The Original Joker Is Still The Scariest Version of All Time
While the Joker has been reimagined by a vast range of writers and artists, Bill Finger and Bob Kane’s original iteration remains the scariest version. When he was introduced in Batman #1 (1940), Joker was depicted as a strategic serial killer who happened to wear clown makeup. Gotham City police were desperate enough to turn to the Dark Knight, as the mysterious murderer gave clues and warnings ahead of his crimes through the radio.
Casual fans might assume that the Joker was portrayed as darker throughout his comic book history in the DC Universe. Although his Silver Age depiction was often more interested in pulling pranks on Batman and Robin than truly terrorizing Gotham City, most versions of the Clown Prince have attempted to one-up each other in their sinister characterizations. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo recreated the Joker as a grotesque psychopath, wearing his own face as a mask. However, creators have yet to reinvent the iconic villain in a darker style than the one in which he was first introduced to readers.
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In Batman’s debut issue of his first self-titled series, the Joker targeted specific individuals throughout Gotham City, while relaying information through the radio. There was no backstory given for the Joker, as he was simply a serial killer who dressed as a clown. His appearance made it seem that he treated life and death as a game, consistently finding new ways to kill his targets. Police partnered with Batman to find the murderer before he struck again, as the Joker provided a timeline for his victims.
Similar to Matt Reeves’ The Batman’s characterization of the Riddler, Finger and Kane’s Joker found purpose in the game of his crimes.
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