That bdsm dynamics post is super interesting which dynamics do you think Bruce and Joker fall into
It is a fascinating post, yesss. There's a dynamic in there that Bruce and Joker resemble quite heavily in general: Dom-as-hunter/sub-as-prey. The OP described it as this: "For the hunter to catch the prey, there must first be a chase, or at the very least an ambush. This need not be a literal chase (we sent physical acts out of the room, remember?) but it is a dynamic to hunter/prey-flavored BDSM: the hunter has to earn it. This fulfills an emotional need for both dom and sub: a dom who struggles with feelings of unworthiness can feel like they've earned their partner's submission, and a sub can feel that the dom cares enough to put in the effort to catch them. Hunter/prey also allows dom and sub to explore some pretty dark emotions within the safety of consensual kink, such as fear, obsession, and consumption."
The dynamic between Batman and Joker has been referred to as a game so many times, over the years. It doesn't help that they also act like it:
Batman chases Joker-- it's a quintessential part of their interactions, and it's very much tied to a perception of competence, of being on equal level. Joker constructs his traps and schemes with the purpose of destroying Batman, yes. But it's also to see if he can overcome them, because then it means he's worthy of Joker's obsession. If Batman breaks, he was never who Joker thought he was to begin with. If he prevails, he... well, gets to beat the crap out of Joker, which both of them enjoy, and the game continues. For Joker the emotional need being fulfilled is definitely about getting attention, feeling cared for, but it's also partly self-destructive; he is genuinely trying to get Batman to kill him, both because he's got suicidal tendencies and because on some level, he thinks he should be stopped [most clearly spelled out in Batman (2016) #48].
For Bruce... well, you know how whenever there's third parties involved Bruce almost always goes "Joker is too smart and too dangerous, only I can deal with him"? It's about competence for him too. Joker is his nemesis because he is the most dangerous and the one hardest to defeat, the one to pose the biggest challenge. With Joker, Batman earns it. But it's also about identity, in the sense that by not killing Joker, Bruce wins. Bruce has answered the question of "Why won't you just end it?" regarding Joker with "Because then he'd win" many times, and it's interesting because it's not making reference to Bruce's no-kill code, or to him believing Joker is redeemable, etc. It's about who's victorious, about who ends up being right.
And, well. It's obvious Joker very much fits the first sub-as-brat type that the OP describes. He could also fit a dom-as-enfant-terrible, dom-as-artist or dom-as-troll, dom/sub-as-taboo-breaker, dom-as-whumper... while Bruce is kind of already by default fitting a dom/sub-as-service. But the reason why I am personally into Batjokes as a ship is precisely because this applies to his dynamic with Joker much less; in relation to Joker he goes into dom-as-control, and dom-as-hunter; hell, even dom-as-enfant-terrible. With Joker, Bruce gets to let out all the darker impulses he has, unleash all the violence and sadism in a way that doesn't make him feel guilty. Obviously, Joker deserves it. But more than that, Joker wants it.
Edit: I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T BRING UP THE GIMP MASK. THE GIMP MASK DID HAPPEN IN AN ACTUAL DC COMIC.
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