Three Jokers #3

[cyberghostface]

"We made a choice right from the beginning that we would base the look of our book around what Brian did in The Killing Joke. I consciously infused a lot of that Brian Bolland, even the way he would tell stories through his panels. The Killing Joke has sat next to my desk for the last two years. I've been constantly referencing it, and even following a lot of the rules of how he laid out his panels in that book. I really want it to feel like it could be a spiritual sequel, at least artistically." -- Jason Fabok

Comments

[cricharddavies]

Except that there is a final twist, and it's brilliant.

[lucean]

What is the final twist? As the scenes here are pretty pedestrain, especially compared to the Joker War stuff.

Again, why the hell is DC running these two stories concurrently?

[lordultimus]

It turns out that Killing Joke's Joker's pregnant wife never died; she was scared of her husband and the police helped her escape and lied to him about her death. Batman knew the Joker's name within the first week he met him, but kept it secret so that the wife and her son are safe from him and the rest of the world.

Oh, and Golden Age Joker is connected to Joe Chill somehow.

[cyberghostface]

For the latter I don't have a direct answer but 'Three Jokers' has been delayed for a while so maybe it was unintentional. As it is its continuity status is up in the air, Tynion already said it doesn't affect what he's doing.

[lucean]

...What? Seriously? That... So dumb. Jesus Christ, Johns.

I can't stress it enough that this comes out after Morrison's and Snyder's takes on the character and simultaneously with the Joker War story. And this is what Johns considers playing with the character.

[lucean]

Oh yeah, I always forget that it was pushed back, although I'm curious then why the publish it now as it had to be clear that this would be pretty much instantly ignored.

[cyberghostface]

Yeah. A lot of this miniseries doesn’t jive with continuity. I.e. ‘Hush Returns’ had the mobsters kill Joker’s wife.

I do think the idea of Joker trying to ‘heal’ Batman so he can be his greatest pain was interesting.

[lucean]

I agree that as concept it is interesting, but I also think that there's just been so much more interesting takes on how the Joker and Batman define each other. I don't mind ignoring Hush's Return, to be honest I had forgotten about that plot point, but the fact that it ignores so many defining stories to deliver this really uninspired take.

If it felt like this was really going for something big, then I could even see why, but I mean the remaining Joker doesn't even feel that insidious a threat here. He's just a raving, ranting lunatic.

[dan_ingram]

I think we can safely say that 'Hush Returns' is being ignored as canon ;)

[thanekos]

" We made a choice right from the beginning that we would base the look of our book around what Brian did in The Killing Joke, because why should his trashcan remain un-rifled through? "

[phantomfo]

So why did Batman ask the Moebius Chair what Joker's real name was, thus triggering the whole Three Jokers saga off to begin with, if he already knew the answer?

[cyberghostface]

Clearly but that’s just one example. Joe Chill is another. Johns and Fabok did another story back in 2015 where he was completely unrepentant as opposed to being remorseful here.

[mazway_75]

"A defined Joker? With a name and identity? That ruins the definition of me."

I do like Johns openly addressing the very complaints folks had when this was announced and Joker refusing to end the "game" by just killing or exposing Bruce Wayne fits.

[icon_uk]

One interesting talk between the Joker and Penguin aside, "Hush Returns" is just bafflingly bad, and seems written by someone who missed the entire point of The Killing Joke conceit..

[icon_uk]

I'm pretty sure that even Johns has said it's no longer in contnuity, which is a bit of a mess given the "Three Jokers" reveal was in a still in continuity story.

[superfangirl1]

Doesn’t the joker need batman more then batman needing the joker?

I wish the joker go into retirement for awhile.

[icon_uk]

Yes, that bit baffled me too.

Brian Bolland's style in The Killing Joke was amazing, and memorable and so is the last thing that someone should be aiming for in a new and supposedly seminal work.

[shakalooloo]

So, the Joker admits to all of this being a pre-meditated, intricate plan where he was fully aware of the consequences, and yet he still goes back to Arkham rather than prison?

[alicemacher]

Well, I'm caught up. And yeah, as cyberghostface said in his recent post on Issue 2, this was a missed opportunity to do something more broadly encompassing and meta with the Joker, by including the brutality-free goofy prankster version of the character. Instead, the three we got were all "kill maim kill" as usual. Dull.

I did find interesting the revisionist take on the pre-Joker Young Man from TKJ: i.e. that he was never a good guy just trying to support his family, but an abusive husband. In the original work, the Joker says he sometimes remembers his past one way, sometimes another. It'd make sense though, that his memories at any given moment would be significantly inaccurate, not to mention self-serving.

Also, I liked that neither Jeannie nor her child had to die in this version. Here Johns, whether he consciously realized it or not, emulated Moore in a more low-key way for once. I'm referring to the hint, toward the conclusion of From Hell, that Jack the Ripper's final victim, Mary Kelly, wasn't the Mary Kelly he'd meant to kill; rather, that Mary escaped to Ireland and started a quiet, peaceful family life.

Other than those points, however, this mini had an intriguing premise but in execution was a swing and a miss. Regardless of whether it was ever meant to be in continuity (whatever that means these days) or not.

[cyberghostface]

I didn’t really like the reveal. I’m not saying he should be Saint Joker but having him as a wifebeater takes away from the tragedy of the story.

That and it’s contrived in that it really only works because Joker fell into the acid on the same day he was told that she died. Otherwise he’s told that his pregnant wife is dead due to a freak accident but there’s no body?

[alicemacher]

Oh, I agree the original take on that backstory was superior, for the reasons you mention. But Johns's take still intrigues me as an alternate version of it and as an implied comment on the fallibility of memory, especially that of someone who's (take your pick) psychotic or sociopathic or both.

[lucean]

It is a weird choice as not only does it set in stone who this Joker was while arguing that doing so would go against what makes him the Joker, but also simultaneously simplifies the character in the Killing Joke to an unnecessary degree.

[nyadnar17]

I honestly have zero idea what Batman "needs" the Joker for. People who push that whole "two-halfs of the same coin nonsense" never actually explain how Batman's life becomes worse if Joker bites it.

[nyadnar17]

Wait....so Joker thinks Batman is actually bad for Gotham?

Or is Joker saying that Thomas and Martha wayne's death was what destroyed Gotham?

[lordultimus]

Oh, and Barbara and Jason are in love with each other or something.