The Three Jokers By Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok

[Frontier]

You don't really see Gordon wear a hat that much these days.

[bat39]

A thought occurred to me after reading the second issue solicitation.

spoilers:

Apparently the three Jokers are linked to someone from Batman's past. Could it be Joe Chill? They made it a point to establish in the first issue that Chill is alive and serving life at Blackgate, unlike most other continuities where he winds up dead. The 'Criminal' Joker killed off the Moxon crime family, who were tied to the Wayne murders and allegedly hired Chill. I could easily see some kind of reveal that the 'Criminal' Joker is involved in the Wayne murders somehow, if not being the actual triggerman.

end of spoilers

[HsssH]

Maybe Joe Chill is "the real" Joker?

[bat39]

Maybe Joe Chill is "the real" Joker?

Well...it is effectively what Burton did.

spoilers:

Another great candidate for Joker IMO is Alfred Stryker, the villain from the very first Batman story. If you think about it, his story ends with the typical Joker origin set-up - Batman punches him into a vat of chemicals and he's never heard from again. The 'Tec # 900 anniversary issue (I think) sorta broaches the subject.

end of spoilers

[Pohzee]

Well...it is effectively what Burton did.

Might Fabok's use of the 1989 suit be a hint here?

[JBarrett]

Well...it is effectively what Burton did.

spoilers:

Another great candidate for Joker IMO is Alfred Stryker, the villain from the very first Batman story. If you think about it, his story ends with the typical Joker origin set-up - Batman punches him into a vat of chemicals and he's never heard from again. The 'Tec # 900 anniversary issue (I think) sorta broaches the subject.

end of spoilers

That would make a lot of sense. The only issue is that the villain from the original version of the story didn't physically resemble the man who later showed up as Joker at all - which he wouldn't, since Joker hadn't even been conceived at that point and it would be more than a decade before the Red Hood origin first put in an appearance. But if Johns is taking cues from that one specific rewrite you were referring to, then it's certainly possible, since the man in question was redesigned to resemble what the Joker might have looked like before the chemicals.

[bat39]

That would make a lot of sense. The only issue is that the villain from the original version of the story didn't physically resemble the man who later showed up as Joker at all - which he wouldn't, since Joker hadn't even been conceived at that point and it would be more than a decade before the Red Hood origin first put in an appearance. But if Johns is taking cues from that one specific rewrite you were referring to, then it's certainly possible, since the man in question was redesigned to resemble what the Joker might have looked like before the chemicals.

If you assume that the man had some kind of plastic surgery in addition to being bleached, the change in appearance makes sense.

spoilers:

If they're going in that direction here though, you have to wonder how Ace Chemicals and the Red Hood fits in. Maybe that's the origin of the Comedian. The Criminal is Stryker, and he organizes the Red Hood Gang, selecting the failed comedian ('Jack') at a patsy. Then Jack has his encounter with Batman and coincidentially(?) falls into the vat of chemicals. Or maybe the Criminal manipulates events and ensures it happens that way, recreating the accident that created him. So the Comedian is born, but the Criminal keeps him away locked up or out of town or something while he begins his own career as the Joker publicaly. Its a bit messy, and I'm sure the writers can come up with a better story than this...

end of spoilers

[JBarrett]

If you assume that the man had some kind of plastic surgery in addition to being bleached, the change in appearance makes sense.

spoilers:

If they're going in that direction here though, you have to wonder how Ace Chemicals and the Red Hood fits in. Maybe that's the origin of the Comedian. The Criminal is Stryker, and he organizes the Red Hood Gang, selecting the failed comedian ('Jack') at a patsy. Then Jack has his encounter with Batman and coincidentially(?) falls into the vat of chemicals. Or maybe the Criminal manipulates events and ensures it happens that way, recreating the accident that created him. So the Comedian is born, but the Criminal keeps him away locked up or out of town or something while he begins his own career as the Joker publicaly. Its a bit messy, and I'm sure the writers can come up with a better story than this...

end of spoilers

Would cosmetic surgery change his body type, though? Even taking gastric bypass and a hair transplant into account, he still has a bigger frame than the Joker, who has always been drawn with a narrow frame (sometimes to the point of emaciation). But if the man in the rewrite figures as the "real" version here, then it's absolutely possible.

Still, in the comic book world, anything can happen. Perhaps the chemicals whittled away his fat and muscle and somehow reshaped his bones? It was suggested in issue one of Three Jokers that the three victims' facial bones were broken and reconfigured by the chemicals.

Either way, I like this explanation for the Criminal because of the way it brings things full circle:

spoilers:

that Batman created the Joker on his very first night out. Batman deliberately punched Stryker into the chemicals, too, unlike the Red Hood origin where it's generally implied that Batman didn't intend to kill him, but failed to save him after he punched/kicked/shoved him and the barrier gave way. Maybe that is Bruce's secret scar. The one and only time he acted as a lethal vigilante, the results came back to haunt him and the city over and over again, and that's the real reason he doesn't kill. It also ties in nicely with Morrison's idea that the Batman won't kill the Joker because he only - always - comes back worse. I also like the idea of Stryker Joker as the one who conceived the Red Hood gang - not only as a means of enriching himself, but also as a way of creating new Jokers to confound Batman all the more. With the Comedian being "Jack", the patsy and most tragic of the three, and the "Clown" being "Liam Distal" from Zero Year, who was already a sadistic gangster and likewise needed no encouragement in becoming the "worst" one. Or Liam Distal's switcheroo guy. The only obstacle being the fact that Batman has only ever had one documented encounter with the Red Hood. Maybe two people fell into the chemicals that night (Clown and Comedian) and Batman, as a result of the chaos going on around him, only noticed one of them.

