Not counting the 60s TV series (which I don't even plan to watch), Batman's filmography dates back to 1989, when Tim Burton directed the film of the same name, which became the beginning of the "classic" Batman film series. In 2005, completely different people (Christopher Nolan in charge) launched a completely different series dedicated to this character. To date, two films from this series have been shot, and a third is in development. What is the difference between the style of the 90s and the style of the 00s?
First of all, the creators new series got rid of everything that might seem ridiculous. For example, from Robin. Batman was deprived of the opportunity to walk around in broad daylight, attend social events and participate in a trial as a witness (okay, no one thought of filming him paying a parking fine). Christopher Nolan turned a light comic book action film into a fantastic neo-noir thriller.
In the films of the nineties, there is a stronger sense of the division into separate scenes, there is more theatricalism in them. The version of the 2000s was filmed in one dominant mood; in a single rhythm, keeping the viewer in suspense throughout the entire picture. In general, the version of the 2000s was filmed to match the times, with more drive, drama and psychedelia. Every year the public craves more and more intense spectacles. By the way, the special effects for the film were done by the same studio that did them for The Matrix and Avatar, so rest assured: they are top notch.
Films from two decades are also distinguished by their attitude towards female roles . Previously, Batman dealt with sexy beauties who went to great lengths to attract the attention of a superhero now he is dealing with a smart, kind, but not very beautiful girl, for whom ideals are more important than any coolness. Why? Because it adds melodrama to the film and is more in line with reality.
Explainer. We used to be content with knowing that Batman was rich, in good shape, and had a lot of fantastic (theatrical) toys. He performed fantastic somersaults, which, of course, have nothing in common with real life. Probably, at the time Bob Kane created his character, people treated superheroes (guys in multi-colored leggings) quite adequately, but we are in the 21st century here and all this would look ridiculous. Nolan decided that everything in his film would be serious and thoughtful. Combat skill, costume, accoutrements, medical history - in a word, everything.
Basically, in Hollywood cinema there are three standard explanations for all sorts of fun things: secret CIA developments, aliens and oriental nonsense. There were no aliens here (this is not Superman), but everything else was used to the maximum. Instead of a Batmobile main character Now ride a high-speed tank. He won’t fly into space like before, but in general, the scenes with this thing were shot very beautifully and in an adult way. Well, the fact that he is our invincible warrior of Shambhala can be learned from the previous part.
Bruce Wayne. The role of Batman himself can be divided into two parts.
Frankly, when he's in a suit, the importance of acting is greatly reduced, and Nolan's films definitely benefit. His sudden appearances and movements became more realistic. In addition, he now jumps out not just anyhow, but from somewhere in the upper left corner, when you don’t expect him there at all. The staging of battles is more dynamic, in some places they are stylized to resemble gameplay computer games, in some places you just can’t make out a damn thing about who threw who where. Plus, Nolan has given us a little bonus: Batman can now speak in a growling voice!
Secondly, Bruce Wayne, the reclusive billionaire. Michael Keaton's performance did a good job of emphasizing his loneliness. He gives receptions, he is always elegant, he has excellent manners and all that but still there is a feeling of aloofness in his behavior. In subsequent films, it was apparently decided to get rid of this feature. In Kilmer's performance, Bruce Wayne became just a playboy, without any problems with socialization; played by George Clooney I don't even understand what the hell Clooney is doing there. Result: three different actors in four paintings diverging in style.
Nolan's films follow the same spirit, which creates a sense of continuity in the series. Christian Bale as Batman? Not bad, but nothing special.
Harvey Dent. In the film “The Dark Knight”, the main plot of the entire story is tied to this character (guess what?): the struggle between good and evil. Personally, I didn’t really like this character from either Lee Jones or Eckard. In the first case it is too absurd, in the second it is too insipid. Eckard has the appearance of a typical white collar criminal, so much for a district attorney.
Joker. In the two iterations of the Batman franchise, his main opponent is presented completely differently. In Burton's version, he is played by Jack Nicholson, and the Joker is a completely adequate bandit, inside of whom lives a hidden love of theatricality. But for the time being it does not make itself felt. Only after an incident at a chemical factory does an eccentric maniac awaken in him In addition, the general plot of the film is tied to the Joker - the death of Bruce's parents. The advantage of this version is that we can trace the transformation of street robber Jack Napier into that same Joker. In Nolan's film, things are completely different. We don't know anything about his past, we don't know his real name. Here he is not just a criminal with an aesthetic bias, but a complete psychopath and sadist. Fame, money, and other base values do not interest him. He does all his dirty tricks for the sake of some rotten adrenaline, just to enjoy the agony of all living things. Nolan reduced the style and aesthetics of this character, but endowed him with an extraordinary talent for planning, just like the Grand Master of the Grand Orient Lodge. If Nicholson's character has a certain charm, then this Joker sometimes makes you feel sick, he is so unpleasant, with all his smacking and wheezing. It evokes a genuine feeling of disgust. Heath Ledger won an Oscar for this role, and I personally think it was completely deserved.
Result: Let's wait for the next part.
