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It would help to link to the original entry, but from what I know about V it sounds like a stretch to claim he is an intentional riff on the Joker just because they have some similarities.
Yes, I agree that it would help if you provided links to the edits in question.
Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.Here’s the original entry.
- V for Vendetta: Title character V is in many ways a more heroic riff on The Joker. Both are Mad Bombers shrouded in mystery who have creepy white faces, have an air for pantomime theatrics and utterly glorify Anarchism. Even the scene where V torments fascist Lewis Prothero directly mirrors Joker tormenting Commissioner Gordon in The Killing Joke. Except while Joker is an Ax-Crazy Straw Nihilist living in a relatively sane world, V is a Creepy Good optimist living in a heartless Dystopia who genuinely cares for innocent lives (such as Evey) and seeks to deliver chaos to the deserving Nazi-esque Norsefire regime. Interestingly, both characters deride the justice system, but in V's case, it's because it's a system they understandably feel has betrayed them for totalitarian bigotry.
I feel it counts because so much of V for Vendetta is echoed in the Killing Joke with V and even scenes of V taking over the news and making broadcasts were carried out by Joker in Dick Sprang era which Moore loved.
It’s definitely far less of a stretch than some of other examples on that page. Like Ragna from Blazbue being a riff on Demitri from Darkstalkers.
Y.20This isn't an Edit War. The Mountain King removed it and another example once (in two consecutive edits) and made no other edits to the page. PM them if you want to dispute the removal.
Edited by GastonRabbit Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.I don't know the other characters that you are citing to say if they are "more of" a stretch than this one (and regardless, the presence of misuse on the page doesn't justify misuse.) But it still feels like a stretch to me.
This trope is about when it is very clear that this character is meant to be an Expy of the other character, save that the Expy is good-aligned or otherwise more virtuous. The Joker has a lot more to his iconography than having a white face and a flair for pantomime (which, the Joker himself does not often have in his incarnations, nor is he always a bomber who glorifies anarchism specifically.) He is a clown, with a flashy suit, a crazy laugh, comedic gags, and his crimes are often a punchline of those gags.
You might have something in there being homages to The Killing Joke specifically, (taking over the airwaves is hardly unique to the Joker) but I hardly think V fits the criteria of being an "obviously" intentional sendup. As opposed to, for example, Moore having certain story beats he likes writing.
Edited by OctoyaYeah, thats just not a good example. It should stay cut.
Better than other examples. Check out this one.
In comparison to being a Corrupted Character Copy of Sol Badguy, Dante and Vash the Stampede, Ragna the Bloodedge is a virtuous take on Demitri Maximoff. Both are brooding, vampiric darkness-powered anti-heroes and have the ability to summon features of their more-monstrous alternate forms but Demitri is a borderline Villain Protagonist whilst Ragna is much more heroic.
Now that’s a bad example. Still I’ll accept your opinion.
Y.20The existence of bad examples means that cleanup is needed, not that other examples should squeak by.
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure PurenessAgreed. I still think V has merit as an example with the Killing Joke parallels, but clearly the majority think that’s not enough.
Y.20I mean, it certainly wouldn't be out of Alan Moore's way considering most of the characters in Watchmen started out as various DCU characters before DC decided he should make it an original IP instead (Rorschach = the Question for example), but I just don't see much similarity between Joker and V (Joker is supposed to look like a Monster Clown, whereas V wears a Guy Fawkes mask to evoke the historical Fawkes' attempt to overthrow the British government). The Killing Joke parallels might work as an example of Company Cross References though, since Moore worked on both.
v Makes sense to me.
Edited by StarSwordHey it's me, wasn't aware of this ATT thread. If we go with basing the comparison on the Killing Joke, than the inspiration would be in the other direction, with Moore putting elements of V into The Joker, because TKJ was written several years after VFV.
Which means V still isnt a VCC.
I think we can keep that cut and call this one closed.
Okay I accept that but I still think it’s weird that “interpretations” of the same character from later time period cannot count to the character overall.
Especially since many Corrupted Copy Characters examples like Soldier Boy from The Boys are clearly based off MCU Cap.
Y.20That isn't the issue at all. The issue is one of chronology. A book from 1988 cannot influence a book from 1981.
And Moore has never really written the Joker as an anarchist, either.
Its just not a proper example of the trope.
Again, i think we can let this be closed now.
Hey guys I don’t like to complain about certain examples I add being deleted or changed but The Mountain King deleted my example of V from V for Vendetta being a Virtuous Character Copy claiming their connection is weak. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/article_history.php?article=Main.VirtuousCharacterCopy
I strongly disagree given there’s many similarities to Joker and V when it comes to anarchism and pantomime imagery. With the Alan Moore connection just being the icing on the cake.
What should I do? I already messaged them to argue otherwise but I’d liked to get other opinions. If other people agree with the deletion then I’ll accept defeat.
Edited by Yellow20