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Joker (graphic novel) (view source)

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[[File:Joker_series_3796.jpg|frame|"[[Oh Crap|The Joker has been released from Arkham Asylum]]."]]
 
''Joker'' is a 2008 one-shot graphic novel written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo, focusing - [[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|just like it says on the tin]] - on [[The Joker]], everyone's favourite [[Monster Clown]]. The whole story is done in a [[Darker and Edgier]], [[Film Noir]] style and is told by a naive young criminal named Jonny Frost who yearns to be a big man in Gotham. So when (for reasons nobody seems to know) [[The Joker]] is released from Arkham Asylum and sets out to reclaim the city for himself, [[Violation of Common Sense|Frost decides he wants in.]] [[Hilarity Ensues|Carnage Ensues]]! Along the way, they bump into [[The Riddler]], Two-Face, the Penguin, Killer Croc, [[Harley Quinn (Comic Book)|Harley Quinn]] and [[Batman|the B-man himself]].
 
There's a lot of visual similarities between this version of the Joker and the one presented in ''[[The Dark Knight]]''; [[Word of God]] chalks this down to coincidence. The original title of the comic was even ''Joker: The Dark Knight'' (in the same vein as the partnership's previous graphic novel ''[[Lex Luthor Man of Steel|Lex Luthor: Man of Steel]]'', which is a fun companion to this work) but that had to be scrapped for obvious reasons.
 
It's tremendous fun to imagine the Joker speaking in [[Heath Ledger]]'s voice, though.
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* [[Incredibly Lame Pun]]: The Joker owns a strip club called the "Grin and Bare It".
* [[The Ishmael]]: Johnny Frost, or "Johnny Johnny" to Joker.
* [[Justice Byby Other Legal Means]]: Not used, but mentioned gleefully when {{spoiler|the Joker discovers that ''both'' of Harvey Dent's personalities are married, since, much like [[Al Capone]] with tax evasion, Dent could be put away for bigamy}}.
* [[Kick the Dog]]: For Joker, it's {{spoiler|raping Shelly and murdering a completely random couple in their home}}.
* [[Laughing Mad]]: Jonny ends up laughing deliriously at one point.
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* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: The Riddler shows up in a single scene and generally comes off as the most competent and awesome criminal in the book.
** Batman also only appears in about four pages, and aside from the word "Us?" he has exactly one line. [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|And it is awesome.]]
* [[Only Known Byby Their Nickname]]: Oswald Cobblepot is never addressed by his real name or his criminal identity, The Penguin. Joker only ever refers to him as "Abner" as a sign of disrespect.
** [[Genius Bonus]]: The Joker's fat henchman from ''[[Dark Knight Returns]]'' was named Abner as well. Maybe Joker just really likes the name "Abner."
* [[Properly Paranoid]]: Joker always thinks ''someone'' is watching him.
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'''Joker:''' "Lights? Heh heh heh HA HA HA HA! Those lights? They're pin pricks... in the dark. ''He's'' out there. You know that Jonny? Right on the other side of this window... watching me." }}
** See [[Viewers Are Geniuses]] below. He has good reason.
* [[Rape Asas Drama]]: {{spoiler|The Joker rapes Shelly, Jonny's ex-wife.}}
* [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]: Basically the plot of the story is that the Joker is out to get back his criminal empire and get revenge on those who screwed him out of said empire while he was in Arkham.
* [[Scary Black Man]]: Killer Croc is reimagined as a scary black man with sharpened, shark-like teeth and a scaly skin condition.
** ...which is ''exactly what he's always been''. It's just that his skin has become worse over the years.
* [[Shout -Out]]: The unexplained briefcase Joker gets from the Riddler is a shout-out to ''[[Pulp Fiction]]''.
** Also featuring a "The End is Nigh" poster on page 30, which is something of a shout-out to former ''Batman'' writer [[Alan Moore]] and the [[Watchmen (Comic Bookcomics)|Watchmen]].
* [[Slasher Smile]]: The Joker, of course.
* [[Stripperific]]: Harley Quinn, who briefly acts as an actual stripper.
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* [[The Voiceless]]: Harley Quinn doesn't get a single line despite doing some thoroughly awesome stuff.
* [[Viewers Are Geniuses]]: About five pages in, right when the Joker is strolling out of Arkham and looking back at its battlements. Take a look at the gargoyle in panel two. Then again in panel four. Miss something?
** {{spoiler|"[[Shout -Out|Now]] ''there's'' a [[The Dark Knight Saga|Batman]]!"}}
* [[Wrong Genre Savvy]]: Harvey Dent seems to think he's living in ''[[Casino]]'' or ''[[Goodfellas]]'' or some other crime-[[Film Noir|Noir]] drama, with himself, naturally, at its head. The Joker cuts his arm open for it.
** Jonny has similar delusions.
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