- Joker Gang
- Injustice League
- Society of Super Villains
- Super Villains Club
- Justice League Arkham
- Perverse sense of humor
- Crazy and brilliant intellect
- Cunning and deceit
- Extensive knowledge of poisons and explosives
- Immunity to certain chemicals (Laughter's own poison, Scarecrow's fear gas, Poison Ivy's pheromones, and others)
- Masterful skills with various weapons
- Leadership skills
- Endurance and hand-to-hand combat skills
- Escape Artist
- Agility and agility
- Increased reaction
- An excellent actor and master of impersonation
- Various gadgets stylized as clown props:
- flower spraying acid
- lethal hand electric shock
- shooting toy gun
- playing cards, razor sharp
- Poison of laughter
Later, the Joker got a partner - a girl named Harley Quinn, dressed in a harlequin costume and madly in love with a maniac. Also (according to an unconfirmed version) he had a pregnant wife, Jenny, who died in an accident, and the Joker sometimes worried about her.
New 52
The image of the Joker has undergone some changes in the version The New 52. For the first time here, a killer maniac appears in Detective Comics, where he is pursued by the entire Gotham police force. The character's appearance in the restarted universe has remained virtually unchanged. After another skirmish with Batman, the Joker is captured and taken to Arkham. In the clown's cell, a new villain, the Puppeteer, visits him. Dollmaker). He declares himself to be the Joker's biggest fan and then amputates the joker's face. When Harley Quinn hears rumors about the death of a maniac, she loses the last of her sanity and abandons the Suicide Squad to personally see the cut off face of her lover at the Gotham police station. Apparently she's counting on the opportunity to restore the Joker's face.
Film and television
Movies
"Batman" (1966)
The Joker's first appearance in a movie was the 1966 film "Batman", where he was slightly changed in terms of appearance: now he has a light-colored green hair combed into a “ball”, and a smile drawn bright red lipstick. His suit was made dark pink and his gloves were made purple; The Joker Mobile, a multi-colored van, also appears here. The villain's name and origin story are not revealed; It is also unclear whether he can get rid of his makeup, or whether this is the result of falling into acid. This Joker is more of a failed comedian than a criminal, and all his attacks are jokes, not serious villainies.
"Batman" (1989)
The tragic death of Heath Ledger raised two pressing questions at the film's release: whether to feature the recently deceased Heath Ledger as a disfigured, talking Joker catchphrase, as well as the wisdom of cutting the scene where the Joker plays dead from the final cut. This situation was resolved on the basis that Heath Ledger worked very hard on this role and in any case would have been proud and happy for it.
TV serials
Batman
The 1966-1968 television series is a continuation of the film of the same name. The role of the Joker continued to be played by Cesar Romero.
Predator birds
The Joker appears in one short cameo in the first series. However, the main villain of the series, Harley Quinn, often remembers her “Mr. Jay”, never stopping trying to avenge his death and trying to restore his criminal empire. The villain is Roger Stonebarner and is voiced by Mark Hamill, known for frequently voicing the Joker in animated films.
Animation
Cartoon series
- "The Adventures of Batman" (1968-1969)
- "The New Adventures of Batman" (1977)
- “Batman” (Batman: The Animated Series, 1992-1995) and “The New Batman Adventures” (The New Batman Adventures, 1997-1999) - The Joker is voiced by Mark Hamill
- “Batman Beyond” (Batman Beyond, 1999-2001) - the Joker does not appear directly, but references to him are made many times: numerous gangs of Jokers (Jokerz), in “Joyride” (season 2, episode 3) a cave with a skeleton in a suit is shown Joker.
- Justice League - episodes Injustice for All (2002) and Wild Cards (2003)
- "Static Shock" - episode of The Big Leagues (2002).
- "Batman" (The Batman, 2004-2008)
- "Young Justice" - episode Revelation (2011)
- "Batman: the Brave and the Bold, 2008-2011"
Animated films
- "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, 1993) - Mark Hamill will again voice the Joker.
- In the cartoon "Batman and Superman" (The Batman Superman Movie: World's Finest, 1998) he became Lex Luthor's partner. Batman also appeared there as an ally of Superman and his new lover Lois Lane.
- In the full-length animated film “Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker” (2000), the Joker appears in the world of the future after he is killed. long time was considered dead. And the Joker again wants to defeat Batman, but Bruce Wayne is already old, and his opponent is the student of the original Dark Knight. The villain is voiced by Mark Hamill.
- Short film "Batman: Modern Times" (Batman: New Times, 2005)
- In the cartoon "Batman vs. Dracula" (2005), the Joker became a vampire. He is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
- An alternate version of the Joker - the superhero Jester appears in the prologue of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)
- The Joker is one of the main villains in Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), voiced by John DiMaggio.
Video games
Other appearances
- In The Scooby Doo New Movies - episodes "The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair" and "The Caped Crusader Caper" (1972) - there was also a Penguin with whom the Joker teamed up. Batman and Robin were there too, as new friends of the Mystery Inc.
- In the animated series "The Super Power Team: Galactic Guardians" - episode "Wild Cards" (1985)
- In the animated series "Robot Chicken" - the Joker is parodied several times (season 4, episodes 9 "But Not in That Way" and 14 "President Hu Forbids It"; season 5, episode 9 "Catch Me If You Kangaroo Jack") - in the first and in the third he is voiced by Mark Hamill, in the second by Seth Green.
Fan films
Criticism and reviews
see also
Notes
| Batman | |
|---|---|
| Creators | Bob Kane · Bill Finger · Other Creators |
| Batman's Allies | Robin (Dick Grayson · Jason Todd · Tim Drake · Stephanie Brown · Damien Wayne) · Batgirl (Barbara Gordon · Helena Bertinelli · Cassandra Cain · Stephanie Brown) · Spoiler · Nightwing · Huntress · |
In this article from “Joker from A to Z”, I will try to compile full picture, describing the history and character of the main villain and the most sworn enemy of Batman - the Joker.
