He employed numerous gimmicks such as crime costumes, joker utility belts and even a jokermobile that featured a large joker face on. For the past 68 years, this clown has haunted the caped crusader, who found nothing to laugh about in the formers evil exploits. The editor knew the joker was too good a character to kill. There were two rather cruel murders joker committed. Arkham asylum, or the countless comics stacking comic book shelves and digital libraries, the joker stands unquestionably as the most recognizable and.
The joker is a master criminal with a clownlike appearance, and is considered one of the most infamous criminals within gotham city. The first involved skinning a man alive because he got on the joker s. Jan 31, 2015 scott snyder crafted an exciting new origin for batman in zero year and now the talented dc comics writer is tackling an origin story for the dark knights greatest adversary, the joker. Kane and robinson claimed responsibility for the joker s design, but. While the joker now practiced a more nonlethal array of activities, he remained one of batmans most intelligent adversaries. Credits for script, pencils and inks confirmed from julius schwartzs editorial records, provided by dc comics. The jokers comic origin how the joker works howstuffworks. His first lead in a movie was playing raphael in the original teenage mutant ninja turtles. Its moody art style is unparalleled, its orchestral scores were epic and memorable, and the topnotch cast ensured that i. While the killing joke is the most accepted comicbook origin of the joker, the.
The joker is one of the most iconic characters in comic book history. Created by jerry robinson, bill finger, and bob kane. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The joker has been batmans arch nemesis since his first appearance. Streets of gotham s 2010 the house of hush arc, the joker is revealed to be named sonny, a little boy whos kidnapped by a mobster named sallie guzzo, and abused both. Batman first appeared in a separate series, detective comics, which gave dc comics its name and in which he still stars to this day. Nonetheless, this graphic novel became canon, with the flashback. How victor hugo helped create the joker atlas obscura. The joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by dc comics. But still, details as teeth lined in steel and tattoos seem to be jared. More than 300 color illustrations include reproductions of comic book covers and pages.
Hugos book, the man who laughs, is a sad story about an orphan in the 17th century. Calming the clown how the joker works howstuffworks. What are the best joker quotes from the comic books. The complete history of the joker, from comic books to the. Joker comics simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The joker 2008 digital gn books graphic novels comics. Lets explore the joker evolution in film, tv, and comic book form to. His father was a theoretical physicist who worked with einstein, his. He was created by bob kane, bill finger and jerry robinson. Serving as a villain and often a nemesis for batman across stories set in gotham city, the dc comics legend has never been. An agent of chaos known for his malicious plots, wacky gadgets and insidious smile, he has caused batman more suffering than any other. Panels and covers that still exist can be of a collectible quality making them nice additions to a comic book art collection. Kane and robinson claimed responsibility for the jokers design, but.
Although it only lasted nine issues, the series is distinctive in that the eponymous title character the joker is the first classic batman villain to receive his own ongoing series. When a new criminal breaks twoface out of arkham asylum, claiming that he has need of a truly master criminal, the joker is incensed. In the early days of comic book publishing, famous artists would pencil the many panels of a comic title. Oswald cobblepot is never addressed by his real name or his criminal identity, the penguin. The end game was okish, some people talk about it like its the best batman vs joker story but its not.
The joker is a supervillain and the archenemy of batman. Hes a genuine psychopath, whose unpredictability is his strongest weapon. Oct 26, 2017 the joker has been batmans arch nemesis since his first appearance. Chillingly cruel and criminally insane, he still isnt so outre that he couldnt conceivably exist in a noncomicbook world. The clown prince of crime dc, 20 series 20 in the joker. Did the movies make him a part of us, or did the comic books seal the deal.
The joker is a comic book supervillain owned by dc comics, who primarily appears as a member of batmans rogues gallery. Why are we so enthralled by someone who appears to be so lost to the rest of us. The panels would then go to the inker and colorist for painting and completion. The 15 craziest comic versions of the joker screenrant. The joker first appeared in gotham city around the same time that the batman arrived. Mar 10, 2020 considered the first joker story to eschew the campiness of the 1966 batman tv series, denny oneil and neal adamss joker s fiveway revenge is a tale about joker attempting to do away with a. I like the idea of dc producing original graphic novels using elements of their superhero universe. The many joker origin stories told throughout comic history. Just as joker s origin story has never been fully explained throughout the history of dc comics, his real origin is similarly. The second adversary to receive his own title was manbat, however his series only lasted two issues before cancellation in early 1976. The animated series is one of the greatest shows of all time. This terrific collection, compiled by comic book historian mike conroy, serves as a fine companion volume to his recently published 500 great comic book action heroes, also available from barrons.
