u/TheMightyMonarchx7

So we know Jack Grim is old, we know he can become a cackling monster of hunger and madness, but we may be wrong about the "True Face" of The Joker. Scott Snyder has commented that in the Absolute universe Batman is the chaotic element, and Joker is the "force of order". This was also emphasized in Absolute Evil when meeting with the other "Justice League" members as he delved into the nature of their existence explaining the Omega Particle. So ask yourself; why would a being claiming to be one of order want to watch the world burn and actually be a demon? Why not just use his vast resources to create unending chaos on a global scale while laughing in his horned form?

The answer: Jack isn't just fighting to keep the status quo, he's fighting himself. What if this horrifying form is a "condition", one that he's fought to keep under control for over a century? We assume the throne of orphans(?) is how he stays young like some kind of Pennywise, but what if it's actually there to keep the demon at bay? Happy and sated so Jack Grim can walk in public freely? That's the joke, he's an evil trying to stay in the game, but his own worst enemy. If he indulges too much or doesn't keep his darker half in check, he'll burn everything he's worked so hard to create. The island hunt is him letting the beast out in a controlled environment so he can keep it on a leash.

If mainline Joker is a man who is driven by extreme nihilism where nothing matters, Absolute Joker may be a man driven by trying to make sense of a universe that frankly shouldn't exist at all. He's the joke, and it's driving him mad. Still evil, yet an inversion of what we're used to.

I was happy to get to Diamond this season after a long hiatus, but it was something I’ve noticed. Why is that? Is it balancing, the ratio to old/new players, or something else? Or am I merely imagining things?

I'm not even being rude about it. I'm not singling anyone out for poor performance, and every suggestion is presented as "Hey maybe we could do this. I could swap too" more or less. So then why why whywhywhy WHY are people incapable of communicating or taking direction in text chat? Don't get me wrong, I get muting mics, do it myself. But how can you just sit there, continue to feed like you're bashing your skull against a wall, and not address the clear counter that is trumping our performance? "Hey this Black Panther is no joke, can we get an assist?" "Guys Venom/Captain America is really eating up a lot of our attention, we should probably deal with him first before engaging the enemy frontline" "Those fliers appear to be getting free kills, maybe we should adapt and deal with that?" Etc etc, you get the idea. I get stubbornness in games but this is on another level.

In no particular order:

Let me preface and say that yes there are a considerable number of bad strategist players out there, unable to provide offense in favor of healbotting and looking to get carried up the ranks. However with that said, they can’t always be the scapegoat for poor team performance. If two enemy duelists and a tank can walk right past 4 players, then you’re playing with blinders on and have limited situational awareness. If Spider-Man, Thor, and Storm are all harassing the backline, it begs the question what the team is even focusing on. A good healer can fend off a diver, but there’s a limit, and ultimately it’s time not being spent helping a teammate.

There’s a difference between flexing and just throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. If you’re ending a game with 8 characters in your selection history, you’re floundering. Yes you should adapt depending on situation and enemy comp, but there’s a limit. This is especially detrimental when not communicating with your team when and why you’re doing it.

Playing tank does not exempt you from criticism. I’ve put my hours into the role, and yeah current balancing can make it a chore, however it doesn’t give you a pass to be poor at it. You can still over extend, have poor positioning, and be counterproductive by not peeling.

Doing well in your main doesn’t mean anything if it’s not what the match needs. This is one of the reasons why I hate playing with Spidey players. It doesn’t matter if your kill count is high, it’s the kills that matter, specifically when and who.

There are other paths to point, not just the main route. They exist because naturally choke points can be used against your numbers.

Learn to prioritize targets. If there’s an Iron Man/Ultron combo, why are you still focusing on tanks?