#Joker: the World

[bloodymary83]

It’s Jazz Stup*d!

“Joker the World” is being released September 17,2024. I’m excited about this because it is going to showcase stories from different artists and writers all over the world. Different countries do have different versions of the character. I remember back in the 90’s in China the Joker was more of a mischievous trickster. This is because the comics were primarily targeted toward children. Earlier this year DC finally released Batman/Dylan Dog for American audiences which was originally a Spain release. The Joker was written to be a character that although vile you still had some sympathy for. I am excited to see what version each country has. I’m hoping for multiple covers to be released. I really want the “It’s Jazz Stup*d” cover.

[fractualized]

Alright, I wanna say more about Joker: The World other than flagging misprints (only one I saw, fyi), so here's a little round-up!

🃏 United States: "Epilogue is Prologue" Writer: Geoff Johns Art: Jason Fabok

Of course we kick off with a Three Jokers epilogue like oh my god why are you doing this to me stop trying to make three Jokers happen Johns what did we ever do to you

For a 6-page story, I could bitch a lot about it, but maybe in a separate post. Generally, it got an eyeroll from me because I am out of patience, but if you're into Three Jokers and/or really love Fabok's art, maybe it'll be one of your reasons to pick this book up.

Anyway, onto something new and engaging!

🃏 Spain: "Spring Break" Writer and Artist: David Rubín

Spain features Joker on a little vacation, with the narration being from a postcard he's writing to Batman. He talks about the corruption of this city, and how it makes him homesick, but not for the reason you'd first expect.

I liked this one! Put it in the plus column!

🃏 Germany: "No Jazz" Writer: Torsten Sträter Artist: Ingo Römling

This is my favorite art! Colorful lil Joker managing his big thugs and throwing them out windows. I had a hard time picking one panel. But besides that, it has a fun story that credits Joker for the conditions at Wacken Open Air, a heavy metal music festival, in 2023. The music is not to his taste. :(

Another plus!

🃏 Italy: "Strategy of Tension" Writer: Enrico Brizzi Artist: Paolo Bacilieri

This one is similar to the Spain story in that we have Joker on a vacation of sorts in Bologna, where he teaches a class on storytelling. His students protest against the government, and after one bloody day, Joker decides the authorities deserve "the fruits of their madness."

More on the philosophical end, had me pondering, another good one.

🃏 Brazil: "City of the Mad, Cemetery of the Living" Writer: Felipe Castilho Artist: Tainan Rocha

Arkham Asylum is franchising, and to prove they can handle the inmates, "Colônia Arkham" in Santana da Mantiqueira is accepting a transfer of the Joker. While there is sentiment against the facility, comparing it to the horrors of Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, there are also crowds outside the new facility to welcome Joker. Joker is basking in his fandom until his barber relates how the old Colônia manufactured madness instead of resolving it.

This is the third story with Joker contemplating horrors and corruption outside himself, and it's refreshing against all the stories where he personally is The Worst Thing Ever. Thumbs up.

🃏 Mexico: "The Wrestler" Writer: Alvaro Fong Varela Artist: Oscar Pinto

In Mexico, we're dropped in the middle of a festival, but the story revolves more around Joker's beef with a local wrestler, Ocelotl. Ocelotl was unable to complete a job for Joker, it seems, and Joker is offended that he sent his son to report the failure instead of appearing himself. And you know things end badly when you've irked Joker.

I'm kind of neutral on this one. I like the art, but the story is middling and drops in a "lesson" for Ocelotl at the end. The Batman stinger gave me a chuckle, though.

[7] Czech Republic: "Kafka, Beer, Semtex" Writer: Štěpán Kopřiva Artist: Michal Suchánek

This is a contender for my favorite story. Candidates for the Czech Joker (shown above) are interviewed by a panel overseen by the original, and each one explains their philosophy behind their crimes. Joker's choice in the end isn't particularly surprising, but the candidate's stories are fun and the art is dynamic.

Plus column!

🃏 Turkey: "Fool's Bootblack" Writer: Metin Akdülger Artist: Ethem Onur Bilgi��

In Istanbul we go back hundreds of years, when Ezekiel Arkham is among the Europeans visiting the city to take pieces of it back home. Like many westerners, he's been invited to a theater performance that night, and the Jester is encouraging his squad of shoe shiners to polish the shoes of all the patrons. The Mad Bat knows he's up to something and sweeps him away for interrogation.

Another neutral. I like the scheme, and I had to laugh when the Mad Bat's attempt to interrogate without a beating fails fast, but the story feels drawn out and the ending didn't really land for me.

🃏 South Korea: "Copycat" Writer: Inpyo Jeon Artist: Jaekwang Park

The Czech Republic tale introduced others taking on Joker's mantle, but this is the first story where other Jokers are fully center stage for a copycat spree in Busan. (And the original Joker does not make a showing.) Our protagonist is a cop who tries and tries to talk them down, but eventually the copycats become familiar with him, turning him into a target.

