Joker

Damn you comic book industry, this graphic novel would have been an excellent one had it not been for the problematic use of it's female characters.

The art is beautiful. Solid lines, brilliant compositions, incredibly good coloring with a variety of tones to match each mood, immersive atmosphere, excellent pacing, skillful alternating between more and less detailed/realistic faces, aesthetically cohesive work of art.

The main characters are well constructed, three dimensional, believable and interesting and so are their conversations. It's true that the point of view is a much used one, especially in film and comics, where a rookie follows and obeys a much revered mysterious character who, for some reason, trusts him as his go-to guy. show more But the story is gory, creepy, interesting and full of excitement and by Cthulhu this is one of the best Jokers I have ever read or seen.

Spoiler Alert!



The main and biggest problem of this GN is Harley Quinn, or to be precise, her portrayal. We first see Harley, whose backstory in the DCU is that she was Joker's psychiatrist, in a strip club, dressed as a stripper, where *shocker* she strips....in order to distract some of Joker's unfaithful ex-partners in crime. The next time we see her she is in her underwear holding and comforting a crying Joker. She then poses while holding a gun in some later action sequence, dresses as a gorilla and then is attacked in her house by Batman while wearing a revealing outfit were underboob is shown.



It is highly important to note that she NEVER, not even ONCE, speaks in this comic. She doesn't even say "Ok" or "Ah" or even nod.
I repeat:
In "Joker" Harley Quinn, who is a former psychiatrist, doubles as a stripper and never says a word for the entire duration of this graphic novel.



This is highly problematic because while she remains mute, her body is used in more than 3 occasions to "grace" a page, so that the reader can enjoy her beautiful almost naked female body. A mute who never speaks, or has an opinion, but simply obeys, follows, loves and protects like both a mother and a lover the Joker. And this is not because this is her main character trait or her gimmick. In the other comics she talks, she has an opinion, she agrees, she argues, she laughs, she frowns, she cries, she shows emotions. Here she only exists to give emotional depth to Joker and provide mild sexual fan-service.



She could have easily been missing from this novel, or better yet take the narrator's place, or AT LEAST interact with the narrator, or well SOMEONE. All of Joker's minions and enemies and subordinates have at least a speech bubble, Harley has none because she is not written as a character, she is not made of flesh and bones. She is Joker's sweet comfort and permanent ally, his cry-pillow, one of his feel-good pills, I don't know, but whatever she is, she most definitely is not a person.



Let us not forget that there is only ONE other female character in the GN, the narrator's ex-wife, who is abducted by Two-Face. Yes, the only woman that talks in this comic is damseled and abducted. Could it be a coincidence?

It's a story about men, written by men and for men and apparently for these men women are either objects to be looked at, or objects to be rescued. Fuck you comics industry for continually excluding me and representing me as a thing. And double fuck you 'cause despite of this I still enjoyed this comic. Maybe this is why I'm so pissed. This could easily have been on my comic top 30 had it not been for the obvious sexism.

Bermejo had the following to say on his particular take on Harley:

"Visually, I threw her in a vinyl outfit and made her look as much like a junkie as possible. Harley Quinn is like a stripper to me. I don't want to know her name, I don't want to hear about her life, and I sure as hell don't want her to talk. Just dance, baby..."

Well it's good to know that his intention to portray her as an object is not our misinterpretation. He is sexist and is not afraid to show it. Awesome...



This quote is important because it's important to know and understand that it is not by chance that women in comics are portrayed the way they are. It is not a random occurrence that female characters are sexualized, it's because they are often thought of as objects. We don't see them as humans, we see them as beautiful things and to show a semi naked young and thin female body is a sure way to beautify a spread. And what is one to do with beautiful things? Look at them, own them, protect or discard them, pretty much like they way they were handled here.



The really sad part is that more often than not, this is the conscious choice of the creators and even if/when they try to justify it as an exception for that particular character, or a facilitation to the main plot, the fact remains that the portrayal of such characters in this and similar ways is treading on a thin line from plain old sexism to misogyny.

