New Year's Evil

Getting ready to celebrate the New Year this New Year's Eve, with New Year's Evil #1 (February, 2020) with a cover by Jim Cheung, as the Joker, Reverse Flash, Bane, Black Manta, Sinestro, Harley Quinn, The Batman Who Laughs, Cheetah, Brainiac and Gorilla Grodd are raring to go with more evil next year....

...and stories inside featuring the Joker, Toyman, Sinestro, Poison Ivy, Ares, Black Adam, Calendar Man, Chronos, the Prankster and Harley Quinn...all with either a Christmas or New Year's theme.

Dealing With The Joker

Back in the later 1960s, Joker had just become another clown that Batman faced.

But, he was due for a revival in a big way, and here is a look at two of the issues that established the new normal (if Joker could ever be considered normal) for the Clown Prince Of Crime well until the Crisis On Infinite Earths...

The Joker's Five-Way Revenge

Here, in Batman #251 (September, 1973), by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams, this team did to the Joker what they had been doing with the Batman...took him back to his roots.  While still having the clown motif, Joker was also shown to be much more of a homicidal killer as he methodically worked his way through 5 of his ex-henchmen.

Also important here, is that the Joker establishes that he enjoys his battles with the Batman...

Death Has The Last Laugh

In Brave and the Bold #111 (February-March, 1974) by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo, the unlikely idea that Batman and Joker team up happens (especially with the new norm just established in the Joker's last appearance above).  Still, it happens, as Joker lets Batman know that he was innocent of murdering a family, and the two work together to find the killer.

Still, as always, the two spar and there's a twist at the end.

But these two appearances set a tone for the Joker, as well as giving him more comic exposure, leading to the introduction of Arkham Asylum in Batman #258 (October, 1974) where a Two-Face rivalry was established, as well as Joker's 9 issue series which kept the Joker in the public eye...but, sadly, the Joker series ended before its tenth issue could be published due to low sales, because the series missed one important fact...the Joker needs Batman to be successful, it was their epic battles fans wanted, not just the Joker's murderous mirth.

Judge Joker And His Jury

What happens when criminals take over the government?  

Why, you have events like this in Gotham, where the Joker is both judge and jury, holding trial over Batman!

The Joker Jury!

Here, in Batman #163 (May, 1964) by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris, Joker's attempted crime was stopped by the Gotham Fire Department, but gets free thanks to the Department of Public Works.  This helps Joker on a crime spree using city services, with the Sanitation Department, Department of Roads and Highways, leading Batman and Robin to his castle trap...which puts the Dynamic Duo in front of Judge Joker and his Joker Jury (Joker's henchmen acting like their boss).  Of course Batman can't get a fair trial under this system, and he is found guilty.  With a little trickery and help from Robin, they get free to stop Joker from robbing a Batman themed charity event, in this, the last regular Batman story before Batman's "New Look: debuts!

 

Remembering Artist Dick Sprang

Remembering Batman artist Dick Sprang (July 28, 1915 to May 10, 2000)...

...with the Detective Comics covers featuring Batman and Robin's 1940s battles with the Joker....

...because we all need a smile today!

Detective Comics #85 and #91 (March and September, 1944)

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Detective Comics #102 and #118 (August, 1945 and December, 1946)

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Detective Comics #128 and #149 (October , 1947 and July, 1949)

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He did some stunners for Batman as well, but we'll cover those later!

Holy Friday The 13th Batman!

Long before Jason went to camp, the Joker was causing mayhem on Friday the Thirteenth, but here, he seems to be giving Batman and Robin all the laughs, on this Batman #40 (April-May, 1947) cover by Jack Burnley and Charles Paris. 

Quite an unlucky time for the clown prince of crime, by walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror and crossing the path of a black cat!

Wanted Signalman, Clock King, Puppet Master, Joker, Penguin, Trickster

E. Nelson Bridwell was a fan of comics, and an editor at DC.  He loved old comics, and had a bit of success with reprints of heroes fighting villains in two issues of DC Special.  They proved popular enough to warrant the title Wanted -- The World's Most Dangerous Villains!

The first two issues #1 (July-August, 1972, with cover by Murphy Anderson) and #2 (September-October, 1972, with cover by Nick Cardy will be covered now!

