THE JOKER Returns In ‘BATMAN’ #13, I Nod And Want To Hug Snyder.
Hell yes. I’m madly in love with Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run on Batman in the rebooted!, relaunched!, totally New 52! Seeing as I’m drinking their delicious honeyed nectar, how can I not be stoked they’re handling the return of the Joker?
CBR:
Since the launch of DC Comics’ New 52, Batman has taken on the Court of Owls. He’s survived the wrath of Mr. Freeze. Now, it’s time for the Joker to return to Today, DC announced that Batman’s arch-nemesis will take center stage in “Batman” #13 as Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion take on the Clown Prince of Crime in the upcoming “Death of the Family” storyline. The announcement is accompanied by an appropriately gruesome image by Capullo depicting the carved-off visage of the Joker held in front of a face with chilling blue eyes, smiling in the darkness.
The Joker’s first New 52 appearance saw him captured in the pages of “Detective Comics” #1, and issue that ended with Batman’s archnemesis voluntarily allowing the Dollmaker to carve off his face while incarcerated in Arkham Asylum. Snyder and Capullo depicted The Joker in “Batman” #1 — although the issue later revealed it to be an undercover Dick Grayson using holographic technology. It’s unknown whether The Joker will return with his classic look or an altoether new face, but either way, Snyder is eager to put his own mark on one of the most famous comic book villains.
“Joker is my favorite villain of all time,” Snyder told The Source. “Not just in comics. In everything – film, books, TV. He’s the greatest, hands down. So this story is something extremely important and personal to me – something I’ve been building in my head ever since I started working in Gotham. Basically, this is my big exploration of the Joker, my ‘Arkham Asylum’ or ‘The Killing Joke,’ only bigger in scope. Bottom line: it’s the biggest, baddest, most shocking Joker story I could tell. This is Joker completely unleashed. He has been away for a full year planning this revenge, watching, plotting, setting things up. And now he’s back. He has his traps set, his knives sharpened… And wait ’til you see him. Greg’s sketches literally gave me chills. Point blank: This is Joker like you’ve never seen him before. He has a mission. He has a secret. And he has a serious axe to grind with Batman. It isn’t going to be pretty, but it’s going to be a wild ride. Thanks for taking it with us.”
“When Scott told me that he’d written a Joker story for our next arc, I couldn’t contain my excitement,” said Capullo. “Talk about a dream come true! For me, the Joker is the ultimate rogue and the villain I most wanted to draw. I gotta tell you, after hearing what the story is about, this isn’t a dream come true. It’s a nightmare! A macabre and bloody, flesh crawling nightmare. We hope you’ll have the nerve to face what’s coming. Warning: It ain’t for the faint of heart!”
Fuck yes.