I'm on the fence about this one. The art is great, but it treats Jokerism like virus which… eh.

🃏 Argentina: "Funeral" Writer: Matías Timarchi Artist: Germán Peralta

In Buenos Aires, the story is also not about Joker. We follow a boy who grows up as part of his father's hooligan gang. He tries to take his father's position, but he's beaten down and not taken seriously— until he finds inspiration in stories of a homicidal clown in Gotham City.

On the fence about this one too. It's interesting how the protag's story isn't so different than the variations we've seen of Joker getting involved in crime early in life, before the vat, but it also leans into the issue of defining Joker more by outlandishness than by humor. You could see Joker himself remarking on that difference, but the story ends before that opportunity.

🃏 Cameroon: "Black Therapy" Writer: Dr. Ejob Gaius Artist: Bertrand Mbozo'o Zeh

In Cameroon, the protagonist already works as a clown, and he's frustrated by the lack of respect he receive in his community. But he's guided by a book, ominously titled Breaking the Chains of the Mind, into searching for the moment he can claim his salvation.

I had trouble connecting the dots on some details in this one. It's also another "spreading Jokerism" story that leaves me with more questions than the South Korea story. Joker is actually involved in this case, so it's part of a plan and not a virus, but… what is the plan? I don't think any of these stories are slotted for continuation, so it's just a case where it ends and you're like, well OK, I guess those answers are never coming.

🃏 Poland: "The Royal Jester" Writer: Tomasz Kołodziejczak Artist: Jacek Michalski

In Wawel Castle, Joker admires the painting of Stańczyk, from one of those memes you kids like. After the tour guide explains the painting's significance, Joker lingers behind to steal it, but he's foiled by Zawisza, a Black Knight with less patience for the clown than the Dark Knight.

It was nice to dig back into Joker himself as the book nears its close. His reasoning for why he finds the painting so attractive that he traveled to Poland is as lofty as you'd expect for him. There's more scene setting than necessary at the start, but by the end, I really liked this one.

🃏 Japan: "The Unfunny Joke" (Chapter 1 of Joker: One Operation Joker) Writer: Satoshi Miyagawa Artist: Keisuke Gotou

It's disappointing that this anthology closes with a reprint instead of a new story. And I've read all of One Operation Joker! I had a good time! But come oonnnnnn.

That said, look, you got Joker trying to care for Baby Batman. What better silliness and unexpected heartwarmth could you want?

🃏

Unevenness aside, I liked seeing these takes on Joker from writers across the world, whether they were about the character himself or the way his influence may reach far beyond Gotham City. (Except for the Three Jokers thing. Stop it. Stop it.) If you're a Joker fan, I say pick this book up.

And maybe I'll finally read the entirety of Batman: The World now! After I finish going through the Duke Thomas comics. And finally get back to Batman RIP. Ohhh and I still gotta start Knightfall! And

[smashpages]

‘Joker: The World’ will feature creators from 13 countries

The anthology will arrive in September, just in time for Batman Day.

[animusrox]

World’s Finest, Part III Superman: The Animated Series

[graphicpolicy]

The Clown Prince of Crime heads around the World in Joker: The World including the first African Joker

The Clown Prince of Crime heads around the World in Joker: The World including the first African Joker #comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel

[axoqiii]

🦋 whichever path you choose

[satoshy12]

It took a while to notice, but Batman, like other heroes, noticed that there were fewer villains? So Batman tried to find out why, but in the end it was the Joker who told him.

The Joker:" Ah, I will not be a cheat like the rest, Batman. They found a new hero and moved on, but I stayed loyal". Batman learns that most of his not-so-evil villains have left their city to join the new hero.

+ Amity Park looked at the new people and just accepted them. They always had them in their city, from day one.

Danny likes to fight them! They're fun, and ironically, they make sure people don't get hurt when he fights Ghost.

+ The Rouge, like the little Hero. He has no idea about the outside world, which the town has made sure stays that way, and people treat him normally. Just don't attack them and we don't care about your past. Get a new job or not. Live well.

[ezra-and-the-sun]

Supernatural at 2?? Scott Pilgrim at 4?? FUCKING HOMESTUCK AT FIVE??

Average Tuesday night for tumblr in the year of our lord 2024.

[gravitysoda]

refusing an impossible wish and settling for one last game of chess.

[bet-on-me-13]

Danny kills the Joker. Every Joker.

So! As the King of the Infinite Realms, Danny has to deal with the complaints of his subjects a Lot.

Some of them want to suggest changes in certain Laws, others complain about other Ghosts who wronged them, but by far the most common reason was that they died in a violent manner and wanted revenge.

And by far, the main person they sought revenge for was the same person. A guy known as The Joker.

But unfortunately, as the Infinite Realms was connected to multiple Universes, many of those Complains were about different Jokers from alternate Universes. And there were so many of them that he couldn't really just kill a few of them and call it a day, at least some of his subjects would remain Unavenged. And that just wouldn't do!

So he just decided to do away with the whole lot.