The complete history of the joker, from comic books to the big. The jokers child the last comic book store on earth. Some like their joker with a bit of an edge jack nicholson. Whether by way of awardwinning films like the dark knight, emmywinning animated programs like batman. Some of jokers greatest lines came from alan moores oneshot, batman. The joker, clown prince of crime, is batmans archnemesis. Some fans like a more clownish, punny joker cesar romero. Dennis oneil, who wrote the first issue of the series, recounted that i stopped by julie schwartz, batman editor s office, and he said, were going to do a joker book. Readers will also find a handy index and a bibliography. After going through a traditional actor training josh knew there was more. The bronze age omnibus dc, 2019 series 2019 indexer notes.
Initially portrayed as a violent sociopath who murders people for his own amusement, the joker later in the 1940s. The joker has been mysteriously released from arkham asylum, and hes none too happy about whats happened to his gotham city rackets while hes been away. A doctor examined the joker and said hes going to live. Soon, the clown prince of crime stages his own breakout and tracks down twoface, determined to show just who gothams numberone. The comic that explains where joker went wrong the atlantic.
The joker, played by heath ledger, made his return to the big screen in the dark knight in summer 2008. Kane and robinson claimed responsibility for the jokers design while acknowledging fingers writing contribution. The complete history of the jokers many, many incarnations. The joker lasted only 9 issues, focused on the rollicking rogues various misadventures and criminal endeavors. In the world of superheroes, everyone has an origin story, but the joker has resisted almost every attempt to give him a real backstory. I had so much trouble with this one i might just have to stick to the bigger books. Scott snyder crafted an exciting new origin for batman in zero year and now the talented dc comics writer is tackling an origin story for the dark knights greatest adversary, the joker. Each issue saw the joker face not only heroes but fellow villains as well. Considered the first joker story to eschew the campiness of the 1966 batman tv series, denny oneil and neal adamss jokers fiveway revenge is a. Credits for pencils and inks confirmed from julius schwartzs editorial records, provided by dc comics. Usually, people assume that even the best cartoons couldnt match great liveaction tv series, but btas deserves to be up there with stuff like deadwood and breaking bad and the leftovers. Kane and robinson claimed responsibility for the joker s design while acknowledging fingers writing contribution. Joker only ever refers to him as abner as a sign of disrespect.
For the first few decades of his existence in the world of comic books, the joker wasnt a particularly tragic character. The joker has not been the most prominent villain during the first couple of years of rebirth comics, but he has not been entirely absent either. Just as jokers origin story has never been fully explained throughout the history of. Apr 26, 2015 however, its still a question of which comic book joker he resembles. The animated series, video game appearances such as the recordbreaking batman. Mar 28, 2016 some of joker s greatest lines came from alan moores oneshot, batman. This page is about the original comic book character. My main goal was to undo the comic tropes while changing gotham from a comic book city into a real citya city dealing with everything from black lives matter to the growing wage gap, murphy told wired in an interview announcing the series. What follows is a harrowing night of revenge, murder and manic crime as only the joker can deliver it, as he brutally takes back his stolen assets from the penguin, the riddler, twoface. The joker, comicbook villain created for dc comics in 1940 by writer bill finger and illustrator bob kane. The softening of the joker would be fully completed in the mid 50s with the introduction of the comics code authority, banning gore and excessive violence in comic books. Jack napier, youll remember, is the same name of the man who eventually becomes the joker in tim burtons batman from 1989, meaning that in a way, weve known the jokers true identity. As with comicbook versions of the joker, this ones an unreliable.
It ran nine issues from mayjune 1975 to septemberoctober 1976. The joker is a comic book series published by dc comics starring the supervillain the joker. The joker comic read the joker comic online in high quality. Dennis oneil, who wrote the first issue of the series, recounted that i stopped by julie schwartz, batman editors office, and he said, were going. This book is a complete history of the greatest comic book villain of all time. Joker was an ongoing comic book series published from 1975 until 1976. But rather than write a comic about the wage gap, i gave those ideas to the joker, who leads a.
The joker is a supervillain created by bill finger, bob kane, and jerry robinson who first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book batman april 25, 1940, published by dc comics. Azzarellos joker hews closely to heath ledgers portrayal in the film the dark knight. The joker tried to stab batman and stabbed himself by accident. The first involved skinning a man alive because he got on the jokers. The joker is noted for his clownlike appearance and sick humor and is the archnemesis of batman. We finally know the jokers real name and its fantastic. This tragic silent film clown served as a clear template for the later comic book villain. However, its still a question of which comic book joker he resembles. His father was a theoretical physicist who worked with einstein, his mother a poet and painter. Eleven years after the jokers first appearance, batman is. In the 2007 lovers and madmen arc of the comic batman confidential, the joker is a former mob hitman named jack, although a last name isnt given. If one forgets the tattoos, jareds joker partially looks like one from the killing joke oneshot graphic novel and partially as the said villain from batman. But long before the joker was mixing it up in bigbudget summer movies, he was making batmans life miserable in the monthly titles of dc comics batman and detective comics series. Forget about the fantabulous emancipation, its the monday update for wednesday 212.