Name: The Joker. Real name unknown.
Also known as: Jack Napier, Jason Reipen, Johnny Trape, Joseph Kerr, Tromp Mercury, Johnny Jape, Slappy, Red Hood, Mr. Genesius, Sir Reginald Harlequin, J. Columbine, H. A. Laughlin, etc., etc.
Place of residence: Gotham city. He spends most of his time in the Arkham psychiatric hospital for criminals.
Occupation: Professional criminal.
Weight: 86 kg.
Height: 189 cm.
Eyes: Green.
Hair: Green.
All versions of the Joker
External signs: White skin; ruby lips, forever stretched into a wide smile; long nose, elongated chin.
Sexual orientation: Hetero. Claims that he was married and that his wife died in an accident. He sincerely rejoices when he has to deal with female opponents (which does not prevent him from treating them with no less cruelty than everyone else). He is partial to some of the inhabitants of “Arkham”, which, as a rule, terrifies them. Since the 90s, his constant girlfriend is Harley Quinn, a former Arkham psychiatrist who sacrificed her career and sanity for the Joker and became his obedient slave. He periodically throws her out of the window, but otherwise they have an almost perfect relationship.
Favorite clothes: Purple suit and hat, yellow vest, yellow or green shirt, white gloves.
Favorite food: Fish.
Favorite animal: Hyena.
Story: One terrible night, a gang of criminals, led by a man in a red cap, entered the Ace Chemical Processing Inc. factory to rob a card company that was located in the same building. Within minutes they were discovered and confronted by the police and a mysterious vigilante in a bat suit. All the bandits, except Red Hood, died from police bullets. The leader was able to find a way out hopeless situation: Jumping over the railing, he jumped into a vat of chemicals, flew through sewers and ended up in the river where Ace Chemical dumped its toxic waste. The criminal successfully escaped from pursuit and, having climbed ashore, took off his cap. It turned out that swimming in the poisoned liquid had left its traces: from the reflection in the river, a nightmarish clown face stared at the unfortunate man. Chalk white skin, hair the color of artificial grass and ruby lips stretched into a creepy toothy smile - that's what the unlucky robber saw. And from that moment he disappeared... his personality dissolved into madness.
NO ONE knows who this man was before this day. NOBODY, not even himself - in his inflamed brain the true and the imaginary, truth and lies, reality and fantasy were mixed. Was he a cold-blooded thug or an ordinary loser who risked breaking the law to get money for his family? One thing is certain: something bad happened before his visit to Ace Chemical, and the physical transformation was only the last straw for him. (This in no way justifies what that person THEN did.)
The silence of the night was broken by insane laughter: the disfigured criminal appreciated the joke that fate played on him. And I decided to joke back. “I look like an evil clown... Clown? Not a clown, but... JOKER!!!” And the reborn got down to business.
Very soon the newspapers called him nothing less than the Clown Prince of Crime. Operating with incredible ingenuity and ruthlessness, the madman has gained a reputation as the most dangerous creature in Gotham City. Robberies, mass murder, nuclear terrorism, alliances with other supervillains, as well as (brief) world domination and a near-end of the world - that's a long shot. full list the Joker's deeds. He even managed (I'm not kidding) to serve as the UN ambassador for Iran and serve time in a Soviet concentration camp.
The Joker commits his crimes in a special style. Bringing to life the phrase “die of laughter” became his life’s goal. He loves to turn his atrocities into sinister performances, accompanying absurdly cruel actions with buffoonery and clowning. His criminal plans are carefully thought out, but at the same time leave room for improvisation and include many different escape options.
Batman: What do you want from the city?
Joker: I want a new bike... I want to go to Florida... I want...
A scene from Tim Burton's Batman script that was not included in the film itself.
1989 film version: Jack Napier right hand mafia, always carries with him his lucky deck, and his favorite purple suit. But suddenly the mafia decides to get rid of him (Jack liked the leader’s girlfriend), and sets the police on him. Location of Axis Chemicals. Then, of course, Batman appears. And it's his fault that Jack falls into acid. his face becomes disfigured, his skin takes on a shade of blue. Even plastic surgery doesn't help. They tried to do everything in their power, but alas, now our Jack is doomed to wear a malicious smile on his face. When Jack looked at himself in the mirror after the operation, he lost all sanity. Now he has nothing to lose. Essentially, Jack died and, like a phoenix, was reborn from the ashes as a psychopathic killer. Oh yes… New life– new “business cards” (we need to maintain our image =)), and this is, of course, the Joker card. The weapon certainly looked like a clown prop. And before us appears the same Joker we know today.
Target of crimes: Potentially anyone and everyone. The Joker trusts no one and treats victims, enemies, allies, helpers and those who simply “passed by” with equal cruelty. He is a “wild card” in any human deck, an outcast in any company, not controlled by anyone and not subject to any influence. Those who consider him an ally tend to die first. Those who hire him for “dirty work” must be prepared for unpredictable results. His assistants better keep their mouths shut (“Learn not to ask stupid questions,” says the Joker, throwing one of his subordinates under the wheels of a passing car to the rest of the gang in one of the comics). Decent people...
Decent people have no place in this city. They are better off living somewhere else.
