By Comix
There’s nothing like a good villain to really make a superhero series pop. Sure, you can say it’s the plot, or the depth of hero’s physique rippling with sexy muscles, but when you see that first curled grin of the protagonist’s arch-nemesis creeping in from the shadows, you get a little tingly in your dangly bits. Like Sabertooth and Wolverine, or Lex Luthor and Superman, a solid baddie not only forces the hero to stop being so damn self-righteous, but they can literally make or break a comic. None exemplify that more than The Joker. A character who become almost an anti-hero himself (which he really couldn’t care less about), The Joker is living proof that clowns are creepy as fuck. From the Clown Prince of Crime to “do you know how I got these scars?” he has managed to create a legacy of mean-spirited pranks aimed at upsetting the very structure of society and more importantly, any stability in Batman’s life.
Going back to the beginning, The Joker’s origins are steeped in tragedy and heartache. Contrary to the Dark Knight movie rumors that he is a soldier who lost his mind in the deserts of Iraq, there are actually several origin stories tied in with his life. The most referenced and widely accepted version is that The Joker was originally a low level thug called Red Hood (later taken up by another of Batman’s villians for even more nefarious purposes – see Hush) who attempted to steal from a chemical plant that he was working at. Properly confronted by Batman, he fell into a vat of chemicals where he emerged pasty skinned with stark, green hair and red lips, several brain cells crazier than a bag of cat-ladies. An alternative version has the Joker working as a married stand-up comedian who quit the power plant to chase his comedy dreams only to fall on hard times and, like the original, rob his old work where he subsequently dropped in the vat of acid. There is also the story of him being a ruthless gangster who climbed his way up the crime ladder, a brilliant criminal named Jack who grows obsessed with Batman, and probably a shit-ton of other ones. Long story short, no one really knows; even his real name has never been revealed.
The real life story of the Joker’s creation is just as interesting as his fictional tale. Created by Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson, and Bob Kane, he was introduced in Batman #1 after first being rejected for being too much of a “gag.” Luckily for him, Kane loved gags and started working on a character equal parts Joker playing card and Conrad Veidt from the movie The Man Who Laughs. In fact, this very homage is addressed in the graphic novel Batman: The Man Who Laughs which revisits the villain’s origins and features a cover of a grinning Joker holding up a playing card. He debuted right along the Caped Crusader with a rough and tumble story about him kidnapping people and stealing their stuff as Batman and half of the Gotham underworld attempt at taking him down. Oh, and he totally kills like two people. Hell of a start, right? Robinson was quoted as saying that he wanted a reoccurring conflict for Batman, such as Sherlock’s Moriarty, with a strong visual appeal and a mess of contradictions. Throw in some murderous tendencies and a taste for pain, and you got a life-long crush on your hands.
With the Joker as one of the few villains to survive all four of the comic ages, he has definitely seen his share of writers and artists take a turn at him. Golden Age saw a Joker surprisingly similar to what he is today, that is to say, a killer with little remorse. In his first dozen appearances, he had killed over thirty-five people and would always be seen tumbling down a cliff or stuck in a burning building after every fight with Batman. How he kept surviving the brushes with death was anyone’s guess, but when the next issue rolled around, there he was, back to his old tricks. By the early 1950’s, and probably in part with the Comic Code, The Joker was toned down to a goofy prankster who became more of a thorn in the heroes’ side than anything else. Though the editors claimed they changed his MO because they didn’t want a murderous madman on the loose that the Batman let run free every time he got caught, we knew what was up. The Comic Code struck again! 1951 was also when The Joker’s Red Hood origins were first penned by Finger in Detective Comics #168, giving the jester a much asked for (though maybe not needed) background story. Silver Age continued pretty quietly with villain playing second-harp to his former self until The Bronze Age started.
In 1973, he got a 180 degree revision by Dennis O’Neal and Neal Adams, and was re-introduced in Batman #251, “The Joker’s Five Way Revenge.” Suddenly, we see the madman back to killing his enemies while playing a violent game of cat and mouse with Batman. It was this Joker that became the basis for the Joker we know and love today. No more exploding cigars or knock-knock jokes for this clown; he was back, with a vengeance. Modern Age continued to explore the depths of his depravity, having him cripple Batgirl in The Killing Joke, and bumping off Robin in A Death in the Family. Darker writers also got the chance to add to his tales such as Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Grant Morrison. Most recently, he has been rebooted in the new DC 52, also titled A Death in The Family, as he battles Batman, ripping the Batman family apart.
While it’s hard to find any Joker specific titles in the Batman Universe, there are plenty of places to start. For his more defining moments, The Killing Joke and the older Death in the Family are a good place to go. Both written and illustrated by prolific people in the industry, these are not only Joker/Batman reads, but must-be-read graphic novels in general. There are few Joker stand-alones such as The Joker by Brian Azzarello, which follows the Nolan Batman; The Man who Laughs by Ed Brubaker which, as stated, revisits the Jokers origins; and New 52 The Joker: Death of the Family, where he returns after having his face sliced off to the horror of the cities vigilantes. Honestly, he’s got his fingers in everything so check with your local comic shop for more comics to grab, they know the business. If reading is not your thing (which is weird, why are you reading this?), he has made a ton of appearances in cartoons, movies, and videogames. Pretty sure I don’t need to mention Heath Ledger or Jack Nicholson’s run at the character, or Batman: The Animated Series (that introduces the iconic Harley Quinn) or even all the videogames like Arkham Asylum or Arkham City or Arkham Origins. What I’m saying is he’s everywhere. From a character who was almost killed off in his very first appearance to becoming the anti-hero for every depressed teenager everywhere, The Joker has survived the tides of fandom and came out on top. Here’s to another sixty years, old man.
