Wednesday, September 2, 2020

The Joker Infinitum

Last week I ventured out from the Fortress of Ineptitude to visit the best comic shop in the world, Acme Comics of Greensboro. 

Among about 2 months worth of comics were a shit ton of the Joker. 

In the main Batman title, writer James Tynion IV is spinning a narrative web of what happens when the Joker gets his hands on the Batman's best toys. And that includes the money. 

As Punchline informs the Joker, "You're now worth 100 billion dollars!" 

Uh oh. 

Long have fans speculated if the Joker knows who Batman is under that mask. In Scott Snyder's run, we learn that the Joker has gotten closer to the Batman's secrets than anyone may have previously suspected. 

And given the Joker's raging obsession with the Batman, it's hard to imagine that the Joker's insidiously evil intellect could not peel back the mask and find out what's underneath. The only thing that may have held the Joker back from that information is that he doesn't need it. As far as he's concerned, the Batman is the Batman. The face under the mask is not part of the Joker's twisted relationship with the Batman. 

But even if the Joker doesn't want to know or need to know who Batman is, is it possible he still does know.  

In Tynion's "Joker War", that question is answered. 

The Joker knows EVERYTHING!   




The Joker knows about the Monarch Theater. He knows about the alley way behind the Monarch where Thomas and Martha Wayne breathed their last, their blood staining the Gotham concrete. The Joker knows of the little boy left behind and that boy's journey to becoming the Batman. 

The Joker's information on Batman provides the level of intimacy that befits a man who is at once his greatest enemy and in many ways his greatest passion. 

The Joker's information includes the ultimate keys to the Batman's kingdom, the almost incalculable wealth of Bruce Wayne that funds the Batman's war, his mission. 

The Joker was already dangerous. Now this is a Joker with an almost limitless bank account to pay off police and politicians to look the other way from the psycho murder clown. 

This is not the Joker working out of some abandoned amusement park somewhere. The Joker's billions give enable him to make all of Gotham City his amusement park and all designed for one purpose: to make the Batman's life a living hell. 

James Tynion IV is crafting a sprawling, fast paced epic here with an ultimate expression of the Joker with zero limitations. Tynion makes use of an expansive cast including Catwoman, Harley Quinn, the Riddler, the Penguin and more.  

Unfortunately Tynion's Joker epic is competing with another Joker epic. 

If "Joker War" is about the Joker knowing more about his caped nemesis, what about the question from the other direction: what does Batman know about the Joker. 

This is where "Three Jokers" come in. 

A little background: many, many, many, many moons ago in the pages of Justice League by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok, the Batman is using the Moebius Chair that belongs to Metron of the New Gods, a chair with access to all knowledge. Among Batman's questions to the chair includes "Who is the Joker?" 

The chair tells Batman there is no THE Joker. There are THREE Jokers. 

Nearly 4 years later, Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok are finally ready with their long promised, oft delayed "Three Jokers".  

There's a murder in Gotham City, sick and twisted, clearly the work of the Joker.

Meanwhile at the exact same time, there's another murder in Gotham City, sick and twisted, clearly the work of the Joker. Except even the Joker can't be in two places at once.

But meanwhile and also at the exact same time, there's yet a 3rd murder in Gotham City, sick and twisted, clearly the work of the Joker. What the hell is going on? How can the Joker be in three places at the exact same time? 

Batman is on the case along with Batgirl and Red Hood. 

Batman's associates are still working through the trauma of violent assaults by the Joker. Barbara Gordon was shot, paralyzed and molested by the Joker. Jason Todd, the second Robin, was beaten to death with a crowbar by the Joker. Through fantastic means of science and mysticism, both have physically recovered but the mental scars run deep and still hurt. 

And now this? The Joker is back and killing people in three separate places at the same time? Imposters? 

Or are there three Jokers? 

The answer is there are three Jokers. We get a scene where the three psycho murder clowns meet up to plan their next move.  




Geoff John's script is well done, effectively mixing the darkness we expect from a Batman story when the Joker is on the loose with a story that is almost fun in it's basic structure. A super villain has struck, the police are out matched, Batman is called in and he too finds the already extraordinary circumstances of the crime are further complicated. 

Jason Fabok's art perfectly brings this story to life with clear defined pencil work offset with mood enhancing shadows. Colorist Brad Anderson brings a perfect palette of colors to the work.

Both "Joker War" and "Three Jokers" are excellent Batman Vs. the Joker epics, It's just a shame they both have to be coming out at the same time. As DC's most popular super villain, the Joker risks over exposure and having two such high profile projects out at the same time does nothing to solve that problem. 

The bad news is we maybe have to much Joker, a Joker Infinitum if you will. 

The good news is that these competing Joker epics are quite good and worth reading.  




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