The Next BATMAN “Epic” Event (DC Comics)

Following less than a year after the (admittedly successful) Night of the Owls Batman series event, DC Comics is unrolling yet another – and this one’s even bigger. It is, however, the return of the Joker, so it will undoubtedly be pretty epic (especially considering what happened to the psycho at the start of the New 52). Here’s what Scott Snyder told LA Times’ Hero Complex, when asked about the Joker’s relevance to the series:

“To me, he’s the greatest villain of all time, because what he does is he forces us more than any other villain in comics, and any villain I can think of in really any medium, to look at our own worst fears about ourselves. So that’s the power he has over his enemies, is that he looks at you with these very cold eyes, and he sees the things you’re most afraid of in yourself, the things you’re most afraid are true about yourself, and then he gleefully brings those things to life and makes a case as to why those things are the total of who you are, and why you’re no good. You know, we’re only as good as our villains.”

I’m not sure that all fans will be particularly happy with the extent of the series, and there will be inevitable moaning about “having to buy so many extra/more issues/comics”. Well, that’s true, if you must have all the issues. I’m sure (at least, I hope) the overall story will be written in such a way that it won’t be absolutely necessary to read every single one of the issues. I’ve included the publishing schedule below – although, the cover images available and included below may contain minor spoilers.

(Images of the Joker leaked months ago, much to the chagrin of Snyder and Capullo, so I figured because they were already out there – and also on DC’s website – it wouldn’t be a problem to include them in this post.)

The Joker Returns for “Death of the Family” (DC)

via iFanboy

Paul Montgomery has interviewed Scott Snyder over on iFanboy about the author’s plans to bring back the Joker to Batman. The giggling, maniacal super-villain has only played a minor role in the New 52 so far, but he is going to return in full force in Batman #13. Here’s what Snyder says about the Joker, his “favorite villain” ever since he started reading Batman. The Joker, who gives readers “a glimpse at how rich and psychologically deep and dark the Bat mythos [can] be”, also “exposes the darkest corners of Bruce’s heart.” Which is part of where the series gets its appeal. The Joker “revels” in his relationship to Batman, believing he has a “special bond” with him.

“He loves pointing out the pathology in Batman… In a way he’s like a demon on Batman’s shoulder… he’s an incredibly rich and wonderful, wonderful villain. As terrifying as he is, he’s everything I love about creating a villain in one package. To me, the greatest villains are the ones that really are your greatest fears about yourself come to life. the Joker revels in that in a self aware way. He knows you inside and out. That makes him consistently dangerous and deadly, both psychologically and physically.”