Signalman Of Crime

First up, the first story in the first issue is from Batman #112 (December, 1957) by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff and Charles Paris (though this story isn't featured on the original cover by Sheldon Moldoff) which introduces the Signalman!

Phil Cobb was a small time hood who wanted to make it big leading a gang in Gotham....so, inspired by the Bat-Signal, he became....the Signalman!  Vexing Batman and Robin with crimes based on symbols, Signalman fought on land, air and sea before the Dynamic Duo put him in prison, where he joined a different gang.

Signalman would return a few times, then got a revival in the 1970s, being in the feature in an issue of Detective Comics that featured the Calculator, and being a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains that faced the JLA/JSA.

The Crimes Of The Clock King

Next up from the first issue of Wanted is the story of the Clock King from World's Finest Comics #111 (August, 1960) by France Herron and Lee Elias (though Superman and Batman featured on the Curt Swan/Sheldon Moldoff cover of the original issue).

Clock King started his crime spree in costume all over Star City, using time and clocks as the focus of where he would strike.  Green Arrow and Speedy figured this out and where he would strike next, and, after defeating Clock King's giant hourglass trap, captured the villain!

Clock King appeared next working with the next villain and a few others in an issue of Justice League of America (reprinted in giant size) as a Green Arrow villain, and then got a name for his alter ego (William Tockman) and motivation in an issue of World's Finest, then appeared in Crisis On Infinite Earths where he made enough connections to join the Injustice League during Invasion! along with Major Disaster and Multi-Man! 

Menace Of The Giant Puppet

The last story reprinted in issue one is the last story of Green Lantern #1 (July-August, 1960) by John Broome, Gil Kane and Joe Giella (with a knock out of a cover by Kane/Giella), featuring the premiere of the Puppet-Master.

Oddly, the story begins with Carol Ferris, Hal Jordan's boss, who is playing puppet games of her own, thinking how she can win the heart of Green Lantern (not knowing test pilot Hal IS Green Lantern).  Then, Green Lantern deals with some odd burglaries where criminals are robbing banks, but not under their own free will, during parades (where Hal fights a giant float as well...which is like a giant puppet).  Green Lantern continues to track down the Puppet-Master, who is using a hypno-ray to get criminals to steal for him.  Carol wins a date with Green Lantern, but Puppet-Master tries his hypno-ray on Green Lantern, dragging him away.  Thanks to Hal's willpower, he beats the Puppet-Master, and takes him to jail (and faces Carol's wrath as Hal).

Puppet-Master returns with Captain Cold and others working for Doctor Destiny, then returns as the Puppeteer (a name hinted at in the original appearance) to face the Teen Titans (including Cyborg, Raven and Starfire) for H.I.V.E. (and gets an alter ego, that of Jordan Weir).

Knights Of Knavery

The first story of the second issue features a Golden Age tale from Batman #25 (October-November, 1944) by Don Cameron, Jack Burnley and Jerry Robinson (under an unrelated cover by Dick Sprang), with twice the fun...a team up of the Joker and the Penguin!

Batman and Robin put Penguin in jail, but, there, he meets the Joker, who has hatched a plan to get the two of them free, which is a sweeping success.  Free, the two villains plan to get revenge on Batman and Robin (who become aware of the villains), but also need cash, so plan to steal the Van Landorpf Emerald (and this is the competition to determine which of them will get to remain in Gotham.  Batman uses the gem to lure the villains into a trap, but, they both appear, and, though reluctantly, do work together to escape.  The villains keep the alliance going, and are successful as a duo, even capturing Batman and Robin, but that proves their downfall, as the Dynamic Duo turn the villains against each other, allowing the heroes to capture them!

Joker's origin was reprinted as well in a Limited Collectors' Edition, while it took a while to get an origin for the Penguin (a story for a later time).

The Trickster Strikes Back

The second story of the second issue was from Flash #121 (June, 1961) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, under a cover by Infantino/Giella, and is the second story that the Trickster appeared in, as he tried to disconnect the Flash's phone line!

James Jesse is able to use a children's toy to fly free from prison, and, after reviewing his file, reporter Iris West checks in with her beau, police scientist Barry Allen about a date tonight as well as the Trickster (with Barry going off as the Flash to catch him).  After speeding around Central City, Flash tracks down the Trickster (who plays a few practical jokes on the Flash first).  Trickster puts the Flash through his paces, but eventually gets caught.  All this running gives Barry Allen sore feet....which makes him unable to dance with Iris West on their date!