Danny began to Personally Hunt Down every single version of the Joker in the Multiverse. Or at least the part of it that was connected to the Realms.

Unfortunately, the news that some ungodly eldritch being being was hunting the variants of the Joker across the entire Multiverse did not go unnoticed. Quickly enough, news spread across the Multiverse that somebody had decided to do away with the Clown that had been such a consistent thorn in the side of most Universes.

Eventually, that news reached the Main DC Universe, and got to Batman.

One day Batman was approached by Justice League Dark about the situation. They had managed to intercepted an Interdimensional message about what was happening, and decided to inform Batman ahead of time.

Now he had a choice.

Either he could try to stick by his Morals and protect even the Joker's life from an unknown force out for his life, or he could let it happen and absolve himself of the blame for the Jokers death.

It didn't help that for the past few days Jason had been in such a good mood after hearing about the Jokers impending Death.

He didn't really get to see Jason smile like that often...

...decisions, decisions...

[fractualized]

PSA if you wanna pick up a copy of Joker: The World. Misprint in the Turkey story. :(

[essayofthoughts]

Genuinely, I think one of the most fun and crunchy things about any character is

How far they will go for things they want

What they will do to get things they want

Things they won't do, no matter how much they want what they'd get in exchange

Because these things tell you some very important things about the character, namely their limits, their price, and their absolute No's. (And it lets you create some really REALLY crunchy conflict)

[secretidentie]

I've heard people talk about how gothamites probably assume the Waynes are in the mob and I think it would be funnier if that made more people (including villains) want to be in their good graces.

Goons often try to make a good impression when they're assigned to kidnap a Wayne coz they want to gain their respect while others hide so they don't get a hit put out on them. More then once a goon has brought a CV with him to kidnap Bruce coz he heard the mob pays well. Bruce just gives them jobs at WE.

The penguin would definitely want to form connections or make deals with them. When Bruce insists he isn't a mob boss Penguin thinks he's either playing dumb or he's just being used to launder the money and one of his kids is actually in charge. Tim definitely plays into the crime boss persona sometimes and is Penguin's primary suspect for the ring leader. Jason is offended that no one thinks he "gives off crime boss vibes" and almost reveals his identity in frustration.

Joker's people have also either try to hire them or form a partnership with the Waynes to get more manpower but batman always ruins those schemes prematurely. This isn't particularly unusual for batman to do but the fact that it's a near guaranteed fail indicates that there might be a mole working for Wayne, perhaps the butler, but they don't know enough about the Wayne's businesses and power to throw around baseless accusations. Besides they much prefer working with local trustworthy rogues like Matches Malone anyway.

The only villain really mad about this is Lex Luther coz now Bruce has more money, hair AND street cred then him.

[methoughtsphantom]

Danny adopts Jason and Dan kills the Joker au

Danny adopts Jason not because of the pit but because he sees how hard the guy goes after the Joker. At first Danny thinks nothing of it, but then Jason gets all the core vibes typical of wanting to avenge something. that would be fine except Jason is a bby ghost and the thing he wants to avenge is his own’s death. It’s a feeling Danny almost didn’t have to struggle with, being that a portal killed him (except it was the reason he immediately went to have beef with anyone that crossed the portal. They were essentially aided with the device that killed him and that made him feel… threatened? Frostbite didn’t explain it all that well) so yeah here’s Danny having a bit of a heart attack because the Red Hood is actively seeking to be in the same room as his murderer which baby ghosts are not allowed to what the fuck. He personally won’t do it, (cause he’s never killed someone) but he’s not above asking his older brother Dan to do it.

Danny: think of it as a favor I’m asking of u

Dan: it’s murder, that way surpasses a favor

Danny: 🥺 i’ll buy u a donut

Dan:

Dan: make it a half a dozen and you’re on

[regonold]

Danny sadly can't do anything to the joker for legal reasons as now he's the ghost king he can't "interfere with the affairs of mortals"

Truly sad so danny makes a diplomatic visit to the ancient of laughter and accidentally leaves a portal open whilst heading back to his home dimension and accidentally opens it in gotham whilst the fake clown was pulling some scheme

Letting the true clowns and ancient of laughter come through to lay the smack down on joker was a total accident

And he definitely didn't notice when joker was pulled through to tge realms by sait ancient of laughter

Truly he didn't mean for this to happen oh well

Or

Due to not being allowed to kill the joker danny due to laws of the realms and he's supposed to be impartial to the mortal realms

Danny visits the ancient of laughter aka the clown king and just so happens to accidentally leave the portal open for clown warriors to deal out cosmic justice on the false clown prince of crime

[afterthelambs]

i adore Maruki as a character because he's simultaneously the most relatable depressing character that will make you cry with empathy, and the goofiest wettest cat loser in the game like what do you mean youre a licensed therapist and your first response to trauma is to brainwash a girl, project ur relationship issues onto a 17 yr old boy, and then rule the world in a golden leotard? bro went from 0 to 100 so fast??? anyway he's like 30% of the reason why p5r works as well as it does