The Joker: The Clown Prince of Crime


By Dennis O’Neil, Elliot S! Maggin, Martin Pasko, Irv Novick, Dick Giordano, José Luis García-López, Ernie Chan, Vince Colletta, Tex Blaisdell, Frank McLaughlin & various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-4012-4258-9

An old adage says that you can judge a person by the calibre of their enemies, and that’s never been more ably demonstrated than in the case of the Batman. Moreover, for most of his decades-long existence, but most especially since the 1970s, the position of paramount antagonist has been indisputably filled by the Clown Prince of Crime known only as The Joker.

During the late 1960s superheroes experienced a rapid decline in popularity – possibly in reaction to the mass-media’s crass and crushing over-exposure – and the Batman titles sought to escape their zany, “camp” image by methodically re-branding the character and returning to the original 1930s concept of a grim, driven Dark Avenger.

Such a hero demanded far deadlier villains and with one breakthrough tale Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams & Dick Giordano reinstated the psychotic, diabolically unpredictable Killer Clown who scared the short pants off readers of the Golden Age Dark Knight.

‘The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge’ from Batman #251 (September 1973) was a genuine classic which totally redefined The Joker for my generation (and every one since) as the Mirthful Madcap became an unpredictable utterly ruthless psychotic exponent of visceral Grand Guignol. Terrifying and beautiful, for many fans this was the definitive Joker story…

Within a year and a half of that breakthrough revision the Harlequin of Hate was awarded his own series. Titles starring villains were exceedingly rare and provided quite a few problems for writers and editors still labouring under the edicts of the Comics Code Authority.

The outré experiment ended after 9 issues (spanning May 1975 to October 1976) having utilised some of the most talented creators in DC’s employ and remained a peculiar historical oddity for decades. Now, in these less doctrinaire times those strange tales of the Smirking Slaughterman have a fairer shot at finding an appreciative audience through this full-colour trade paperback collection.

The murderous merriment commences with ‘The Joker’s Double Jeopardy!’; wherein fellow Arkham inmate Two-Face arrogantly escapes, pinking the Felonious Funnyman’s pride and compelling the giggling ghoul to similarly break out and prove he’s the greater criminal maniac. Their extended, excessive duel of wits and body-counts only lands them both back inside…

The “revolving door” security at Arkham eventually leads to the firing of much-harassed guards Marvin Fargo and Benny Khiss in ‘The Sad Saga of Willie the Weeper!’ However, as the again-at-liberty Lethal Loon attempts to bolster the confidence of a lachrymose minor-league larcenist (for his own felonious purposes, naturally), the defrocked jailers determine to restore their honour and fortunes and – astoundingly – succeed…

‘The Last Ha Ha’ came from The Joker # 3 (written by O’Neil with art from Ernie Chan/Chua & José Luis García-López) wherein a burglary and kidnapping of superstar cartoonist Sandy Saturn by a green-haired, cackling crazy leads the cops to the ludicrous conclusion that The Creeper is the culprit. Cue lots of eerie chortling, mistaken identity shenanigans and explosive action…

The ethical dilemma of having a star who is arguably the world’s worst villain is further explored in ‘A Gold Star for the Joker!’ (Elliot S! Maggin, García-López & Vince Colletta) wherein the Perfidious Pagliacci inexplicably develops a crush on Black Canary‘s alter-ego Dinah Lance and resolves to possess her or kill her.

Typically, even though she’s perfectly capable of saving herself, Dinah’s current beau Green Arrow is also the possessive – and aggressive – sort…

‘The Joker Goes Wilde!’ (Martin Pasko, Irv Novick & Tex Blaisdell) finds the Clown Prince in a bombastic contest with similarly playing-card themed super-thugs the Royal Flush Gang to secure a lost masterpiece, but even as he’s winning that weird war the Harlequin of Hate is already after a hidden prize…

More force of nature than mortal miscreant, the Pallid Punchinello meets his match after assaulting actor Clive Sigerson in #6. Famed for stage portrayals of a certain literary detective, Sigerson sustains a nasty blow to the head which befuddles his wits and soon ‘Sherlock Stalks the Joker!’ (O’Neil, Novick & Blaisdell); foiling a flood of crazy schemes and apprehending the maniac before his concussion is cured…

We learn a few surprising facts about the Clown Prince of Carnage after he steals the calm, logical intellect of Earth’s most brilliant evil scientist. Naturally the psychic transference in ‘Luthor… You’re Driving Me Sane!’ (Maggin, Novick & Frank McLaughlin) is two-way and, whilst the newly cognizant Clown becomes ineffably intelligent, Lex Luthor is now a risk-taking maniac determined to have fun no matter who dies…

The Joker # 8 featured a clash with Gotham’s Master of Terror as ‘The Scarecrow’s Fearsome Face-Off!’ (Maggin, Novick & Blaisdell) found the two scariest men in town stealing each other’s thunder whilst vying for the top-spot, before the villainous vignettes in this captivating chronicle conclude with a claws-out clash as ‘The Cat and the Clown!’ (Maggin, Novick & Blaisdell) sees an aged comedian and his million-dollar kitty targeted by rival rogues Catwoman and the Joker.

Unhappily for the crooks they had both underestimated the grizzled guile of their octogenarian victim…

With covers by Dick Giordano, Chan and García-López this quirky oddment offers slick plotting, madcap larks and a lesser degree of murderous mayhem than modern fans might be used to, but also strong storytelling and stunning art to delight fans of traditional Fights ‘n’ Tights sagas.
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