Trickster's first appearance was first reprinted in a Flash Giant, and the Trickster would return again and again to vex the Flash (including two Flashes in his next appearance), as well as later facing Black Lightning and Blue Devil, as well as joining the Secret Society of Super-Villains.

These weren't the only issues of Wanted -- The World's Most Dangerous Villains, and Bridwell had even teased future team-ups in the letters' page of issue number one, as well as answering letters on 100 Page Super-Spectaculars, which were full of reprints, though not necessarily with villains, like the two DC Specials that led to this issue!

Holy Bill Finger, Batman!

Remembering the late Bill Finger on his birthday (February 8, 1914 - January 18, 1974).

Bill Finger was a writer, who provided many of the inspirational ideas to Bob Kane's outline of Batman that helped make Batman a success....like the cowl, cape, gloves, the blue/grey color scheme, and even the Bruce Wayne name!

Unfortunately, his penchant for research did not make Bill Finger a quick writer, nor did Bob Kane have him included on creator credits for Batman (only noting his contributions after Bill Finger had passed).

Still, Bill Finger did write many important Batman stories, introducing Robin, Joker, Catwoman, Riddler, Penguin and Two-Face, as well as the Batmobile, Batcave...

...and even naming Gotham City!

Much later, Bill Finger introduced readers to Ace the Bat-Hound, Bat-Mite , the first Bat-Girl, Calendar Man, the second Clayface , even Kite-Man and Zebra Man, and gave Batman his two biggest trophies:  the Tyrannosaurus Rex and giant Lincoln penny (a hallmark of Bill Finger stories was battles on oversized items).

Bill Finger also did other work for DC, writing early issues featuring the Golden Age Green Lantern, Wildcat, and creating Lana Lang in Superboy. Some of his last work on Batman was in World's Finest Comics, working with Superman (there he created Moon Man and Atom-Master, among others).

Even better, Bill Finger wrote the two episodes of the second season of the Batman 1966 TV show featuring the Clock King, giving him his first writer's credit on a Batman story....and the TV show Gotham, got his name listed as co-creator of Batman!

DC Special Wanted Joker Luthor Sinestro And More

Wanted -- The World's Most Dangerous Villains!  

And they were!

Joker, Luthor, Mirror Master, Sinestro, Shadow-Thief....this issue of DC Special, (#8 of July-September, 1970) was a chance for editor, E. Nelson Bridwell, to put together stories of the greatest villains of the DC Universe, all under a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

So, as villains are quite impatient folks, let's get at them!

Joker-Luthor, Incorporated!

First up is the second team up of Luthor and Joker in World's Finest Comics #129 (November, 1962) by France Herron, Jim Mooney and Sheldon Moldoff, under a cover by Mooney and Moldoff.

Joker started to work Metropolis, bringing Superman into the mix.  Joker had some help from Luthor, with Lex using a new ray beam to turn Superman into a stream of atoms.  Batman and Robin show up, but the villains escape.  The villainous duo, inspired by success, try again, transforming Superman again, with the Dynamic Duo unable to stop the villains alone.  The third time, Superman had figured out the villains plan, capturing a disguised Luthor before he could grab the loot, allowing both villains to be captured.

Luthor and Joker would have their individual origins reprinted later in a treasury edition.

Who Doomed The Flash?

Next up is a bit of a mystery for Flash #130 (August, 1962) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, with cover by Infantino and Murphy Anderson.

Central City seemed to be plagues by many of Flash's old villains, but, when Barry checked up on each of them, they were all still in prison.  Tracing back the connections of his foes, the only name in common was attorney Paul Bennett.  Investigating him, Flash came to be knocked out.  Putting on a Flash costume, Bennett goes to break out Mirror Master, who was the mastermind behind this scheme.  Working his way freem from a trap Mirror Master put him in, Flash goes and defeats the villain and free the lawyer from Mirror Master's control.

This story sets up for the eventual team up of Flash's Rogues.

The Day 100,000 People Vanished

This story by John Broome, Gil Kane and Joe Giella from Green Lantern #7 (July-August, 1961, under an original cover by Kane and Giella), sets up major storylines for Green Lantern Hal Jordan!

