Joker (Classic Review)

Originally released in 2008.

Writer: Brian Azzarello

Artist: Lee Bermejo

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Original graphic novel

A couple of years back, Azzarello and Bermejo brought us the Lex Luthor: Man of Steel mini-series, telling the infamous villain's side of the story and turning him into a deep and relatable character. In 2008, the year of The Dark Knight, they tried something similar with this OGN, simply titled Joker, safely set in its own little continuity bubble.

It is difficult to judge a story that focuses on the character of the Joker. In another OGN, Arkham Asylum, Grant Morrison wrote future Batman writers something of a "get out of jail free" card when it comes to the Clown Prince of Crime. According to Morrison, the Joker was constantly reinventing himself -- goofy trickster one minute, nihilistic murderer the next, and so on -- which sort of leaves room for multiple interpretations of him.

Perhaps to evade some of the responsibility of writing such a sociopath, Azzarello chose to tell the story from the point of view of an original character. Jonny Frost appears at first to be the usual ever-loyal henchman, eager to attach himself to the Joker for personal gain, but underneath he is in fact the usual philosopher-criminal who thinks he's got it all worked out. As with anyone who spends enough time with the Joker, he soon finds out how wrong he is.

Jonny isn't really anything special, and that's okay, because he fits the gritty, "real life" crime story theme that they're going for in Joker. His wisecracks are pretty sharp, and some are downright funny, but attempts to flesh him out via flashbacks and anecdotes feel a little hollow.

Appropriately, the Joker is the most vibrant person in the book, as he should be, even among guest appearances from Two-Face, Penguin, Killer Croc, Riddler and a (thankfully, some might say) dialogue-free Harley Quinn. While he isn't as obviously insane as other portrayals, he retains his trademark black humour and anarchic drive, with a blindingly horrific knack for harming others. Some of the methods by which the Joker deals with his antagonists would definitely not have been acceptable in a mainstream Batman series, but blend right in here, while jarringly standing out too.

Bermejo also gives the Joker his own distinctive body language, further adding to his uniqueness in this story. You can feel his intensity in every tense confrontation, or his laid-back attitude when he is merely waiting to spring. And you really sense -- and fear -- that potential within him every time.

As with Luthor, Bermejo flips between a beautiful, dark, painted style and a more rough, solid pencilling. I found myself favouring the former, and thus the switches kept taking me out of the story, but the stark and grim atmosphere was maintained throughout.

The plot itself is the usual Joker-brand chaos, with no purpose but to torment and lure in the Dark Knight. Jonny slowly begins to realise that whatever ambitions he had with the Joker are meaningless, and when Batman finally shows up at the end, he finally sees his true place in the scheme of things.

Unlike Luthor I felt that no more was learned about the Joker that hasn't already been done to death. And there is no real weight to Jonny's story; as easily cast aside as the character himself. There is no motion to his journey, so its end feels anti-climactic. Maybe that's the joke?

Rating: 3/5