So please comics industry, what say you? Can we please see all women written as people and written with the respect each human being, even fictional ones, deserve? Pretty please? show less

The premise is fairly straightforward: Upon a rather questionable release from Arkham, the Joker wishes to get his 'sandbox' back, having lost the stranglehold he once had on the city to the other crime bosses while he was locked away. Although it's hardly Shakespearean, Joker certainly has the trademarks of a tragedy, not only because of the never ending psychosis the title character is trapped in, but also because our narrator Jonny Frost is doomed from the outset, telling his tale flashback style whilst on the verge of death. A sort of unintentional riff on Double Indemnity, perhaps? Jonny has been criticized for being too dull or uninteresting to be the narrator for this story, but that's the whole point - he's meant to be boring. show more At least boring in comparison to the supervillains or Batman. He's a flawed man, not always in possession of the proverbial heart of gold, but poor Jonny Frost is the only character in this melee we can sympathize with.

Still, it's the Joker we all want to read about here. Azzarello's vision of the Joker is a clear nod to Heath Ledger's take on the part, both in visuals and characterization. He still has the same Johnny Rotten manic intensity we saw in The Dark Knight, although the character seems a bit more learned and haunted this time around; he's clearly been around the block a few times in the clown makeup and purple suit. One possibly controversial panel sees the Joker weeping in the lap of his girlfriend Harley behind closed doors, another sees him downing half a dozen pill bottles in one go. This man has no fear of death, although it's never quite clear whether or not he actually has a death wish (he plays Russian roulette with himself at one point, but then again he seems to be having too much fun blowing shit up to want to die). If it weren't for Mr. Azzarello's well-known disdain for the heroes, I'd say he was making his petition to be one of the screenwriters for the third Bat-film through this graphic novel.

Indeed, the whole novel seems to take place in the same pseudo-realistic Gotham that Christopher Nolan has created for his film series. One of the most satisfying elements of Joker is witnessing Azzarello's re-imagined supervillains. He tones down the Penguin somewhat, turning him into a crooked embezzling accountant, the Joker's main numbers guy. Two-Face no longer wears outlandish double-sided suits, although have no fear, he's just as deranged as ever. The Riddler has been altered dramatically, morphing into a tattooed cripple who rides around with a band of hired heavies in custom BMW's. It's so weird seeing Nigma like that, but somehow it works for this book.

The most startling alteration to a character is Killer Croc, the Joker's top muscle in this story. Azzarello turns the sometimes silly crocodile man into a roided up gangbanger with scaly skin, possibly from a burn accident (thus giving him the nickname 'Croc'), or maybe it's just a really nasty skin disease? Either way, this version of the character could easily work in a Nolan film as a secondary villain - he would certainly provide a real physical challenge to Bats, that's for damn sure. It's also wonderfully disturbing when Croc's... um... 'unique' way of getting rid of evidence is revealed to us.

The Batman is a silent watcher, venturing out of the shadows for only a cameo at the climax, and the lone police officer here is on the take, working for one of the other criminal elements in the city. There is virtually nothing to protect Gotham from the murder and mayhem the Joker's presence triggers. It's a book filled with violence, certainly (illustrator Lee Bermejo has one panel where an unfortunate associate of the Joker's has been flayed alive), but Joker never descends to the purely gratuitous Frank Miller/Garth Ennis levels of torture porn that seem so popular these days. Sometimes it's a lot more effective to force the readers to use their imaginations than to simply show everything.

Comparisons with Alan Moore's The Killing Joke are almost mandatory, I'm afraid. Azzarello's Joker is somewhat similar in tone to Moore's masterpiece, but it presents the story from a completely different perspective. Whereas The Killing Joke was a glimpse into the mania of the Joker through the eyes of Batman and Gordon, Joker is an up-close-and-personal take on the day to day life of the Clown Prince of Gotham, told by a more mundane, sympathetic character. Perhaps, in the grand scheme of the comic book landscape, Joker will not be heralded as a big game changer like The Killing Joke was, but it's still a fine work for fans of the character, and certainly the best Joker tale in a long, long time. show less

Brian Azzarello portrays the Joker as a drug abusing schizophrenic crime boss in this organized crime inspired stand-alone tale.
The over-arching plot is fairly mundane. Freshly released from Arkham Asylum the Joker sets out to reestablish his alpha criminal status amongst the rogues gallery of Gotham City. What makes this story truly compelling is that it is largely told through the character of Johnny Frost, a hired lackey and small time criminal that acts as the Joker's chauffeur.
Additionally, Azzarello and Bermejo's reinterpretation of classic Gotham villains such as Killer Croc, Two-Face, the Penguin, and the Riddler compliment the gritty crime-noir tone of the story. The villains unique pathologies are preserved and even more show more disturbing in Azzarellos more mundane depiction of Gotham City. Gone are the brightly colored outlandish outfits and comical gags and gadgets. What you get in this story are characters depicted as regular people with serious mental disorders that place them in the ranks of the criminally insane. show less

As a Joker fan, I loved it.
But not only as a Joker fan. I believe others not familiar would enjoy it regardless, but it was written for those who already have knowledge of the Crime Prince. It's directed to a knowing audience.

