DC's Definitive Joker origin

[Digital_Ashes]

As far as the movie goes, I think and I'm pretty sure on this, that they're substituting the "red hood" thing for just a clown mask to avoid having to tell the story of red hood.

Joker is turned on by the people that hire him for the clown mask bank robbery, and in his escape he is scarred by Batman across the face.

I think it's a way of defining him outside his infamous chemical dip.

 

[Dirt Like Me]

Actually it would fit. Batman wears a costume, so this guy wears one when he goes out too, it would be the start of his obsession, and the first of many parallels between Batman and The Joker

I agree, and think would also work in the context of this Confidential arc. 'Jack' already said that he thinks Batman looks ridiculous, so putting a shiny red bucket on his head and wearing a cape would make sense if he was going for ridiculousness in his own right. If he was just looking for a disguise? Not so much.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how/if they incorporate the hood. So far, the writer really seems to have a good grasp of things, I hope it keeps up. These two issues have been fun.

 

[The Joker]

Loved issue 2.

 

[allfilms]

so TKJ and Batman:Hush Returns,Pushback story lines are now out of continutity? if u guys remeber in HR, joker's whole plot is to find the dirty cop who killed his wife and kid...with the whole struggling comedian so he does jobs for mob then leads to red hood, then chemical bath..which is not only the origin in B:HR, but TKJ, so now with this stupid Batman confedtional story line, these previosly written and cannon storylines arent?

 

[Joker]

no...with EmoBoy Prime's stupid universe punching those stories are out of continuity...and the fact that Hush Returns was a big piece of s**t.

 

[Ibn]

no...with EmoBoy Prime's stupid universe punching those stories are out of continuity...and the fact that Hush Returns was a big piece of s**t.

True. I almost had my friggin comedian origin. But they had to **** IT UP BY GETTING THE FACTS ****ED!!!! Sons of ****in foul ass *****es!!

 

[BubbaGump]

Actually it would fit. Batman wears a costume, so this guy wears one when he goes out too, it would be the start of his obsession, and the first of many parallels between Batman and The Joker

I think I'm the only one here who gets it.

 

[kooguy911]

in TDK i think the joker carves that smile himself

 

[Motown Marvel]

so TKJ and Batman:Hush Returns,Pushback story lines are now out of continutity? if u guys remeber in HR, joker's whole plot is to find the dirty cop who killed his wife and kid...with the whole struggling comedian so he does jobs for mob then leads to red hood, then chemical bath..which is not only the origin in B:HR, but TKJ, so now with this stupid Batman confedtional story line, these previosly written and cannon storylines arent?

hush returns was such a piece of s#!t, its just been ignored out of continuity. as for killing joke, that still works in continuity...specifically due to the jokers line about liking the idea of his past being multiple choice. at that particular moment, he thought of the failed comedian as his past. tomorrow it may be something else to him.

 

[Rorschach II]

LOL

I still think it could work if you retire Superman, Batman, and Woman woman much like their Earth-2 Counter parts and let Conner and Tim and Cassie take over. Then start an Ultimate type of line where we start all over with Superman and Batman and Wonder Woman much like what Confidential is doing.

That's a ****ty idea. Bruce Wayne is Batman. Clark Kent is Superman. It will always be that way. They can have as many Robins and **** as they want, but Bruce Wayne is Batman.

 

[Superman4ever]

That's a ****ty idea. Bruce Wayne is Batman. Clark Kent is Superman. It will always be that way. They can have as many Robins and **** as they want, but Bruce Wayne is Batman.

LMAO! That post was on page one, and months ago, but it's SO damn absurd that it boggles the mind, and just makes you want to burst from the inside. It's horridness is actually timeless. Ten years from now someone will read it and go, "WTF!" When I first read it and still to this day it's one of the worst ideas I've ever read!

 

[Agentsands77]

I finally read issue #8 and I really liked it. I'm loving where this story is going. Sure, I'm more of a guy who likes the Joker's backstory to be a mystery, but as far as suggested backstories, this is the most interesting.

