"The Joker Jury!"

[cyberghostface]

From Batman #163.

Comments

[lordultimus]

Most of the time, Silver Age Joker comes across as a typical Silver Age villain who laughs slightly more to me. This is one of those times where the whole schemes are uniquely Joker to me.

[lego_joker]

Agreed. Though IMO, The Joker's Utility Belt - and to an extent The Joker's Comedy of Errors! also do a pretty good job squaring that circle.

[lucean]

Yeah, this is one of the few stories from era where I could see them doing something similar with the current Joker.

[mazway_75]

The set up is great as Joker is making a getaway but a fire truck blocks his path. Running, he overturns a sanitation department truck of construction blocks to keep the cops at bay. He instantly thinks "the fire department nearly caught me but the sanitation department saved me....that's a new Joker theme!" He actually sends a note to Gordon boasting of his plans to commit crimes based on city services and departments and daring Batman to stop him.

It's just wonderful how Silver Age Joker latches onto these things.

[donnblake]

"Fortunately these toy cars and planes we were going to give out as prizes for a charity contest can be activated to violently fly at anyone who happens to be standing in front of them, with a flip of this unlabeled switch!"

[trooper924]

I just love how these Silver Age stories move at like 5000 miles per hour. Batman and Robin fall into a hole and are knocked unconscious. Then in the very next panel, they wake up and are rushed off to the Joker trial which only takes three pages then it's done. At the end, Joker's tripping on toys in one panel. Next panel: Joker's in jail, story's immediately over.

[alicemacher]

The breakneck pace of these stories works to their benefit. Much as with a good stage, TV or film farce, one hilariously ridiculous thing follows another so quickly that we don't have time to question anything, to break our suspension of disbelief. Our only recourse is just to go with it and enjoy.

[lego_joker]

My God, you've done it. You've broken down why the best episodes of The Brave and the Bold work, and why the worst collapse like a rushed souffle.