The Joker in Tim Burton's Batman.
The maniacal jester also has a circle of favorite victims. First of all, of course, Batman is the superhero of Gotham, the mysterious night avenger, the protector of the innocent. It was from him that the Red Hood ran away, jumping into chemical waste. But this is not about trivial revenge. In most of his comic and screen “incarnations,” the evil harlequin does not consider Batman to be the culprit of his misfortunes; he thinks that fate struck him by chance, and strikes back in exactly the same way - at random. But competing in cunning with the Man-Bat quickly became the very essence of the criminal clown's existence. He needs a worthy opponent on whom he can play deadly tricks, and constant defeats only stimulate him. The Joker always says that he will kill the Bat, that he hates the Knight of the Night, etc., but in reality everything is much more complicated - without an opponent, his life will lose meaning, because there will be no one to “play” with him.
Joker: Haven't you figured out why I haven't killed you yet?
Batman: No.
Joker: I've been meaning to tell you for a long time... eh-he-he-he-he... I LET you win. This is the game, you know? I make a mess, you catch me... If you win, I go back to Arkham, run away, and it all starts again. But if I win... BOOM! KAPUTT! Game over! And who needs it?
That is why the Joker, although he had many opportunities to put an end to the Black Avenger forever, always delayed the reprisal until last moment or gave a chance for salvation to his enemy. And he never took the chance to find out the true identity of the mysterious opponent. However, according to many fans, he recognized her a long time ago - it just doesn’t matter to him.
One of the inhabitants of “Arkham”: I say, let’s take off his mask. I want to see his real face.
Joker: Oh, don't be so predictable, for God's sake! THIS is his true face.
From the comic book “Asylum “Arkham”.
Next on the list are the Bat's allies. They are the ones in the greatest danger - the Joker only needs them as a way to hurt Batman. Then - policemen, lawyers, politicians - everyone who personifies law and order so hated by him (the more famous, the better - the mayor or the police commissioner, for example). Finally, the doctors treating the Joker in the Gotham psychiatric hospital “Arkham” - after another escape, he sometimes visits his doctors to communicate at home (of course, with a fatal outcome).
Causes and purposes of crimes: There is no reason as such. Everything the Joker does is for his own pleasure, experiencing psychotic ecstasy from his sociopathic deeds. His main goal is to prove to everyone that he is both the greatest comedian and the greatest criminal of all time. The Clown Prince of the Underworld is sure that he can achieve this in only one way - by defeating the Bat, and always with the help of some witty trick (a banal shot in the heart will not do in any case!). Of course, in many stories the villain pursues mercantile goals, but still money is not the main thing for him. He can rob a bank, and the next day buy 20 thousand “jacks in a box” for, to put it mildly, an obscure reason.
Strengths: The Joker has no superhuman abilities, no international criminal empire, no millions in a Swiss bank, not even very developed muscles. And yet, in the DCU (DC Universe - a universe that exists in the imagination of thousands of authors and artists working for the DC comics company), he is the most terrible and dangerous psychopath, striking fear into the hearts of much more powerful and physically strong villains. The Joker likes to say that his strength is madness, and this is true. He is ready to do anything in order to achieve his goals and realize his plans; dangers and even death do not frighten him (at least in many stories), although the instinct of self-preservation always kicks in at the right moment, saving the psycho from imminent death. His madness manifests itself in an uncontrollably frivolous attitude towards life and reality: he ridicules everything in his path and, having ridiculed it, destroys it. Therefore he is ready to laugh at mortal danger, and over a formidable enemy. Some comics directly state that the Joker is not very aware of what is going on both around him and in his own head (in films, this point is usually not emphasized).
Dr. Ruth Adams, psychiatrist at Arkham: The Joker is a special case. Some of us feel that he is beyond treatment. In fact, we're not even sure if he can be called insane... We're starting to think it's some kind of neurological disorder like Torett's syndrome. It is possible that what we are actually seeing here is a kind of super-sanity, a brilliant new modification of human thinking, more suitable for urban life in the late twentieth century. Unlike you and me, the Joker seems to have no control over the information he receives from his senses from the world around him. He can deal with this chaotic clutter at the entrance only by going with the flow. So on some days he is a mischievous clown, on others he is a psychopathic killer... He reinvents himself every day. He considers himself the ruler of chaos, and the world around him as a theater of the absurd.
Batman: Tell that to his victims.
From the comic book “Asylum “Arkham”.
However, without really delving into the essence of what is happening, the sinister jester navigates a dangerous situation much better than healthy people and knows how to turn the tide of a fight with a seemingly predetermined outcome: his sick brain always suggests unexpected and witty solutions. He has no equal in his ability to find weak spots their opponents and use their own weapons against them. Finally, the Clown Prince of Crime never cared about such nonsense as the fairness of the fight.
Madness gives him a number of other abilities. As you know, the physical strength of crazy people increases due to the adrenaline reaction of the body. The Joker has never studied martial arts or hand-to-hand combat and in a fight he has nothing special to boast about, but sometimes his insane rage gives him the strength to rush at the enemy like an animal and fight on equal terms even with Batman, an expert in all possible martial arts. In addition, the permanent phase shift gave the killer jester unusually agile nervous system: he is not affected by any psychotropic, intoxicating, etc. drugs (although they often later affect the doctors who give them), as well as the “fear gas” invented by a mad scientist nicknamed Scarecrow, and the botanical charms of the villainess Poison Ivy .