And it really makes the Joker into quite the extraordinary villain, to a degree that we haven't seen. Throw up a deck of cards and he can shoot the two Jokers and a Jack? Impressive.

 

[Mr. LOL]

I'm loving this story arch, thus far.

 

[Joker]

I finally read issue #8 and I really liked it. I'm loving where this story is going. Sure, I'm more of a guy who likes the Joker's backstory to be a mystery, but as far as suggested backstories, this is the most interesting.

And it really makes the Joker into quite the extraordinary villain, to a degree that we haven't seen. Throw up a deck of cards and he can shoot the two Jokers and a Jack? Impressive.

I'd really like to see this version of the Joker get into a real fight with Batman as well...it's been far too long since Joker was a threat in any way other than "he's evil and crazy." When he was first introduced, in Batman 1, Batman himself commented on how he finally had found an enemy that could actually go toe to toe with him when it came to fighting. I'd like to see more of a return to that.

 

[Aristotle]

This arc is so horrible. They're clearly setting the Joker up to be a physical threat to Batman. He's not. He's never been. The joker is a psychological, emotional threat. He is the opposite of Batman in every way. That means he's not that good of a fighter. The only times he ever gets the better of Batman in combat is by fighting dirty and cheap, not by fighting well.

Beyond that, they're ****ing with one of the greatest, most tragic, most personal, most searing origins ever written. Yes, the Killing Joke left it open, but even aside from those two Gotham Knights arcs (which weren't nearly as bad as you people make them sound), there was a great Shadow of the Bat two-parter that expanded on the Killing Joke origin. That, too, another great Batman tale, is now being knocked out of continuity because the *****ebag from Heroes thinks he can do it better than Alan ****ing Moore. And it's just an awful story.

 

[Joker]

This arc is so horrible. They're clearly setting the Joker up to be a physical threat to Batman. He's not. He's never been. The joker is a psychological, emotional threat. He is the opposite of Batman in every way. That means he's not that good of a fighter. The only times he ever gets the better of Batman in combat is by fighting dirty and cheap, not by fighting well.

Beyond that, they're ****ing with one of the greatest, most tragic, most personal, most searing origins ever written. Yes, the Killing Joke left it open, but even aside from those two Gotham Knights arcs (which weren't nearly as bad as you people make them sound), there was a great Shadow of the Bat two-parter that expanded on the Killing Joke origin. That, too, another great Batman tale, is now being knocked out of continuity because the *****ebag from Heroes thinks he can do it better than Alan ****ing Moore. And it's just an awful story.

but Joker WAS a physical threat to Batman...in the 30's and 40's he was the only villain who had ever given Batman a physical thread, they only changed it in the 60's when the character was brought back after being gone in favor of crappy sci-fi villains in the 50's...and Killing Joke ALWAYS left it open that that wasnt how it really happened, and the Gotham Knights arc was terrible, the only good part of it was the art. For gods sake, it had Joker training pigeons to give people heart attacks, what is he, the f**king Penguin???

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Well, I've not cared much for Issues 1-6, but i've just picked up #7
I'll let you know what i think in a bit.

 

[Agentsands77]

This arc is so horrible. They're clearly setting the Joker up to be a physical threat to Batman. He's not. He's never been.

In his original appearances, he was. And it's a cool new way to take the character. I'm all for experimenting with the Joker at this point. Who wants same-old, same-old?

The joker is a psychological, emotional threat. He is the opposite of Batman in every way.

Not quite. They're not necessarily exact opposites. And while he is a psychological, emotional threat, why not make him a physical threat as well? He suddenly becomes even more threatening, IMO.

That, too, another great Batman tale, is now being knocked out of continuity because the *****ebag from Heroes thinks he can do it better than Alan ****ing Moore.

As far as pure origin goes, I think he is doing better than Moore. It's not as well-written as something Moore would write, but it's a far more believable and interesting origin.

And why care about continuity at this point? Continuity shouldn't even be a concern to Batman fans anymore. Continuity is a worthless status. Each of us make our own individual canons and continuities regardless of what DC says, and some of the out-of-continuity stories have often been as influential (if not more influential) than the in-continuity material. If a story gets put out of the current continuity, it doesn't suddenly invalidate the story.

