The Joker: A Living Character

          Generally speaking, most of us are looking forward to Suicide Squad this August.  The trailers and marketing have all been very good, it looks to be a different perspective on the comic book movie genre, and it seems to be, for most, another chance for the DC Films.  But one of the most dividing factors is Jared Leto’s design as the Joker.  Ever since April last year this has seemed to be a greatly talked about design choice, with some people up for a new take on the classic villain, and others saying the departure is unneeded.  To be fair, I can identify with both sides.  I remember that upon release of the first Joker picture I didn’t know what to think.  I thought that most of the body tattoos were okay, but that the forehead, like most of you, was a bit overkill.  But after thinking about it, I realized that in a lot of ways the forehead tattoo won’t matter in the end, because in the movie other things would be happening in the background to distract.  Eventually after seeing the trailers, I realized that his design works really well, and that Jared Leto looks to give a very good performance in the film.  I really can’t comment on whether the film will be great or not, or if his performance will be great, I can just say that as a huge fan of the Suicide Squad from comics, Assault on Arkham, and Arrow (guys, that original picture really doesn’t do them justice, in the show they are a decent portrayal actually) I hope that this movie will be good.  But back to the Joker.

          Again, I realize that the design choice is very jarring, as the on the nose tattooing shows, as well as the lack of original purple suit, opting instead for shirts that are unbuttoned, or large colorful jackets.  However, I think I have figured out the best way to explain this design, based mostly on assumptions and cast interviews.  It has been stated that this Joker has been inspired by more recent gang culture and criminals, who more normally have tattoos, such as the tear drop, which takes place in the form of a J on Jared Leto’s appearance.  But why would they choose modern criminals as inspiration?  Why not go with a more classic look, as a lot of previous fan art has shown the design may work.  I have figured a few ways to answer this question actually.  The first reason being the universe they are in.

          In comic lore, the Joker is a yang to the Batman’s yin.  The Batman doesn’t dress in colors obviously, and takes his life and career as a hero seriously.  The Joker dresses very brightly, and enjoys crime and chaos.  That is the basic of their relationship.   Why does this matter?  Well looking back, obviously Batman was introduced before the Joker, and the Joker, intended to be Batman’s archenemy, was modeled as the exact opposite of Batman.  From earliest appearances, to TV shows, to the movies, and so on.  And as Batman progressed, he evolved.  In his original 1940’s appearances he had less regard for human life, eventually growing into a more and more moral absolutes person, and soon a more hardened and seasoned and intelligent hero, keeping up with the times.  Looking at today’s Batman, he didn’t begin showing up really until about the 1980s, when he was made darker and more disturbed, as the late 80s and 90s really went darker with heroes and antiheroes, as the later times required more dark and brutal tactics to keep crime down.  So the Joker, being the yang to Batman, evolved as well, into a more and more twisted and psychotic human.  And as Batman evolved to be a hero for modern times, Joker became a villain for modern times, in all media.  Looking at film appearances, Caesar Romero’s Joker was during a time when asylums weren’t in the best shape, and people that belong in them were stereotyped to be just loopy really.  Jack Nicholson’s Joker was a 1980s mobster, and his gang included mainly mobsters, enforcers and such.  His outfit even reflected that, with a darker royal purple suit, as opposed to a lighter purple to pink.  Notice how before the chemical spill he didn’t smile much, but after he was basically forced to.  That plays a big part, as the 1980s mobster was known for more sullen and serious attitude.  Him and his design only work because of the world he was in.  Moving on to Heath Ledger, I think that there is no way for me to truly why is that?  Because in The Dark Knight, there is no description of him to be given really.  There’s no reason for why he chose to wear a clown outfit, he just chose to, and that is the type of criminal at the time people were most afraid of.  He was the domestic terrorist whose only goal was to spread fear.  He was written post 9/11 and post Columbine/Virginia Tech, so he was updated accordingly.  Now for Leto: having worked in parts of Detroit, as well as watching the news, I have seen how people convicted of crimes choose to hold and present themselves.  In this film version of Gotham, shown in Batman v Superman, Gotham is modern day Detroit in appearance.  So it would only make sense that a gang leader hold himself accordingly.  Then look at the way that this Batman acts and is dressed, and you see that Leto’s Joker is the exact opposite of Batman, as he always has been.  As Joker is in many ways a living character, he needs to keep updated with the times, that is why I feel as though there is no definitive version of the joker, even in comic book lore.  Which brings me to Mark Hamill.

          I feel like I should preface this by saying I’m strictly talking about the character, not the voice performance.  People have always stated that Mark Hamill gave the best performance as the Joker in the animated TV show.  They have also equated this to being definitive.  But definitive and great are not synonyms, and no matter how great Hamill, I would never describe him as definitive.  Going back, Joker evolves with Batman, and is made to suit the Batman at the time.  Nicholson works along Keaton, Ledger with Bale, Leto with Affleck, and Romero with West.  And just as they pair up, Hamill’s version works with Conroy’s Batman, but not any other version.  Just as I couldn’t see Nicholson working alongside Bale (Bale would have him dangling off a roof just like any other gangster) and Ledger with Keaton (Keaton would throw him off a roof after Ledger blows up half of Gotham, honestly with Keaton probably helping), Hamill only works with Kevin Conroy as Batman.  Case and point: what is the worst thing that Hamill has done as the Joker?  It would probably be kidnapping, torturing, and brainwashing Tim Drake.  That is honestly evil and twisted, but it only works in TAS Universe.  In Under The Red Hood (both animated film and comic) that Joker wouldn’t have worked, as we already know the Mark Hamill Joker would have played with Jason Todd and tried to force him to join him, not kill him.  Other than that, his Joker was one to use laughing gas, poisoned fish, and just more cartoony/campy ways of “killing” (I don’t believe the animated series ever showed the Joker killing, except when the Joker himself died in Batman Beyond).  You really can’t plop Hamill out of there and throw him into any other world (the 1989 version being debatable) where the Joker throws arrow pens into people’s throats, blows up hospitals, or kills Jason Todd (again, speaking on the character, not the voice).  Plus, his design works again for the show, but wouldn’t work for a Batman like Bale or Affleck.
 

          So no design or character for the Joker is one size fits all ever.  Of course you will all have your favorite performances, and thankfully none have failed (knock on wood for Mr. Leto), but in reality he is a living character that must change with the times.  Leto’s design perfectly adapts the modern criminal, the type of asshole that would give heroin to a seven year old and laugh about it, or kill Batman’s sidekick for fun.  Again, I do realize that the design can be jarring, but it is necessary to keep on the tradition of growing the Joker with Modern Day Batman and keeping him a criminal that people in today’s world would shit their pants having met him.  And if you really believe that this Joker design is the worst thing ever, and that there isn’t any reason to modernize the joker like literally every other version, and that no design has done a worse job, do you really think this would work well visually with Affleck's Batman in today's world?
 

Also keep in mind that this was a thing for the last season of The Animated Series:

Where the hell is the color?????????????  Even the "dark and colorless" Snyderverse got his green hair!
 

Thanks for reading!