Over the years of his criminal life, the Joker has acquired a number of practical skills: he is a good shooter (his favorite tactic is to shoot at every living thing indiscriminately), has a good command of bladed weapons, is well versed in explosives and toxic substances, not to mention various cunning tricks and dastardly tricks, often demonstrates undoubted acting talent and mastery of disguise, and is an expert in all kinds of torture and sadistic methods of brainwashing. But still, his main weapon is ingenuity, unprincipledness and... madness.
Survival: Almost superhuman. He was shot, drowned, blown up, burned, electric current was passed through him, and still he survived.
Relationships with the underworld: As already said, complex. He has no friends or permanent accomplices, because he denies any laws and rules - including those of the criminal world. The Joker has repeatedly joined forces with other supervillains (Penguin, Scarecrow, Lex Luthor, Carnage); every time it all ended in mutual betrayal and fight. However, his eerie aura and nightmarish reputation inspire respectful fear and almost reverence among most criminals, and his power within the walls of Arkham is limitless. The Joker has never lacked help, as he pays well and his plans always work (until the Bat interferes). As a rule, a maniac clown takes into his team two or three strong and stupid thugs who do not ask unnecessary questions and do not think about what they are doing. But, unlike most crime bosses, he loves to do all the dirty work himself.
The Joker is a member of the Unjust Gang, a secret society of supervillains led by Lex Luthor. He is also a member of the Council of Nero (that is the name of the Devil in the DCU), was one of his five lieutenants; however, he later teamed up with Luthor to steal the power of the ruler of hell.
Current status: Healthy, cheerful, crazy, energetic and ready for action.
Joe also appeared in the film industry:
Batman (film, 1966) (film and TV series) - Cesar Romero
Batman (1989) - Jack Nicholson
Batman: Dead End (2003 film) - Andrew Koenig
The Dark Knight (2008) - Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger was the ultimate Joker. It was he who revealed his entire character. But the Joker played a cruel joke on him. On January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment. Probable Causes death - suicide or drug overdose. Many believe his death is the Joker's fault. What exactly the role of the Joker influenced the psyche of Heath himself. Even Jack Nicholson believes it. Before filming The Dark Knight, Heath met with Nicholson to share his experience. The first thing Jack said was: “Don’t mess with the Joker, he won’t bring you any good.” Who knows, maybe the Joker tried this...
Well, let's start from the beginning. The Joker's first appearance in a movie was the TV series of the 60s, where he was slightly changed in terms of appearance: now he has light green hair, combed into a ball, and instead of a frozen smile, the corners of his mouth were lengthened with lipstick. His suit was made dark pink, and his gloves were purple. In the series, the Joker is more of a clown than a villain. In addition, he acts very weakly here, only following the Penguin's instructions. After that, the Joker was only in cartoons and comics for a long time.
In 1989, the Joker returned in Tim Burton's Batman, played by Jack Nicholson. Here he gets a name - Jack Napier, the former right hand of crime boss Carl Grissom. Jack falls into acid... I already wrote further) There is no Robin in this film, and Batman remembers that the Joker killed Bruce Wayne's parents when Bruce was still a little boy (by the way, it's interesting here... imagine: little Bruce... well, approximately how old was he when they killed him parents? And approximately how old was Joe in those years? Well, let’s say about 25 years old. Now Bruce is 25-30, then Joe’s approximate age is 45-50... but this is based on the film of 1989). The traditional appearance was preserved: green hair, white face, red lips, expensive purple suit, purple gloves and a constant smile. They did their best with a smile: Jack Nicholson had artificial make-up applied to the corners of his lips and cheeks, “frozen in a smile.” At the end of the film, he was killed by Batman, although the Joker was given much more time than Batman. In the story, Harley Quinn was killed by the Joker himself (although she was denied a jester costume and a nickname, but let's hope that Harley will show herself in the next Batman).
In 2003, another film appeared, this time an amateur low-budget one, BUT Andrew Koenig (who plays the Joker) impressed many and is considered something between the images of Ledger and Nicholson. The Joker's appearance is reminiscent of the Nolan film, but the Joker here has brown hair instead of green. The character of the Joker in this film is a little crazy and dies at the end.
And finally, The Dark Knight. Here the Joker has no name (in addition, he leaves no evidence, and his past cannot be found out). The appearance is traditional, but distorted: the Joker has light green curly hair, black outlines around his eyes (taken from the comics), a dirty purple suit, dark purple gloves and a white face. The permanent smile became 2 scars carved in the mouth. Throughout the film, the Joker gives two versions of their appearance: his father's bullying and an unhappy family life, but the true reason is never revealed. The stories are accompanied by the phrase “Why are you so serious?” (originally “Why so serious?”), which became the signature to the film. Falling into waste is abandoned here - the Joker's white face here is sloppily applied makeup, which is wiped off several times during the course of the film. The knife is the favorite weapon of the new Joker: in his opinion: “knives provide the closest contact with the victim.” Also distinguishing features of this villain are dynamite and gasoline. The Joker does not die at the end, making the film a prequel.
Hit himself, having locked himself in the living room for a month, came up with the image of the Joker. He didn't want his Joker to be like Jack Nicholson's Joker. Heath's Joker is selfish, with his unsurpassed facial expressions, with an eternal smile in the form of scars, with the wonderful intonations of a psychopath. In this film, Joker shows all the morality of society. Not Batman, who protects the citizens of the city, but the Joker. Heath Ledger's Joker provides us with the meaning and philosophy of people like Harvey Dent as well as society. The Joker plunges the city into chaos and plays his subtle game.
