Joker (DC Comic)

An original hardcover graphic novel that tells the story of one very dark night in Gotham City—from the creative team behind the graphic novel LEX LUTHOR: MAN OF STEEL.

The Joker has been mysteriously released from Arkham Asylum, and he’s none to happy about what’s happened to his Gotham City rackets while he’s been “away.” What follows is a harrowing night of revenge, murder and manic crime as only The Joker can deliver it, as he brutally takes back his stolen assets from The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face, Killer Croc and others. Brian Azzarello brings to THE JOKER all the visceral intensity and criminal insight that has made his Vertigo graphic novel series 100 BULLETS one of the most critically-acclaimed and award-winning series in all of comics. Reviews “Disturbing, violent, oddly psychological and insanely wonderful.” – USA WEEKEND “If you liked “The Dark Knight,” Joker is a must-have for your bookshelf.” – MTV.com “Terrific and disturbing.” – THE VILLAGE VOICE “Building on Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight_(although long before the movie’s debut), Azzarello creates a memorably cringe-worthy story. Rather than a natty Clown Prince of Crime, this Joker looks like a glam rocker gone to toxic seed. Newly released from Arkham Asylum, he begins disorganizing the criminal establishment of Gotham City. Although he claims to want power and money when he confronts Two Face and his peers, he really seems just to enjoy playing with people-shooting them, setting them on fire or skinning them alive. Accompanying him is Jonny Frost, a young thug who takes a long time to recognize the drawbacks of seeing a vicious sociopath as a role model. Like Jonny, however, readers may find that, horrifying as the Joker is, they can’t take their eyes off him. Even Batman, when he inevitably enters the action, functions largely as the Joker’s partner in a dance of death. Azzarello has learned how to create a menacing, morally ambivalent atmosphere in his years of scripting _100 Bullets, and Bermejo’s jagged, shadow-saturated art sustains the mood. The result is fascinating but extremely dark.” Publishers Weekly

Author Biography

Brian Azzarello has been writing comics professionally since the mid-1990s. He is the author of Jonny Double, Batman- Broken City, and the Harvey and Eisner Award-winning 100 Bullets, all created in collaboration with artist Eduardo Risso. Azzarello’s other work for DC includes Hellblazer and Loveless with Marcelo Frusin; Dark Knight III- The Master Race with Frank Miller, Andy Kubert, and Klaus Janson; Superman- For Tomorrow with Jim Lee; Joker and Luthor with Lee Bermejo; Sgt. Rock- Between Hell and A Hard Place with Joe Kubert; Filthy Rich with Victor Santos; and most recently the all-new ongoing series Wonder Woman with Cliff Chiang.

Lee Bermejo began drawing comics in 1997 for WildStorm Studios in San Diego at age 19. He collaborated with acclaimed writer Brian Azzarello on the graphic novels Joker and Luthor, and worked with writer John Arcudi on the Superman feature in Wednesday Comics. He has also worked on Hellblazer with Mike Carey and Global Frequency with Warren Ellis. Bermejo has illustrated the covers to the line of Vertigo Crime graphic novels, beginning with Filthy Rich, written by Brian Azzarello, and Dark Entries, written by Ian Rankin. Bermejo has lived in Italy since 2003.