peter 5:8) by love and belonging in Death of the Family drawing the sons away from the father. By with the Partners through information endangering the sons, the lion creates a omission, overprotectiveness, and control persisting emotional presence in the life of provide an example of how Snyder’s version the father. The Joker-as-devil, as with many of the character could act without regard for Biblical metaphors, cannot defeat the father the other. In this way, Batman became an by confronting him head-on, but tries to oppressor by insisting that others participate divide and afflict his followers. These in his own norms of love and belonging. followers can either bow to persecution and Snyder plots his story in such a way that “fall away” or act by becoming agents of the Batman redeems himself and reconciles with father’s justice (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). his Partners/family by trusting and Hopefully the metaphor is not too far acknowledging the legitimacy of their styles stretched – Batman is often far from a of love and belonging. Snyder’s argument Christian God-figure, but he does personify must be, then, that navigating crises of certain aspects of a messianic plot just as the belonging productively requires 1) Joker clearly personifies features often recognition of the unique expressions of attributed to the devil or devil-like love in a given relationship / the differential characters. As Christian film critic Paul nature of each relationship and 2) Asay (2012) wrote, even though it is not acknowledging and respecting the desires of always an exact parallel, “we can still others. Such tactics allow for responses to concentrate on those aspects within crises of belonging that both engage in [Gotham] city’s gritty confines and perhaps personal agency and avoid becoming an uncover a spark of the divine in oppressor. superherodom’s gloomiest character” (p.

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In short, Snyder (2013) and the rest of may use Snyder’s story to develop their own the current Batman crew tackled a range of understandings or to teach others. The issues related to identity crisis in the Death performance of Death of the Family as a of the Family story, including navigation of cultural artifact is one that has great post-modern crises of the self through love possibility to reach and be appreciated by styles and the surfacing of current cynical many. The story provides potential plots for passivity that risks denying the other. My navigating post-modern and cynical culture appreciation of this story stems not only that may assist readers in avoiding, or from my admiration of its narrative responding productively to, the narrative complexity and Snyder’s skillful writing, but abyss. the fact that – even without vocabulary such as “love styles” or “differential belonging” – References the concepts relating to each issue analyzed in this essay (and more!) may be understood Allison, J. M. (1994). Narrative and time: A simply by engaging the narrative. Snyder’s phenomenological reconsideration. Text story reflects newly formed and Performance Quarterly, 14, 108- conceptualizations of love and belonging in 125. Western culture and presents these concepts Asay, P. (2012). Introduction. In God on the in a way that enable them as legitimate streets of Gotham: What the big screen narrative plots. Fictional narratives provide Batman can teach us about God and ideas for true-life narratizations. In short, my ourselves. Carol Stream, IL.: Tyndale is not that readers will (necessarily) read this House. story and decide that becoming a vengeful Bender, H., Kambam, P., & Pozios, V. vigilante or demon-like clown is a legitimate (2011, September 20). Putting the caped life pathway. However, readers may crusader on the couch. The New York understand that Batman solved his problems Times. Retrieved from by working toward solidarity with those who http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/opi longed for him (in a productive way). They nion/putting-the-caped-crusader-on-the- might also understand that the Joker’s couch.html?_r=0 attempts at love were misplaced and his Brooker, W. (2000/2005). Batman disregard for others is what makes him truly unmasked: Analysing a cultural icon. evil. Snyder’s Death of the Family is London: Continuum. valuable because some comic book readers Brubaker, E. (2003 / 2008). The man may never be exposed to academic who laughs. In S. Nybakken’s (Es.) theorizing about love or belonging, but in Batman: The man who laughs. New their exposure to popular culture, they may York: DC Comics. still learn about these academic Botzakis, S. (2011). “To be a part of the conversations implicitly – sometimes even dialogue”: American adults reading explicitly – because of Batman. Further, comic books. Journal of Graphic Novels even those within the academic community & Comics, 2(2), 113-123.

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