A big influence on the Joker character in this version was the Batman comic book episodes entitled "The Long Halloween", "The Killing Joke", and "The Man Who Laughs". The character's 1940s co-creator, Jerry Robinson, was hired as a consultant, as was his colleague Bob Kane for Batman (1989).
Grim Joe
Spoiler The tragic death of Heath Ledger raised two pressing questions during the film's release: whether to show the recently deceased Heath Ledger as a disfigured Joker speaking his catchphrase, and whether to cut the scene where the Joker plays dead from the final cut. This situation was resolved on the basis that Heath Ledger worked very hard on this role and in any case would have been proud and happy about it.
Well, we're done with the films.
The following image of the Joker is shown in the recently released game Batman: Arkham Asylum. The Joker is one of Batman's opponents and the game's bosses. Delivered by Batman to Arkham. As it turned out, it was a carefully planned plan to try to kill Batman, but as it turned out, it was not ideal. He starts a riot and seizes power in the hospital. He constantly appears, leaving both audio messages and video messages. He is Batman's main opponent. In one of the meetings, he turns two of his assistants into monsters using a mutagen called “Titan” (in the last meeting, himself). The PlayStation 3 version of the game has the ability to play as the Joker (I hope to appear on PC). The appearance of the Joker in the game was most influenced by the Batman movie, comic books and the animated series. The Joker was voiced by actor Mark Hamill (everyone's favorite Jedi also voices the warden in the game Darksiders), who managed to become familiar with this character while working on the animated series about Batman.
Everyone has heard about Batman and the Joker in one way or another. This couple is one of best examples confrontations between hero and villain in the history of comics. It's no surprise that the Joker has become one of the most dangerous villains in the DC Universe - other supervillains tell each other horror stories about him.
A character with no backstory as such, a character of mystery, but one of the most iconic and popular supervillains in comics, whose cultural impact is difficult to describe. We invite you to read or remember the story of this crazy clown.
Concept
The Joker is easy to recognize even if you haven't read the comics. His wide smile, his white face and often slicked back green hair all identify the Clown King of Crime. But how did he come to such a recognizable image in a time when there were no supervillains, much less supervillain clowns?
The concept for the character was based on a sketch of a joker card drawn by Jerry Robinson. However, it is believed that the main source of inspiration was the character Gwynplaine (Conrad Veidt) from the film “The Man Who Laughs” (1928). Much of this character's appearance was inspired by the Joker, especially his wide, evil smile.
Co-creator Bob Kane confirmed in a 1994 interview: “... (Joker) looks like Conrad Veidt, you know, the actor from The Man Who Laughs.” Finger had a book of pictures of Conrad and he showed it to me and said, “This is the Joker.”
First appearance
Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939 and, due to his growing popularity, received his own comic book series in April 1940. The first issue expanded the Batman mythology by introducing Catwoman and the Joker, who would become major components of Batman's world. The very first confrontation showed how dangerous the Joker can be when he installed a deadly toxin throughout the city.
In the original script, Kane and Finger killed the Joker in his debut issue. But editor Whitney Ellsworth saved the villain (the last panel showed that the villain survived). This was a huge success for the villain, without which he could simply disappear from the world of comics forever, and it is unknown how Batman would have changed without his main enemy.
Origin
The origin of the Joker has been a huge mystery for over 75 years, and the full and true story of his appearance has never been told. However, many authors tried to tell their version of the appearance of the Joker. Batman fans consider the most canonical version of the origin to be that of Alan Moore in the graphic novel The Killing Joke.
In the novel, we see flashbacks of the Joker, a failed comedian who turned to crime as a member of the Red Hoods gang in order to earn some money to help him support his pregnant wife. However, while trying to escape from Batman, he falls into a vat of chemicals and survives, but is seriously injured. This incident and the death of his wife drive him crazy, turning him into the Joker.
But the most interesting thing here is that even the Joker does not remember his origin story: “Sometimes I remember one thing, sometimes something completely different... if the past is so necessary, let it have options! a person should have a choice! HAHAHA!”
Appearance
The Joker is famous for many reasons, but his unique appearance is undeniable: his red lips, green hair and snow-white skin are all the result of falling into a vat of chemistry.
Also an integral part of the image is a crazy smile. He suffers from the so-called “rictus grin”, when a spasm in the facial muscles creates a constant grin from ear to ear.
In addition to his crazy appearance, the Joker usually wears a purple three-piece suit consisting of a long tuxedo and striped pants.
Golden age
As stated above, the Joker first appeared in Batman #1 in April 1940, in which he killed several people using his signature “Joker toxin” - a poison that not only kills, but kills victims with uncontrollable laughter, leaving corpses with crazy smiles. Despite the fact that the Joker stabs himself in the chest in the first issue, he nevertheless survives and continues to terrorize Batman and Robin. Subsequently, Mr. Jay began to appear in large number the first Batman comics, killing a lot of people along the way and avoiding capture. When Batman and Robin finally caught him, he almost always managed to escape.