 

[Motown Marvel]

Well, I've not cared much for Issues 1-6, but i've just picked up #7
I'll let you know what i think in a bit.

we're only two issues into the story.

oh, do you mean batman confidential 1-7? that first story arc sucked.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

we're only two issues into the story.

oh, do you mean batman confidential 1-7? that first story arc sucked.

It was 1-6

7-12 is Joker. I've just read 7, will read 8 later.

Now, as for 7, ITS DAMN GOOD! is this definite Joker territory, and will it tie into the Red hood storyline, or craft is own unique vision?

Anyway, so far, this pre-Joker sega has started off extremely well.

 

[Keyser Soze]

I was a bit skeptical of this story at first. After all, "The Killing Joke" is my all-time favourite comic. Plus, "The Man Who Laughs" was, I thought, a fantastic retelling of Batman's first encounter with The Joker. So I was initially happy that DC was giving us a story that goes against both of those.

However, having bought the first two issues of the arc so I could judge the story for myself, I've found myself actually really enjoying it. It's a very interesting take on The Joker, and the dynamics of his relationship with Batman. While one complaint I had was that the story wasn't from Joker's perspective - then it would have fit in with the "my past is multiple choice" element of "The Killing Joke" - the story makes up for this by not just being a great Joker story, but a great BATMAN story. Michael Green really seems to be nailing Batman's characterisation.

Now, the question is, where does the story go next? I'd assume the Red Hood aspect of The Joker's origin will be jetissoned. But what about the chemical bath? Will "Jack" still plummet into a vat in the Ace chemical factory, or will his skin be bleached some other way?

Something else I though of, though it may be nothing. Could they be trying to create a Joker who is closer to his upcoming movie incarnation? Something that stuck out to me in the second issue was one of the thugs calling "Jack", a "kid". The word "kid" would make me think of a guy in his 20s at the oldest, putting The Joker's age in line with Heath Ledger's for - as far as I can think of, even in "Early Batman stories" - the first time ever in comics. Plus, Jack's first encounter with Batman in Confidential was in a bank, while what do we know about The Joker from "Batman Begins"? "Armed robbery, double homicide..."

 

[BatScot]

The only thing definitive about definitive stories is that they are subject to change.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I was a bit skeptical of this story at first. After all, "The Killing Joke" is my all-time favourite comic. Plus, "The Man Who Laughs" was, I thought, a fantastic retelling of Batman's first encounter with The Joker. So I was initially happy that DC was giving us a story that goes against both of those.

However, having bought the first two issues of the arc so I could judge the story for myself, I've found myself actually really enjoying it. It's a very interesting take on The Joker, and the dynamics of his relationship with Batman. While one complaint I had was that the story wasn't from Joker's perspective - then it would have fit in with the "my past is multiple choice" element of "The Killing Joke" - the story makes up for this by not just being a great Joker story, but a great BATMAN story. Michael Green really seems to be nailing Batman's characterisation.

Now, the question is, where does the story go next? I'd assume the Red Hood aspect of The Joker's origin will be jetissoned. But what about the chemical bath? Will "Jack" still plummet into a vat in the Ace chemical factory, or will his skin be bleached some other way?

Something else I though of, though it may be nothing. Could they be trying to create a Joker who is closer to his upcoming movie incarnation? Something that stuck out to me in the second issue was one of the thugs calling "Jack", a "kid". The word "kid" would make me think of a guy in his 20s at the oldest, putting The Joker's age in line with Heath Ledger's for - as far as I can think of, even in "Early Batman stories" - the first time ever in comics. Plus, Jack's first encounter with Batman in Confidential was in a bank, while what do we know about The Joker from "Batman Begins"? "Armed robbery, double homicide..."

Could be. Green referenced the Tumbler. If so, the Joker from TDK doen't have bleached skin though, its make-up. Maybe this Joker on Confidential will also sport lipstick.

 

[Motown Marvel]

new issue came out today. again, another great issue. im constantly surprised how good this story is, especially after going in with such low expectations.

 

[OSM]

Number 11 preview. These covers are crazy.