Batman #1

[cyberghostface]

"Everyone loves a deeply flawed character with a dark sense of humor… and The Joker’s always been a crowd-pleaser. Happy anniversary to one of the Caped Crusader’s greatest rogues, who made his comic debut in BATMAN #1. Written by Bill Finger, with pencils by Bob Kane, and inks by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson." -- James Gunn











In the same issue...









Joker was actually supposed to die here but editor Whitney Ellsworth saved him by adding in the extra panel revealing that he was going to live.

Comments

[cainofdreaming]

At the beginning there Joker looks like he has spent too many long nights planning his next boner. Those bags under his eyes... yikes!

[tcampbell1000]

I know James is being tongue-in-cheek, but the Joker has no flaws! He's perfectly dedicated to being what he is!

[metadronos]

For me, the stand-out moment in this, the Joker's debut, is his reaction upon discovering he's accidentally stabbed himself. After a moment's befuddlement, he doesn't grimly reflect on the irony of the situation, as Batman might've, had it happened to him. He doesn't cry out in anger or despair. He laughs. He finds his predicament funny -- nay, hilarious. This, as opposed to his first kill, is the establishing moment for the Joker as we've come to know him.

[zylly]

God, can you imagine if the Joker actually had died here? The Bat comic landscape could be quite different.

[agharta75]

He was originally supposed to be killed off, but everyone at Detective Comics realized that this bad guy was too good a creation to waste on one or two appearances.

And so the Joker's plot armor was born.

[cainofdreaming]

Yeah, Bruce would have been fighting Joker's ghost for most of his history.