After the population of Valdale vanish, Green Lantern goes to investigate (as he had business there as Hal Jordan, but was delayed).  While on his way there, Hal's astral form is summoned by the Guardians of the Universe, who tell him the tale of the renegade Green Lantern - Sinestro - who tried to take over his own space sector of 1417, until the Guardians stripped him of his ring, and banished him to the anti-matter dimension of Qward, where Sinestro came to work for the Weaponeers of Qward.  That was why the population of Valdale was taken, in an attempt to get at Hal. 

Returned to his body with memories intact for the first time, Hal gets to work to trying to attract Sinestro's attention by making the citizens of Coast City disappear.  Hal is successful, as Sinestro brings Green Lantern to Qward.  Thinking Hal helpless, Sinestro is surprised when Green Lantern uses his ring against him.  Green Lantern makes a deal with Sinestro, himself and his ring for the citizens of Valdale. 

Sinestro sends them home, with Green Lantern in a yellow bubble trap, waiting for his ring charge to deplete in 24 hours.  Green Lantern is able to use his ring to speed up the Qwardian clock, making them think his ring was decharged, and after being let out of the bubble, uses the ring to escape.


Sinestro would return, uniting with other villains over time, and even gaining a special yellow power ring of his own.

Shadow-Thief Of Midway City!

Last but not least is the last of the introductory stories of the Silver Age Hawkman from Brave and the Bold #36 (June-July, 1961) by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert (with original cover by Kubert), introducing Hawkman's main Silver Age foe.

Katar and Shayera Hol were being recalled to Thanagar to give their report on Earth, when a shadow started to rob banks in Midway City.  Becoming Hawkman and Hawkgirl to investigate, they also were unable to beat the Shadow-Thief.  Investigating, they found that he was Carl Sands, a low level thief, fascinated by light, who found a way to another dimension, and meeting Thar Dan there, got an invention of his that would allow Sands to become a shadowy being. 

Problem was, over use of the device would plunge Earth into an ice age, but Sands was unconcerned about Thar Dan's warnings.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl do figure out that gravity still works against him, and find away to suspend him in air, so that he has to get rid of his Dimensionmeter to save his own life, which also saves the Earth from an ice age.


Shadow-Thief would also return with other villains, in both the Injustice Gang of the World and the Secret Society of Super-Villains (both with Mirror Master), to menace Hawkman and the Justice League of America over the years.

Plus, in addition to those stories, there was a page dedicated to A Gallery Of Batman's Deadliest Foes, and one to Flash's Rogue's Gallery (which had appeared before, in 80 Page Giant Magazine #4 from October, 1964).  All in all, a nice start to what would be a longer series focusing on DC's villains.

Last Laugh For An Old Joker

While a lot of attention has been given to heroic doppelgangers, the bad guys haven't necessary gotten their equal due.


So, today, in fairness, a quick little look at the elder statesman of crime, the Golden Age Joker!

Beginnings

The Joker first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring, 1940 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane) with a pair of stories, returning multiple times (starting with Batman #2 of Summer, 1940, meeting with Catwoman), and continued to menace the Dynamic Duo for well over a decade.

To be fair, sources have picked different issues for the last Golden Age appearance of the Joker, but the most logical seems to be Batman #80 (December-January, 1953/1954), as the next issue has the first appearance of the Earth-1 Two-Face (as evidenced by the fact that Harvey was remade into Two-Face in this issue, and an appearance in Superman Family stated that the Earth-2 Harvey Dent had never had his surgery undone).

JLA/JSA Crossover

Be that as is may, the definite first appearance of an Earth-2 Joker (which is to say, an appearance of the original, Golden Age Joker after Earth-1 and Earth-2 where named and set) was in Justice League of America #136 (November, 1976)...


...where a semi-retired Batman and Robin, the ex-Boy Wonder worked with the JLA, JSA and Squadron of Justice (heroes of Earth-S which didn't belong to the Marvel Family like Ibis the Invincible, Spy Smasher, Bulletman and Bulletgirl) against villains united by Captain Marvel's old foe, King Kull, such as Dr. Light, the Shade and the Weeper.

The story, "Crisis On Earth-S" by E. Nelson Bridwell, Marty Pasko, Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin didn't really show much different in this Joker than his Earth-1 counterpart...

...other than that he was an age appropriate analog for the older Batman of the Justice Society of America (though he did have a little more of Dick Sprang look to him, at least on the inside of the book, than the current, more Jim Aparo, thin look which was on the cover by Ernie Chan and Frank Giacoia).