When DC introduced the concept of the multiverse, the characters of the Golden Age of Comics became the inhabitants of Earth-2 and, along with other Earths, merged into one as a result of the event “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. The Joker began his final massacre after the death of Bruce Wayne and the revelation of his identity as Batman. The Joker found out that he had lost his main enemy and went even more crazy, went to Gotham, killing many innocents, trying to get Batman's attention, and he did this one, but Dick Grayson was in the suit.
silver Age
The Comics Code banned violence in comics, so many characters underwent major changes, including the Joker. He stopped pursuing the goal of killing the Dark Knight, now he just wants to play with him.
Some of the Joker's signature features originated in the Silver Age, such as his inventive pranks, prank guns, and deadly toys.
Additionally, the character's mystery prompted screenwriter Bill Finger to write his origin story. It was then that the Joker became the “Red Hood” and, in an attempt to escape from Batman, fell into a vat of chemistry.
Bronze Age
After a bit of a hiatus in the late '60s and early '70s, writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams revived the Joker. Returning him to the canonical image of a psychopathic killer. Because of his tendencies, he was declared insane and sent to Arkham Asylum instead of prison.
At the height of the Bronze Age from 1975 to 1976, DC launched the Joker series, in which the Clown King of Crime had to face a new villain every issue. But due to the Comic Code, the Joker was presented as a hero in every issue, which significantly reduced interest in the series. And it was canceled after 9 episodes.
At the end of the Silver and beginning of the Bronze Age, screenwriter Steve Englehart and artist Marshall Rogers added additions to the villain's recognizable style in the form of a long face and a long coat.
Modern age
The “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event launched new era comics - Modern Age (sometimes called Dark Age). During this era, Batman's mythology underwent important changes, and the Joker underwent corresponding changes. This period was marked by the writing of significant stories for the character (including The Killing Joke).
The first story was "The Dark Knight Returns" from Frank Miller, which introduced an old and evil version of Batman who comes out of retirement to end crime until he kills the Joker. The story came out in 1986 and turned the industry upside down.
Another story is Batman: A Death in the Family, which tells the story of the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin, at the hands of the Joker. For the first time, the Joker kills a central character from the Bat-pantheon, thereby greatly influencing further development Batman comics.
Impact on the Batfamily
The Joker has always influenced the Dark Knight, but there have been moments that have seriously affected Batman's loved ones.
In the late '80s, DC fans were tired of Jason Todd and wanted the character replaced. However, instead of making changes, the editors took the idea from The Dark Knight Returns and decided to kill off the character. But not wanting to decide the character's fate themselves, DC opened two hotlines and asked readers to vote: “Should Jason Todd live or die?” In the end, more than 10,000 votes were accepted in the vote, but even a small gap of 72 votes decided the fate of Jason Todd. The Joker kidnapped Robin and locked him in an abandoned warehouse, where he was beaten mercilessly with a crowbar, but an explosion ended Todd's suffering.
Not stopping there, the Killer Clown, in the same “Killing Joke,” broke into the apartment of Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, Barbara, also known as Batgirl, and tried to shoot her. After which she was left paralyzed.
Joker Family
The Joker is used to working alongside other Batman foes such as the Scarecrow, the Penguin or Two-Face, but there are only two characters who can be considered members of his "family": Harley Quinn and the Joker's daughter.
Harley Quinn (real name Dr. Harleen Quinzel) first appeared in the 1992 Batman Animated Series, and her comic book journey began a year later in Batman Adventures #12 in September 1993. As the Joker's treating psychiatrist during his time in Arkham, Dr. Quinzel fell in love with the villain and helped him escape. Falling in love with the Joker drives her crazy, and she becomes the villain Harley Quinn.
Another character who is more confused about his past than the Joker is Duela Dent. She first appeared in 1976 in Batman Family #6 as the Joker's daughter, but this was later revealed to be untrue. Then she tried to call herself the daughter of Scarecrow, Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler and, ultimately, Harvey Dent.
Influence on Comics and Pop Culture
Long before Heath Ledger's Joker, the character had a huge influence on pop culture for decades. He is often considered the first supervillain in comic books, and has also been a long-time enemy of Batman since his first appearance in 1940.
In 2015, renowned psychologist Dr. Travis Langley published the book “Joker: A Serious Study of the Clown King of Crime,” the book became the first scientific work about a supervillain. Joker is iconic and important character in comics, who has influenced the industry more than once and will continue to do so. His quotes, such as, “One bad day is enough for the most man of sense the world is in the dark” has been used more than once in pop culture.
In other media
As the arch-enemy of the Dark Knight, the Joker has appeared in almost every adaptation of the Dark Knight's adventures (more than 250 products). Many actors have portrayed the character on screen or voiced him, but only a few are remembered by fans as the “real” Joker.
The first on-screen Joker was Cesar Romero in the famous 1966 television series “Batman.” The Joker was next played by Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's 1989 film. The most popular incarnation of the Joker is performed by Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight, 2008). And the recent performance in the film “Suicide Squad” by Jared Leto.
Plus, the Joker made a lot of appearances full-length cartoons, where he was voiced by actors such as Mark Hamill and Troy Baker. And, of course, the Joker couldn’t ignore games based on DC comics: he appeared in Injustice: Gods Among Us, DC: Universe Online, the Batman Arkham series and many others.
Important Comics
In addition to the Killing Joke mentioned above, many important and interesting stories, which tell a lot of new things about the character.
- "Death of the Family" and "Endgame": two New 52 stories featuring a returning Joker who knows the secrets of the Bat-family;
- "Batman. Under the Hood tells the story of a resurrected Jason Todd who returns to Gotham seeking revenge and killing the Joker;
- The Man Who Laughs, Year One of the Joker, chronicles the supervillain's first appearance in Gotham and the beginning of their confrontation with the Dark Knight.
