[115], The Joker is obsessed with Batman, the pair representing a yin-yang of opposing dark and light force; although it is the Joker who represents humor and color and Batman who dwells in the dark. JokerMan. Although he murdered thugs and civilians, he never fought Batman; this made The Joker a series in which the character's villainy prevailed over rival villains, instead of a struggle between good and evil. This, combined with the earlier accidental death of his wife and unborn child, drives the comedian insane, turning him into the Joker. He has gone from formal wear to a plain jumpsuit; from dress shoes with spats to bare feet; from pale skin to pancake makeup; and from tailored fashion to thrift-store chic. Nor is he wearing the character's signature purple suit (although Jason Momoa did wear one to the premiere).. "[101], A number of alternate universes in DC Comics publications allow writers to introduce variations on the Joker, in which the character's origins, behavior, and morality differ from the mainstream setting. [94][95], This story was the basis for the most often-cited origin tale, Moore's one-shot The Killing Joke. [77][78] In Morrison's "Batman and Son" (2006), a deranged police officer who impersonates Batman shoots the Joker in the face, scarring and disabling him. It was such a trademark that he refused to shave it when he was cast as the Joker. [113][114] The other version, popular in comic books from the late 1940s to the 1960s and in the 1960s television series, is an eccentric, harmless prankster and thief. [184], Since 20122013, the Joker has inspired a large number of internet memes, often focused on the character's portrayal in films (see below). As the Joker is the epitome of an unreliable narrator, nothing he says can be taken at face value. [177] Joker mirrors his identity through Harley in her appearance, and even though he may ignore or act indifferent towards her, he continues to try to subject her to his control. the Trump Era DeservesBut Not the One We Need Right Now. [62][129] Batman comic book writer Peter Tomasi concurred, stating that the Joker's main goal is to make Batman the best that he can be. [20] By issue #13, Kane's work on the syndicated Batman newspaper strip left him little time for the comic book; artist Dick Sprang assumed his duties, and editor Jack Schiff collaborated with Finger on stories. [75] In Joker: Last Laugh (2001), the doctors at Arkham Asylum convince the character that he is dying in an attempt to rehabilitate him. "[208] The phrase "We live in a society" is commonly associated with the Joker in memes; it garnered particular notoriety after a trailer for the film Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) featured Joker saying the line. "[17], Years after the end of the 1966 television series, sales of Batman continued to fall and the title was nearly cancelled. [178], Harley's co-creator, Paul Dini, describes their relationship as Harley being someone who makes the Joker feel better about himself, and who can do the work that he does not want to do himself. He also displayed a brighter shade of green in his hair -- Scream Green, which was made by Splat Hair Color and was available at Walmart and other retailers for $8.99. [128], Snyder's "Death of the Family" describes the Joker as in love with Batman, although not in a traditionally romantic way. [38] Stories balanced between emphasizing the Joker's criminality and making him a likable protagonist whom readers could support. A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. [98] In The Brave and the Bold #31, the superhero Atom enters the Joker's mind and sees the criminal's former self - a violent sociopath who tortures animals, murders his own parents, and kills for fun while committing robberies. He has scraggly grass-green hair and dark circles around his eyes. Although he has the look of a clown, he dresses like a dandy in formal wear, in his signature villain colors of purple and green. They have a classic abusive relationship; even though the Joker constantly insults, hurts, and even tries to kill Harley, she always returns to him, convinced that he loves her. You can complete the look with the perfect accessories like a gold Joker can and body decals. And he dresses like a slob, but sticks to the classic color scheme of purple and green. Unfortunately for Kal-El, who is given the name Bruce Wayne, his parents are murdered by Joe Chill just as they are on Earth-1. I went to the DC library and read some of the early stories. [236][237], The television series Gotham (20142019) explores the mythology of the Joker through twin brothers Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska, played by Cameron Monaghan. Safuran said: Hate to disappoint you, but you're definitely going to need to bleach your hair if it's dark brown. 17. [68] After Batman's apparent death in Final Crisis (2008), Grayson investigates a series of murders (which leads him to a disguised Joker). [25][31] This version has been cited in many stories, including Batman: The Man Who Laughs (in which Batman deduces that the Red Hood survived his fall and became the Joker), Batman #450 (in which the Joker dons the Red Hood to aid his recovery after the events in "A Death in the Family", but finds the experience too traumatic), Batman: Shadow of the Bat #38 (in which Joker's failed stand-up performance is shown), "Death of the Family",[95] and Batman: Three Jokers (which asserts that it is the canon origin story). [66] This led to a second ongoing Joker series, beginning in March 2021 with Tynion writing and Guillem March providing art. Psychotic entrepreneur. [171], Ryan Litsey described the Joker as an example of a "Nietzschean Superman," arguing that a fundamental aspect of Friedrich Nietzsche's Superman, the "will to power," is exemplified in all of the Joker's actions, providing a master morality to Batman's slave morality. This deep shade showcases his dark hair, chalk-white skins and the red of his permanent grin. Here, CBR casts an eye at The Joker's different looks, including some that were great and some that were, well,just a bit laughable. The Joker is often depicted as defining his existence through his conflict with Batman. [19][62] Capullo's Joker design replaced his traditional outfit with a utilitarian, messy, and disheveled