Reply #23: yes, i got that about the human shields. and the wiretapping is given a happy face -- you know,

[nashville_brook]

only used by "good guys" and then destroyed by a wise old man who'll have nothing to do with such nefariousness. the takeaway being, that what we can always expect of "extraordinary men" doing extraordinary things. your point about the Joker is neither here nor there. he was much more effectual at "taking down" the gangs than the "forces of order." and, that the good guys' extortion is balanced by the Joker's, is to be expected. such is the thrust of the narrative.