Warning: Spoiler Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #2One of the Joker’s most famous nicknames is the Clown Crime Prince, but it turns out that title isn’t entirely accurate.
Of all the characters in the comics, Joker probably has the most versions and reimaginings. He is considered everyone from a goofy bank robber to a sadistic psychotic killer. three clowns Try to distinguish the different versions of the Joker’s plot between the comedian, the criminal, and the clown.
backup story Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #2 Authors Matthew Rosenberg and Francesco Francavilla focus on a rather interesting incident in the clown’s life. Joker faked his own death and held a funeral where many villains attended and spoke about him. Joker does this so he knows what all these villains really think of him. It all started when Joker was stabbed in the head by the Batmobile. He’s not happy when people laugh at him for it. His minions point out that his job is to make people laugh, to which Joker replies that he wants people to laugh with him, not with him.
The clown prince of crime is not a clown
At first glance, this seems reasonable. With all the emotional and mental turmoil the Joker has, he certainly doesn’t want people to laugh at him. But when they think back, fans will realize that this mentality directly contradicts who the Joker is. He was supposed to be a clown, and a clown was supposed to make people laugh. In fact, making people laugh at them is central to what the Joker is supposed to do. Clowns dress silly and do silly things to make people laugh at them.
The fact that the Joker doesn’t want people to laugh at him means he can’t be the Joker. He wants people to laugh, but only in his terms, under his control, is this quite controlling and antisocial. If so, then he’s probably more of a comedian. Comedians want people to laugh with them, that’s what clowns say, and comedians happen to be one of three types of clowns. three clownsAlso, in one of Joker’s many origin stories, he’s actually a stand-up comedian. So while the nickname “The Clown Crime Prince” is pretty cool and branded, the Joker is much more than a clown.
Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #2 Now available from DC Comics.