Broken Frontier

Tying in with the success of The Dark Knight, the Joker is spotlighted in this gritty crime drama from writer Brian Azzarello.

Through unexplained circumstances, the Joker has been released from Arkham Asylum. During his absence, his territory has been stolen by local mobsters and super-criminals. This is something that the Clown Prince of Crime plans to remedy. As he seeks to reclaim what is his, we are given insight into the villain’s twisted mind by his henchman Jonny Frost, a pale-skinned career criminal with more ambition than common sense. Along the way, Jonny crosses paths with Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Two-Face. But no one is more frightening than Jonny’s own boss and his nihilistic view of the world.

Gotham City has always lent itself well to the gritty crime noir approach, as evidenced by series like Gotham Central and the Christopher Nolan Batman films (which this graphic novel appears to be emulating). For the most part, Joker captures this atmosphere successfully, giving us a glimpse of daily life in Gotham’s underbelly, from the grimy streets and back alleys to the strip clubs, mob-controlled restaurants, and meat lockers that serve as a front for bloodier business. Through the character of Jonny, Azzarello tells a compelling tale removed from the usual POV of Gotham’s heroes. Here, the city’s darkness is not a force to be combated but an opportunity for advancement for anyone driven or crazy enough to embrace it. There is of course a price, which Jonny learns only too well. Exacting that price, the Joker remains the unpredictable agent of chaos he has always been. Azzarello’s Joker fluctuates through bouts of manic depression, pure sadism, and wild abandon. It’s an interesting mix that makes it difficult to anticipate the character’s actions (always a plus in a Joker story) and which gives him more complexity than simply being a killer clown. Azzarello’s Joker seems to have deep-seated insecurities and rage that he hides behind his cackling persona, using the fear he engenders to manipulate and control those around him.

Other aspects of Azzarello’s story are a bit more hit-and-miss. He captures Two-Face’s dichotomy well, showing both personalities’ outrage at the Joker’s flaunting of the rules. Killer Croc is presented as a burly enforcer, a welcome change from the deformed cousin of Marvel’s Lizard he’s morphed into in other series. The tattooed pimp-like Riddler is an unusual take on the character that may be trying a bit too hard to reinvent him for a crime drama though. Penguin, for reasons that are not entirely clear, is referred to as "Abner" (I wasn’t sure if this was a deliberate change, a reference to something, or simply an error on Azzarello’s part. If the latter, it’s one that an editor or a quick trip to Wikipedia could have solved). Additionally, it’s never explained how the Joker secured his early parole from Arkham. Granted, the how of it is not as important as what he does once he’s free. But the book makes a big deal of the fact that it was a release, rather than an escape, and this becomes a dangling plot thread as a result.

Nowhere is the influence of the Nolan films more evident than in Lee Bermejo’s art. His depiction of the Joker bears the same carved rictus-grin and disheveled hair as the Heath Ledger version. He also takes a similar real-world approach to the designs of the characters, grounding them in a plausible world. Other than a few deformities and that wacky guy in a bat costume, this story could almost be a straight-up crime film. Bermejo’s art is rich with detail and realism and the somber color scheme of Patricia Mulvihill sets the tone. Mulvihill makes use of a fascinating technique which shifts between normal comic book coloring and a painterly style that highlights moments of drama or extreme lighting. This lends a nightmarish quality to certain moments.

The finer details of the story need a little work but on the whole, Joker is a worthy interpretation of one of comics’ greatest villains.