- Joker is a graphic novel that, although set in an alternate universe, provides a deeper look into the psyche of the Joker.
Character's future
Currently, the Joker is back again and has no intention of leaving. Actor Jared Leto still plans to return to the role of the Clown King of Crime in the DCEU universe. In the comics, the Joker has returned after the events of Endgame, and we'll soon see him face off against the Riddler in Tom King's "War of Jokes and Riddles." And considering the fact that DC Comics: Rebirth revealed that there are three Jokers, we can only guess what will happen next.
In this article we will talk about one of the most famous comic book villains. His nickname is Joker (DC Comics). The real name still remains a mystery for both fans of cartoon stories and fans of superhero films.
Birth of the Joker
The first character with this name appeared in 1940 in the first issue of the Batman comic book.
The villain's past is shrouded in mystery. It is not entirely clear who he was, what his real name was, whether he had a family. The hero himself tells completely different versions of his past each time. There is an opinion that he no longer remembers who the Joker himself became a villain before.
DC Comics initially adhered to this version: the character was “born” due to tragic accident. A loser comedian or robber (versions differ in different issues of comics) in a red cap accidentally fell into a vat of acid. It happened at night, Red Hood was scared of Batman. But after the fall, the would-be robber did not die, but was reborn as a completely different creature. It turned out to be a man with snow-white skin, black circles under his eyes, green hair and a frozen smile on his face.
Debut
Some time passed after the acid incident, and a mountain of corpses was discovered in one of Gotham's warehouses. Each dead man had a smile frozen on his face. Then viewers saw a message from a strange man in a purple suit. He promised to kill one of the local millionaires and even called exact time. This, of course, was the Joker.
DC Comics is the company that created one of the most popular villains. Despite his madness, the Joker is not without some charm.
However, let's return to the plans of this extraordinary bandit. As promised, the millionaire died despite the efforts of the police. But that was not all. The Joker (DC Comics), a photo of which can be seen in this article, was planning to poison the reservoir. It was only thanks to the efforts of Batman and Commissioner Gordon that he failed. The villain ended up behind bars, and then went to Arkham, a psychiatric clinic.
Career in the underworld
This, of course, was not the last thing the Joker did. DC Comics hasn't forgotten about this villain. On the contrary, it was he who managed to carry out the most notorious and incredible crimes. It is no coincidence that the Joker began to be called Bamten's main opponent. For a villain, fighting a superhero has become fun and exciting game life-long.
The Joker became a regular guest at Arkham, from where he periodically escaped alone or released all the criminals in company. The hospital itself became for him a place of rest from fighting and a headquarters for creating new insidious plans.
The Joker even has an accomplice - Harley Quinn. She dresses like a harlequin and has tender feelings for the murderous maniac.
Character
So, who is the Joker (DC Comics)? The company's scriptwriters left the secret of his identity undisclosed, but they painted the character of the villain in all colors.
The Joker is a self-confident crazy maniac with a thirst for destruction. Despite his destructiveness, he is very smart, cunning, cunning and devilishly resourceful. He trusts no one and treats both enemies and allies equally cruelly. But the Joker's favorite enemy is Batman. This is not just a person against whom the clown is constantly ready to take revenge, he is also a worthy opponent. "Games" with Batman give the Joker the most pleasure. The villain can compete with him in cunning and wit, and not just in strength. In many ways, the Joker's love for cunning plans is explained by the fact that in terms of physical strength he is much inferior to the superhero.
Even if the Joker is on a team, he is not amenable to anyone’s control, so he often acts as the leader or organizer. However, those who perceive him as an ally sooner or later pay for it with their lives. Nor can employers rely on him. The Joker always completes the task in his own way. And the new plan does not always include the death of the customer himself.
The villain knows no pity or mercy. But his main feature is madness. The Joker is always cheerful and never takes anything seriously. Everything that is happening is just a joke, even if hundreds of people are dying around.
Nothing can stop the Joker on his way to his goal. He is not afraid of danger, torture or death. However, in those moments when his life is truly in danger, the instinct of self-preservation invariably turns on. It is only thanks to this that he remains alive.
The Joker quickly navigates in any situation, and thanks to an unhealthy psyche, he is able to make unpredictable but correct decisions. A villain can turn the tide of even the most predictable battle. In addition, he easily identifies his opponent's weaknesses. You can't expect a fair fight from the Joker. He always has a couple of sneaky tricks ready.
Among other criminals, he enjoys constant authority. In Arkham, his power over other prisoners knows no bounds.
Capabilities
The Joker (DC Comics) is not an ordinary comic book hero. He has no obvious superpowers. His strengths- incredible willpower and a brilliant mind. In addition, poisons and torture do not affect the villain. The Joker is good at hand-to-hand combat. However, he wins not through strength, but through tricks, unpredictability and cunning.
Equipment
The Joker (DC Comics) does not have an affinity for any particular type of weapon. The only thing is the poison, which puts a smile on people’s faces after death. The madman also has a passion for all kinds of practical jokes, turning them into deadly weapons: an electric shock on the hand of 500 volts for the last handshake, sharp playing cards, fake pistols that turn out to be deadly, etc.
In general, the Joker is one of the most extraordinary villains in the DC comics universe.