The artwork is amazing: terrifying and disturbing, but still unbelievably beautiful. The city lights, the warm colors, the detail. It fits the mood and overall theme of the story perfectly. This is a snapshot into the Joker's existence, it is a quick flash into his life, like a crack of lightning that illuminates the dark -- momentarily, and the images you see haunt you still in the resuming darkness.

One of his newly recruited lackeys acts as guide. And he is there only to guide. In all honesty, it is why I give show more it 4 and not 5 stars, because I felt the man whose suit you wear and eyes you use to see the Joker is not as developed -- frankly I don't care that much about him. He's a nobody. Although I can't help but think that in this approach, the focus then remains on Joker, this force of nature that stands taller than everybody else, overshadows everybody else. In the end, who cares about Johnny? There is nothing outside the circle within which Joker and Batman dance.

Batman makes only one appearance towards the end, but his presence is felt nonetheless. His shadow falls over everything and the gravitational pull between the two characters is hard to miss. Some liked it, some complained. I think it works.

Great ending is all I can say :) show less

Not my favorite story - but the illustrations in this comic wowed the crap out of me. Dark, gritty, and impossible beautiful. To everyone's surprise the Joker has been released from Arkham Asylum and shit in Gotham is about to get dark. The Joker is none to pleased to learn that his turf has been taken over and his assets claimed so he wastes no time in setting his city back to the way it should rightfully be. He shakes down Killer Croc, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Two-Face and takes absolute delight in putting everyone back in their place. The Joker's insanity is his calling card and to him there is a method to his madness. Dark and gritty; but not my favorite.

My first experience with Batman was through the 1966 series as I was growing up in the 80s. I remember watching it and finding it hilarious.

Holy atomic pile, Batman!

Then as I got older I watched Batman with Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney (Keaton was my nr 1 Batman and still is) and Jack Nicholson was a mad and fun Joker. Then came Christian Bale and with him Hedge Ledger as the Joker and his Joker was a mess, a great mess but very much far away from the Joker of my childhood. And Joker in this graphic novel is very much a dangerous, psychopathic mess just as Joker is in The Dark Knight.

Somehow Joker is released from Arkham Asylum, which is very weird since he is clearly crazy and should be looked up… for good! But show more he’s back in the street. This story is told through the eyes of Jonny Frost, he’s the guy that picks up the Joker outside the Asylum and he will follow Joker around as he is trying to establish Gotham as his city again. Many famous people will cross path with the Joker and Jonny; The Penguin, Two-face, Harley Quinn, The Riddler, The Croc… and, of course, Batman.

The Joker is very dark, gritty and violent. It’s not a fun read, The Joker is clearly out of his mind and anyone standing in his way will get hurt and those by his side… well they will get hurt too. I liked the artwork. I liked how he crossed path with other villains and how it slowly led the way to the final confrontation with you know who... show less

My first experience with Batman was through the 1966 series as I was growing up in the 80s. I remember watching it and finding it hilarious.


Holy atomic pile, Batman!

Then as I got older I watched Batman with Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney (Keaton was my nr 1 Batman and still is) and Jack Nicholson was a mad and fun Joker. Then came  Christian Bale and with him Hedge Ledger as the Joker and his Joker was a mess, a great mess but very much far away from the Joker of my childhood. And Joker in this graphic novel is very much a dangerous, psychopathic mess just as Joker is in The Dark Knight.

Somehow Joker is released from Arkham Asylum, which is very weird since he is clearly crazy and should be looked up… for good! But show more he’s back in the street. This story is told through the eyes of Jonny Frost, he’s the guy that picks up the Joker outside the Asylum and he will follow Joker around as he is trying to establish Gotham as his city again. Many famous people will cross path with the Joker and Jonny; The Penguin, Two-face, Harley Quinn, The Riddler, The Croc… and, of course, Batman.



The Joker is very dark, gritty and violent. It’s not a fun read, The Joker is clearly out of his mind and anyone standing in his way will get hurt and those by his side… well they will get hurt too. I liked the artwork. I liked how he crossed path with other villains and how it slowly led the way to the final confrontation with you know who... show less