History ComicBook / Joker

* {{Deconstruction}}: WordOfGod states that the series was meant to make the Joker scary again, after all the anti-heroic and idealized traits he'd acquired by fans. Specifically, the book came out soon after ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' had come out. For everyone who treated Ledger's Joker as a DracoInLeatherPants, this book stands as a harsh rebuke, reminding everyone that despite how "fun" or "cool" the Joker's chaos is, he's still evil and you absolutely should not idolize him.

* [[ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames ''Noir'' Graphic Novels Don't Use Codenames]]: Oswald Cobblepot is never addressed by his real name or his criminal identity, The Penguin. Joker only ever refers to him as "Abner" as a sign of disrespect.
** GeniusBonus[=/=]MythologyGag: The Joker's fat henchman from ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' was named Abner as well. Maybe Joker just really likes the name "Abner."
** Another possible interpretation; in this more 'realistic' take on the Batman mythos, the Penguin is basically a very short man. He's little, in other words. Or, to put it another way, [[ShoutOut he's]] [[ComicStrip/LilAbner Li'l [Little] Abner]].

* {{Stripperific}}: InvertedTrope: Harley Quinn, who briefly acts as an actual stripper, gets on stage and ''puts on'' her Harley costume.

If you wanted the page for the character, [[ComicBook/TheJoker that's here]].

** Jonny has similar delusions. He believes he's the Henry Hill to Joker's Jimmy Conway and realizes too late that he's living with a psychopath that will destroy him the second he feels like it.

** Joker's insanity, while in most continuity it makes him CrazyAwesome who clearly enjoys the mayhem, here it shows just how bad his psyche is and the downside he has, mostly depressions and anger issues, and how he is just as vulnerable as any men.

[[caption-width-right:250:"The Joker has been released from Arkham Asylum."]]

''Joker'' is a 2008 one-shot graphic novel written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo, focusing - [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just like it says on the tin]] - on ComicBook/TheJoker, everyone's favourite MonsterClown. The story is done in a DarkerAndEdgier, FilmNoir style and is told by a naive young criminal named Jonny Frost who yearns to be a big man in Gotham. So when (for reasons nobody seems to know) SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker is released from Arkham Asylum and sets out to reclaim the city for himself, [[ViolationOfCommonSense Frost decides he wants in.]] [[HilarityEnsues Carnage Ensues]]! Along the way, they bump into the Riddler, Two-Face, the Penguin, Killer Croc, Comicbook/HarleyQuinn and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} the B-man himself]].

* RealityEnsues: Two-Face's goons are suddenly chasing Joker's gang and open fire at them. Jonny goes off-road, crashing the car with him and Joker inside. Jonny even points out that he always thought he'd never go down without a fight, but it turns out that when someone bumps your car and starts shooting at you with a one second notice, you go down easy.

* FilmNoir: This is pretty much Film/GoodFellas starring the Joker.

* ShoutOut: The unexplained briefcase Joker gets from the Riddler is a shout-out to ''Film/PulpFiction''.

* RealityEnsues: Two-Face's goons are suddenly chasing Joker's gang and open fire at them, Jonny goes off road crashing the car with him and Joker inside in one page. Jonny even points out that he always thought he'll never go down without a fight but turns out no, someone bump your car and start shooting you with one second notice, you go down easy.

* OnlySaneMan: Deconstructed with Jonny. Joker admitted he keeps him around because he more down to earth than he is, but the book goes out of its way to just how absurd it is for a sane man to be around these people.

* BoomHeadshot: Jonny shots one of Harvey's cops in the face and saves Joker's life. The perspective makes it look like the hole takes up half his face.

* BatmanGambit: The premise is that Joker, somehow, gets out of Arkham through the front gate, it's suggested but never said whether in fact he was legally released. Later, he intimates to the Riddler that this was a sham.

* BreakTheHaughty: Jonny, a good way to see it is in the artwork where at the start he is always standing tall next to Joker, smoking a cigarette, pulling his collar,smugly smiling and all but short to flex at people when he enters the room. Near the end he looks scared, aimless and depressed.

* TheVoiceless: Harley Quinn doesn't get a single line despite doing some thoroughly awesome stuff.

''Joker'' is a 2008 one-shot graphic novel written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo, focusing - [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just like it says on the tin]] - on SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker, everyone's favourite MonsterClown. The story is done in a DarkerAndEdgier, FilmNoir style and is told by a naive young criminal named Jonny Frost who yearns to be a big man in Gotham. So when (for reasons nobody seems to know) SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker is released from Arkham Asylum and sets out to reclaim the city for himself, [[ViolationOfCommonSense Frost decides he wants in.]] [[HilarityEnsues Carnage Ensues]]! Along the way, they bump into the Riddler, Two-Face, the Penguin, Killer Croc, Comicbook/HarleyQuinn and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} the B-man himself]].

If you wanted the page for the character, [[SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker that's here]].

* BigShutUp: Joker to Jonny, accompanied by a punch to the face, when he's thoroughly disgusted by Jonny.

* {{Deconstruction}}: WordOfGod states that the series was meant to make the Joker scary again, after all the anti-heroic and idealized traits he'd acquired by fans.
** Specifically, the book came out soon after ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' had come out. For everyone who treated Ledger's Joker as a DracoInLeatherPants, this book stands as a harsh rebuke, reminding everyone that despite how "fun" or "cool" the Joker's chaos is, he's still evil and you absolutely should not idolize him.

* EvilIsCool: [[DefiedTrope No! No, it isn't!]]

* MoodSwinger: The comic goes to great length to show how dangerous it is to hang around a guy who go from homicidal rage to depression to cheery. One moment Joker is drinking with a henchman who organized a party for him, the second he is skinning him alive and stick a dollar on his ass.