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The Joker: A Visual History of the Clown Prince of Crime

Published Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:00:10 -0500

Greg Baldino writes for Bleeding Cool

Real life heroes (you know, firemen, EMTs, Detroit Public School teachers, and possibly Julian Assange depending on your politics) are defined by their actions, but super heroes are defined by their villains. It makes sense, after all with amazing abilities and powers you could work towards a greater good for everyone or give in to your own selfish desires:

"Hm, should I use my newfound tireless strength to build hospitals in third world countries, or pay off my student loans with one quick bank robbery?"*

*Although really, if you're still planning on paying that off instead of just ignoring it completely you're not quite a full-tilt villain. You think Lex Luthor gives a fig about the capital gains tax?

If you're Batman, no villain defines you more than the Joker. Heck, more than half the time he straight up eclipses the caped crusader as the star of the show, and who else can claim that? So it's no surprise then that the Clown Prince of Crime gets his own This Is Your Life treatment with The Joker: A Visual History of the Clown Prince of Crime by Daniel Wallace, a full color art book exploring the life and crimes of the popular mass-murdering sociopath in all of fiction (take THAT Hannibal Lector!)

The book opens with an introduction by one of the many mortal actors who have stepped behind the grin for popular entertainment: Mark Hamill, the voice of the Joker on the acclaimed Batman : The Animated Series. "Actors wait all their lives for dialogue that rich, a character that complex and profoundly diabolical."

The pale-faced killer is indeed complex, and from Wallace exploration of Mister J's world you get the feeling that what makes him so is his complete and utter lack of explanation. Even the origins of the characters creation are shown to be a maze of maybes and perhaps. Was his grinning rictus taken from actor Conrad Veidt in the film "The Man Who Laughs?" A Coney Island sign? An actual joker from a deck of cards? Who knows? We didn't have comic book journalism and promotional interviews back then in the thirties. Through page after page of full color and black-and-white art spanning his murderous mirth, the Joker has as many sides to him as a bowl of spaghetti. Flip through the book– Aha, there's the Joker stealing a child's mud-pie on the beach. Flip again– Aha, there's the Joker beating Robin to death with a crowbar. Flip– he's driving around in a car manufactured to look like his face! Flip– He's… the Iranian ambassador to the United nations?

…

Oh like it's the WEIRDEST thing that's ever been done with him.

In addition to exploring the shifting fictions that struggle to contain him, Joker also pays tribute to the creators who had major influence on the character's evolution. Nothing too surprigins: Bob Kane and Bill Finger, of course; Morrison, Miller, and Moore (oh my!) It would have been nice to see some of the creators who worked on the Joker during his lighter silver age years, but the book still covers the main points.

Most importantly the book is chock full of a range of artwork, from the Golden Age to the Digital Age, including photos and stills from the various films and TV series as well as some pre-production art. it's a visual collection that is honestly more interesting than a book on the Dark Knight would be. More often than not, Batman gets reduced to the suit, where as the nimble-limbed prankster of pain is truly a distinct man, changing with the times but never losing his distinction. Out of all of the talent to play with him, Morrison seems to have come up with the most inclusive take; his idea that the Joker reinvents himself constantly is a clever way to harmonize his stories, whether he's embarrassing the Mayor or crippling and violating a librarian. Heh.

In addition to his evolution in the comics, the book also charts his many appearances in television and movies. The book includes such delights as early sketch ideas for Heath Ledger's Dark Knight costume, animation art from his various animated incarnations, and Ceasar Romero's refusal to shave his mustache for the 1960s series. snrk!

Daniel Wallace has assembled an entertaining look at one of comics most enduring and mind-rattling characters who really puts the ha-ha in homicide, heh heh. You've got to admit, lots of comedians say their act killed, but the Joker's the only who's not joking, hahaha! I'm not saying he's an insane killer, but what kind of man keeps a chainsaw in the cutlery drawer, you know? Pfft! Ha hah! And the– heheh– the Joker Venom, right? You– ha ha– you know what the gag is r–ha ha– r-right? With the- Ha, Haha, HA HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH—-*

The Joker: A Visual History of the Clown Prince of Crime, by Daniel Wallace, is available as a 208 page hardcover published by Universe for $50 and in a paperback edition for $35

Greg Baldino writes for a variety of publications on a variety of things, usually books. If you thought his Joker Venom gag towards the end was annoying and dumb, you're probably a Riddler fan, aren't you?

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