I picked up The Joker - Clowned Prince of Crime because frankly I always wanted to read these offbeat Bronze Age tales of Batman's top baddie. The Joker is the only comic book villain aside from possibly Lex Luthor who is at all well known by non-comic book folk. Thanks to Heath Ledger's striking performance, the Joker most folks know today is properly mad, murderous, and capricious, but not perhaps as madcap, gleeful, and outright zany as the wonderfully lithe pasty-faced baddie I grew up on.
No one in my opinion ever drew the Joker better than Irv Novick, whose style was perfect for the lanky villain. Novick draws most of these stories in this collection and he's the reason I mostly want to spend some quality time with one of the worst people in pop fiction.
Rip Off
Again, Rip, you and I seem to have the same shopping lists!! My copy should be arriving via Amazon any day now. Thanks for the head's up!
ReplyDeleteDoug
You're very welcome. I find DC comics from this time to be a ton of fun. DC was a my favorite company for a few years here when they had all sizes of comics with loads of heroes.
DeleteRip Off
Wow.. didn't know this was available in tradeback.. Must buy.
ReplyDeleteI was going to start collecting the vintage issues.
Glad you can finally read these issues. Enjoy!
DeleteRip Off
I got an email from our drone-delivering friends at Amazon -- my copy will be on my doorstep by Thursday!
ReplyDeleteDoug
Anticipation is most of the fun in this hobby.
DeleteRip Off
I saw this book in my local comics shop (Forbidden Planet) last week and was tempted to buy it. However, I have the first two or three issues of the title and I don't recall it being particularly memorable. I may well get it 'though, just to recapture a slice of the '70s.
ReplyDeleteThe stories aren't earth-shaking, just solid examples of Bronze Age DC. The talent is rock solid on this brief run.
DeleteRip Off