Absolute Joker makes his official debut, with a terrifying origin for his codename

Warning: Spoilers for Absolute Batman #1!When DC introduces its wild new take on Batman lore, fans officially meet the Absolute joker – The Dark Knight’s nemesis as you’ve never seen him before. DC’s new Absolute Universe takes place in a reality built on Darkseid’s evil, introducing new versions of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman who are the underdogs against an entire world of darkness. Of course, the new heroes need new versions of their villains, and Absolute Batman #1 Introduces the Joker.

On the final page by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin and Clayton Cowles. Absolute Batman #1Fans meet the absolute joker. The issue is told from the perspective of the absolute Alfred Pennyworth – a version of Batman’s butler who, in fact, is an evil mercenary with a remit to take on the Dark Knight. As the story ends, word reaches him of his previous target – a deadly killer known as the Joker.

Fans only get a glimpse of Joker, but they learn a surprising amount. In this continuity, Joker is a billionaire who – like the mainstream Batman – has traveled the world honing his skills. The comic explains this He is called Joker because “The guy never laughs at anything. Everything,” with the implication that he is prone to killing anyone who shows a sense of humor in his presence. While the mainstream Joker never stops laughing and presents his murderous crimes as comedy, the new Absolute Joker is his opposite – a grim killer who will not allow any passion in his presence.

Absolute joker never laughs

… and he punishes those who do

The original Joker takes his name from the playing card theme that defines his aesthetic, although later stories have established that the name also refers to his nihilistic philosophy, where life is the ultimate joke. Joker’s white skin and green hair are the result of falling into a vat of chemicals during his first encounter with Batman, giving him a unique look inspired by the 1928 German Expressionist film The man who laughs. Joker is considered DC’s most sadistic villain, and multiple stories have made that clear His end game is to end human life on Earth… just as soon as he was ‘playing’ with Batman.

It is therefore a tall order for the Absolute Universe to introduce a version of ​​Joker that is different but still feels supremely evil. interesting, The comic turned him into a dark Bruce Wayne – a billionaire who traveled the world honing his abilities (Though in Joker’s case, he kills his mentors once he’s learned everything he can.) Absolute Joker also looks like a regular person, with only his green eyes matching the iconic version fans have known since 1940.

Joker has undergone constant reinvention in comics and movies, with Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck and Heath Ledger’s Mysterious Dark Knight Antagonist that shows the many ways to interpret the villain. However, despite the varied versions, DC has never seriously presented fans with a Joker who Enemies Comedy and laughter. It’s interesting to see ‘The Joker’ presented as an ironic codename, and the reveal begins to establish how a Joker born in Darkseid’s reality will be different from the original. One thing remains consistent – when the Joker walks into a room, everyone else is suddenly focused on surviving the experience.

The absolute universe is built on Darkseid’s evil

Absolute Joker is the god of evil version of the original

DC’s Absolute Universe has officially launched in DC All In Special #1. In the comic, Darkseid engineered his own death, escaping DC’s mainstream reality and his fixed place in the cosmic order. With his spirit as the god of evil escaping to a plane known as the Elseworld, Darkseid took control, warping reality until he had created a world where evil is the dominant force and heroism is “The villain, the opposing force.” Although the world has its heroes, they are defined by living in a disadvantageWith Darkseid declaring they will be “The small chaos, rather than the system itself.”

In keeping with Darkseid’s vision, Absolute Batman #1 Introduces Bruce Wayne as a city engineer who has spent his life in Gotham. While he’s gone through all the studying and training to become Batman, he’s working with few resources save his genius mind, and is now up against the Party Animal gang, led by a new version of his underrated villain The Black Mask. Killing children and innocents on a whim, the party animals embody the vicious chaos that has long defined the Joker, making it clear how different the new Clown Prince of Crime will be to stand out as a true force in this reality.

The comedian confirms that the Joker trained with – and subsequently slaughtered – Ra’s al Ghul’s League of AssassinsMaking it clear that he is already one of the most skilled and deadly men in the world. How he got his billions is still a mystery, but the comic shows him visiting the staff of a semiconductor manufacturing plant, suggesting he may be an industrialist. The footage of Joker’s helicopter pilot warning his co-pilot Never To joke in the presence of the Joker makes it clear how scared he is already.

Joker is at his deadliest when he stops laughing

We’ve seen a wretched Joker before and it tore Gotham to pieces

Joker’s humor is a core aspect of the character, but he did Stopped smiling earlier. Tom King and Michael Janin ‘War of Jokes and Riddles’ are in Batman Volume 3 A gang war ensues that erupts between Riddler and Joker, caused by Joker losing his ability to laugh. While a laughing Joker was terrifying, a scowling one was even worse, as Joker forced Gotham’s villains to choose a side and then pitted them against each other, turning the city into a war zone.

Countless innocents died, and the conflict pushed Batman so far that he finally tried to kill the Riddler, with only the Joker stopping him from breaking the rule that had defined his quest as a hero (and subsequently recovering his sense of humor.) The Joker fans . Seen in ‘The War of Jokes and Riddles’ would do anything to find his Joie de vivre againAnd Without the need to subject his crimes as gags, he was a ruthless and highly tactical gang leader. If Absolute Joker is anything like the same, Batman will face a force of nature when the two eventually clash.

Joker’s Journey has only just begun

DC is establishing the Joker as a truly unique threat

It will be interesting to see how Absolute Batman Joker’s character grows over subsequent issues. It is already clear that he will be a long-term villain – Someone the comic visits periodically, building to his arrival in Gotham. It’s possible that later in the story, Joker will undergo some kind of transformation, giving him the iconic look that fans know or a new variation on it. However, it’s clear that DC wants the new version to be as unique as possible so he can remain a ‘normal’ person.

Absolute Batman Actually introduces many versions of Batman’s usual villains – including Killer Croc, Two-Face and Penguin – as Bruce Wayne’s friends, making it clear how far this reinvention is going to go. Because of this, nothing about these Absolute joker can be accepted, making Gotham’s ultimate villain once again a terrifying mystery.

Absolute Batman #1 is available now from DC Comics.