- Written by: Geoff Johns
- Illustrated by: Jason Fabok
- Colour Artist: Brad Anderson
- Letterer: Rob Leigh
- Cover by: Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson
Intro:
Throughout the history of DC Comics, Joker is without a doubt the most famous villain, perhaps in all of comics history. He’s twisted, maniacal, and terrifying, which is what makes him such a great character to read and watch. Of course as with all comic book characters, each fan has their own favourite interpretation, whether it’s the fun light coloured clown with all the silly gags and tricks, or the dark, twisted horror that shot Barbara Gordon in The Killing Joke. Either way, he’s undeniably an unforgettable villain with some of the best stories in the comics universe.
However, in recent years, people have begun to theorise that the different interpretations are in fact, different Jokers all together, and with DC’s multiverse theory this has been proven to be true, but what if some of those Jokers did exist in the same universe, in the same continuity as each other, that connect the troublesome past of Batman and his allies with what they initially assumed was the same villain with a makeover. What if there was more than one Joker?
That’s what Batman: Three Jokers explores, and it is one heck of a ride.
Plot:
Batman arrives home, wounded and in need of Alfred’s medical attention. In the background a new report claims that Joker is up to his usual crime spree, but this time, multiple eye witnesses place him in three different locations committing three different crimes around the same time as each other.
Whilst the news report continues, we get a glimpse of Red Hood and Batgirl in action, with snippets of their dark pasts in between to remind us of their individual tragic experiences with the Clown Prince of Crime.
Batman’s panels show us his many scars from his rogues gallery, many of which caused by Joker himself. Jason Todd a.k.a Red Hood, flashes back to his death at the hands of Joker wielding a crowbar, whilst Barbara recalls getting shot by Joker at point blank range. Why does the Joker do all this? Because he can.
There are bets on who the real Joker is but it doesn’t seem to matter to Batman, because he’s quite possibly already realised the horrifying truth. All of these Jokers are in control of their actions, meaning they aren’t merely victims of the Joker, they ARE the Joker, each of them.
This means that the three vigilantes must now team up to take on three versions of the world’s most dangerously insane criminal.
Writing and Art:
The plot to this book is insane, with plenty of action and some great dialogue, which changes a lot of what we think we know about Joker and the history of his crimes, along with the experiences that the Bat-Family have shared with him.
The art brings us the darker tones of books like Killing Joke, but the colours still jump out of the pages and give us plenty to admire whilst looking through each panel. Every scene has great detail and every page gives us a chilling and awe inspiring atmosphere that really throws us into this world. We take a trip down memory lane but with fresh new art to make it feel like it’s the first time.
Also can I just point out that this book has one of the best practical uses for Batman’s chest symbol that I’ve ever seen, and I love it. It doubles as a flashlight!
Overall:
Overall this book is incredibly well written and I cannot wait to see what happens next. I didn’t want to spoil too much with this review, and I assure you, I haven’t, because there are some great memorable moments in this first issue alone, and the finale is something that will blow your mind. I can already tell this trilogy of books will go down as one of the best series for Batman and Joker fans, as well as Red Hood and Batgirl fans.
Media Mallrat 
Leave a Reply