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The Clown killed Jason and the Comedian crippled Barbara. So what impact did the Criminal have on Batman? I'd prefer it to be the burden of guit Batman carries over that night at:

spoilers:

Apex Chemicals - perhaps later renamed as Ace Chemicals?

end of spoilers

... as opposed to the Criminal turning out to be Joe Chill or otherwise instrumental in the murder of the Waynes. Batman might be able to sidestep feelings of guilt in the case of the Red Hood, as the barrier gave way or the guy flung himself in of his own accord (depending on who's telling the story), but with the other story ... not so much.

Jason wanted to kill his Joker, but maybe Batman feels the only way forward is to "unmake" his Joker somehow. That's the only way he can put things right without killing him.

[mr_crisp]

1) From what I have read so far the page layout is like that of Doomsday Clock.

2) Something I've been pondering. Could these three Jokers be from other worlds in the Multiverse? With the way the Multiverse has been broken and fixed so many times lately I wouldn't be surprised if pieces of one world end up on another.

[mr_crisp]

Is it me or does the "Leader" Joker look kind of old?

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Would cosmetic surgery change his body type, though? Even taking gastric bypass and a hair transplant into account, he still has a bigger frame than the Joker, who has always been drawn with a narrow frame (sometimes to the point of emaciation). But if the man in the rewrite figures as the "real" version here, then it's absolutely possible.

Still, in the comic book world, anything can happen. Perhaps the chemicals whittled away his fat and muscle and somehow reshaped his bones? It was suggested in issue one of Three Jokers that the three victims' facial bones were broken and reconfigured by the chemicals.

Either way, I like this explanation for the Criminal because of the way it brings things full circle:

spoilers:

that Batman created the Joker on his very first night out. Batman deliberately punched Stryker into the chemicals, too, unlike the Red Hood origin where it's generally implied that Batman didn't intend to kill him, but failed to save him after he punched/kicked/shoved him and the barrier gave way. Maybe that is Bruce's secret scar. The one and only time he acted as a lethal vigilante, the results came back to haunt him and the city over and over again, and that's the real reason he doesn't kill. It also ties in nicely with Morrison's idea that the Batman won't kill the Joker because he only - always - comes back worse. I also like the idea of Stryker Joker as the one who conceived the Red Hood gang - not only as a means of enriching himself, but also as a way of creating new Jokers to confound Batman all the more. With the Comedian being "Jack", the patsy and most tragic of the three, and the "Clown" being "Liam Distal" from Zero Year, who was already a sadistic gangster and likewise needed no encouragement in becoming the "worst" one. Or Liam Distal's switcheroo guy. The only obstacle being the fact that Batman has only ever had one documented encounter with the Red Hood. Maybe two people fell into the chemicals that night (Clown and Comedian) and Batman, as a result of the chaos going on around him, only noticed one of them.

end of spoilers

The Clown killed Jason and the Comedian crippled Barbara. So what impact did the Criminal have on Batman? I'd prefer it to be the burden of guit Batman carries over that night at:

spoilers:

Apex Chemicals - perhaps later renamed as Ace Chemicals?

end of spoilers

... as opposed to the Criminal turning out to be Joe Chill or otherwise instrumental in the murder of the Waynes. Batman might be able to sidestep feelings of guilt in the case of the Red Hood, as the barrier gave way or the guy flung himself in of his own accord (depending on who's telling the story), but with the other story ... not so much.

Jason wanted to kill his Joker, but maybe Batman feels the only way forward is to "unmake" his Joker somehow. That's the only way he can put things right without killing him.

So Batman would cure "his Joker" of the chemicals?

[king81992]

Is it me or does the "Leader" Joker look kind of old?

Yeah, he looks old compared to everyone else. I feel like there's another Joker pulling the strings. Johns is trying too hard to make us think that Criminal Joker is in charge.

[sifighter]

Is it me or does the "Leader" Joker look kind of old?

I think it’s intentional, he is as far as I can tell supposed to be based on the golden age first appearance of Joker.

[bat39]

I think it’s intentional, he is as far as I can tell supposed to be based on the golden age first appearance of Joker.

The Joker's been around for 'decades' in this continuity.

spoilers:

Lets assume its been around 20 years since Batman # 1. And let's assume for a moment that the original Joker did have something to do the Wayne murders. He's arguably have to be at least in his late teens/early twenties at the time of the murders. Early 20's makes more sense if he was a conspirator rather than just a gunman. Batman # 1 happens roughly 15 years or so after the murders, meaning that the Joker would have been in his mid-to-late 30's. And in the present-day, he'd be in his late 50's or close to (if not past) 60.

end of spoilers

So you see, it does all add up!

[Hypestyle]

so what is the ultimate resolution of this supposed to be? Expose "all" the jokers? Find out their secret identities, if any? Is there a full network of them like the League of Assassins from Ra's Al Ghul? Or possibly some type of perverted spinoff that went in their own direction?