Like "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" the Joker was based off of an earlier issue of The Shadow.
Bob Kane's Joker is more fleshed out than the character appearing in The Shadow's Grim Joker, and whereas the first issue of Batman was a brief imitation of another story, the Joker is enriched. The story too covers a wider scope than Police HQ and Crime Scenes.
This issue begins with an older couple listen to The Joker as he publicly broadcasts his threats. The murders themselves are again very similar to the style of deaths in the beginning of "The Partners of Peril" but there is something to showing an old couple listening to the radio, the mob boss reacting in public to The Joker's kills, that adds depth to Gotham.
Also the language used in the comic is great, very period. (Haymaker) And some of the fight scenes read like boxing matches, which is no longer the same popular, widely broadcasted sport.
From this new creation of the Joker, the Joker's public announcements continue with the character. In the Burton movie Jack Nicholson, as The Joker, holds a parade to deplore his gas, in The Animated Series Christmas episode The Joker holds a special broadcast taking over all radio stations, and in the most recent movie, "The Dark Knight," Heath Ledger as The Joker announces, like in this comic, who he will kill in advance, and eventually sets public threats, bombing a hospital, and threatening two boats full of people. This public threat and his games, challenges, and wagers, are what really make the character. As a mortician running a crime circle in "The Grim Joker" the character was just strange. The Jokers disguise as the chief of police in this episode is awesome, in "The Grim Joker" the Joker full time acted as one of the members of the crime investigators. I like that the Joker in this simply drugged the real chief police. So much simpler, impulsive.
Chloe,
ReplyDeleteJust a reminder -- if was never really proved that the JOKER ORIGIN STORY from Spring 1940 was based on THE SHADOW's GRIM JOKER, unlike BATMAN #27 (May 1938), the first Batman story was (i.e., based on the PARTNERS OF PERIL. The story commentary before GRIM JOKER asks the reader to draw his/her conclusions.
You mentioned that you liked the language used and that is was very "period." I would enjoy if you gave some examples of what phrases or language YOU liked.
Good spot concerning the fight scenes looking like boxing matches. BOXING was very popular until television took over just after WW II. Jewish boxers were very popular and many of the comic book writers and artists in the late 1930s and early 1940s were Jewish and often went to the boxing matches. I did a whole project concerning the history of Jews in Boxing, so I am well familiar with what sports Siegel, Shuster, Eisner, Kane, etc. liked.
Cynthia
Cynthia,
ReplyDeleteMy favorite dialogue from the piece was a line with "Haymaker" in it. And that's interesting about the Jewish Boxing information, and makes sense, a lot of comics like Daredevil have boxing scenes in them. I never would have thought more about it.