appearance to convey that the character was on a mission; his face (surgically removed in 2011's Detective Comics (vol. In Batman: The Animated Series, the two met when Dr. Harleen Quinzel was sent to Arkham Asylum to interview the Joker, leading to her transformation into the psychotic sidekick. [17], The character was introduced in Batman #1 (1940), in which he announces that he will kill three of Gotham's prominent citizens. The Joker displays no instinct for self-preservation, and is willing to die to prove his point that anyone could become like him after "one bad day". The Joker has had various possible origin stories during his decades of appearances. No Joke, It's the Joker", "The 25 Greatest Comic Book Villains of All-Time", "AFI's 100 Years 100 Heroes & Villains", "Joker's Jinx Six Flags America (Upper Marlboro, Maryland, USA)", "Riders rescued from Six Flags roller coaster", "Newest, biggest, baddest roller coasters for summer", "The Joker And Harley Quinn Bring Havoc, Chaos, Twists And Spins As Two New Rides Open For The 2015 Season", "Jared Leto's Joker Actually Says "We Live In A Society" in Zack Snyder's Justice League", "Zack Snyder Shares Joker Deleted Scene From Justice League", "Mark Hamill, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger whose Joker was best? The Joker initially appeared as a remorseless serial killer and jewel thief, modeled after a joker playing card with a mirthless grin, who killed his victims with "Joker venom," a toxin that left their faces smiling grotesquely. In addition to nods for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, Joker was also recognized in such below the line categories as Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design. Three Jokers reveals that the three Jokers, who work in tandem, include "The Criminal", a methodical mastermind based on the Golden Age Joker; "The Clown", a goofy prankster based on the Silver Age Joker; and "The Comedian", a psychopathic killer based on the Modern Age Joker. DC Super Friends Joker (Lloyd Floyd) Warner Bros. On one hand, Lloyd Floyd's take on the Joker scores a lot of points just by happening in a cartoon in 2015 and not just being someone doing . Around the same time, DC Comics found it easier to market its stories to children without the more mature pulp elements that had originated many superhero comics. TheFlashpoint miniseries (May-August 2011) covers an alternate timeline for the DC Universe. Follow him on Twitter at @Kelvin_Childs. Another futuristic version of Batman and The Joker is in the famed miniseries The Dark Knight Returns from 1986. "[123], The Joker's main characteristic is his apparent insanity, although he is not described as having any particular psychological disorder. The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) was a departure from long-established tradition. [17][26], The character appeared less frequently after 1964, when Julius Schwartz (who disliked the Joker) became editor of the Batman comics. [4] Beginning as a letterer and background inker, Robinson quickly became primary artist for the newly created Batman comic book series. Leonardo DiCaprio could play gangster Joker, anarchist Joker, and psychopath Joker in one sitting with his hands tied and his eyes closed, he is that good. In the DC Universe: Rebirth (2016) one-shot, Batman informs Hal Jordan that the chair told him there were three individual Jokers, not just one. [23][24], The Joker was one of the few popular villains continuing to appear regularly in Batman comics from the Golden Age into the Silver Age, as the series continued during the rise in popularity of mystery and romance comics. [154][155] The Joker is sometimes shown to keep spotted hyenas as pets; this trait was introduced in the 1977 animated series The New Adventures of Batman. [25][53] Unlike The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke takes place in mainstream continuity. The Joker has been adapted in live-action, animated, and video game incarnations, including the 1960s Batman television series played by Cesar Romero and in films by Jack Nicholson in Batman (1989), Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008), Jared Leto in the DC Extended Universe (2016present), and Joaquin Phoenix in Joker (2019present); Ledger and Phoenix each earned an Academy Award for their portrayals. An unreliable narrator, the character is uncertain of who he was before and how he became the Joker: "Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes anotherif I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice! Although they have a friendly partnership in 1950's World's Finest Comics #88, later unions emphasized their mutual hostility and clashing egos. As a result, it was Thomas Wayne who became a rather brutal Batman. 2. For his entire supervillain career, he's favored the bright color purple, sometimes accented with green and sometimes with orange. And to top it off, he frequently sported a straitjacket. [166], Rather than the typical anarchist interpretation, others have analysed the character as a Marxist (opposite to Batman's capitalist), arguing that anarchism requires the rejection of all authority in favor of uncontrolled freedom. [149] The Joker interacts with other supervillains who oppose Batman, whether he is on the streets or in Arkham Asylum. Jerry Robinson, Creator of Batman's Nemesis, the Joker", "Meet the Joker's Maker, Jerry Robinson" (interview)", "The Joker in the Deck: Birth of a Supervillain", "10 Terrible Mistakes That Almost Ruined Batman For Everyone", "The Joker returns to 'Batman' pages, building on 72-year history", "Rare Superman, Batman covers heading for auction", "Spotlight on The Dark Knight: 'The Smile on the Bat', "The Evolution of the Joker: Still Crazy After All These Years", "When We First Met Joker's Deadly Bag of Tricks", "Dark Knight Flashback: The Joker, Part II", "Joker Panel Interview: Steve Englehart on The Laughing Fish", "Why So Serious? In a city overrun with larger-than-life criminals, the always-laughing villain stands alone. That's the way I sum it up. He reveals himself to be The Joker -- but rather than look menacing,Luthor Jokermostly looks goofy. Led to a second ongoing Joker series, beginning in March 2021 with Tynion writing Guillem. 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