He barely even appeared in the issue...

....just a mild distraction for a couple of pages, as he was working with the Weeper.

Joker Vs. The Batman's Daughter

The Earth-2 Joker pretty much remained incarcerated during the 1980s, at least until after the death of Batman. 

The Joker did return, to face Batman's daughter, the Huntress (Helena Wayne), in a run of her back up stories from Wonder Woman #280 to #283 (June to September, 1981, in stories by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton and Steve Mitchell).

The first story, Wonder Woman #280 (June, 1981), didn't have much in it, as Huntress was concluding her battle against Lionmane (a foe that had forced Helena's mother, the Catwoman, out of the criminal business), but, the battle began in earnest in Wonder Woman #281, as Huntress investigated what Joker did to Harry Simms, and then, the Joker also got his toxin into Commissioner O'Hara as well!

Helena took some time to try to track down the Joker via the ingredients in his toxin in Wonder Woman #282, as well as taking a trip back to her childhood home, Wayne Manor.  There, she hope to come up with an idea to stop the Joker.  Meanwhile, back in Gotham, the Joker himself made an interesting discovery....that, his eternal foe, the Batman....may still be alive????

Yes, a showdown was about to happen....a battle royal between the original Batman and original Joker in Wonder Woman #283.....or was it?  Using the Bat-Signal on police headquarters, Joker hoped to lure Batman to him.  Huntress came because of the alarm in the Bat Cave under Wayne Manor, and was able to defeat the Joker (thus retrieving the anti-toxin to save Simms and O'Hara), with "Batman" watching.

But, who was that "Batman"?  Here's a hint (and he appeared in the next issue in his usual identity).

Last Laugh

The Earth-2 Joker had his last appearance, finally accepting the death of Batman, in Brave and the Bold #200 (July, 1983) by Mike W. Barr, Dave Gibbons and Gary Martin in "Smell Of Brimstone, Stench Of Death".



The Joker, ever the instigator, is the roommate of the mostly comatose since the 1950s Brimstone (Nicholas Lucien), a villain who faced the Earth-2 Batman and Robin in a cleverly made flashback tale (though he felt much more like a 1960s TV Batman villain, with a flame motif), but fell into a coma after his first battle after being battered around by Batman, only waking up in prison after the Earth-2 Batman was dead.

Joker inspired him, perhaps unintentionally, to switch Earths, and try to enact his vengeance on the Earth-1 Batman (as Joker made him so mad that Lucien was able to project his mind into his Earth-1 doppelganger), in what was the closest to a team-up of the Earth-1 and Earth-2 Batmen.


This also allowed the Joker a bit of a legacy, inspiring an evil which could even cross Earths, all before the Crisis On Infinite Earths!

Superman Meets The Joker

It's Batman's best friend vs. his worst enemy...Superman vs. the Joker!  To be fair, Superman and the Joker did fight before these two issues, but these were the Bronze Age tales that had Superman and the Joker going at it without Batman interfering!

Let's take a look back at the magical, pre-Crisis days, to when the Man of Steel fought the Clown Prince of Crime without the Darknight Detective!

DC Comics Presents 41

One of the best battles (and team-ups?) of Superman and the Joker happened in DC Comics Presents #41 (January, 1982) by Marty Pasko, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Frank McLaughlin (with a cover by Ross Andru and Dick Giordano) with "The Terrible Tinseltown Treasure-Trap Treachery".

Joker breaks Superman's foe, the Prankster out of prison, with the idea the two of them will team-up to take the movie prop collection of deceased comedian Jerry Travis....while Superman calls Alfred to deal with this, as Batman is injured (and while Robin can't keep Batman from his Gotham patrols, Alfred did hide Joker's antics from him).  Problem is, Prankster also double crosses Joker and kidnaps Perry White in California, so Superman has to work with the Joker to save Perry!

Superman does, and realizes how insane the Joker really is (and of course, Batman learns of Alfred's deception as well, but never meets with Superman or the Joker in this issue).  

The title also premiered Wonder Woman's new stylized "W" breastplate!

DC Comics Presents 72

Where do you go from up?  You add a few characters (like Phantom Stranger) and give us DC Comics Presents #72 (August, 1984) by Paul Kupperberg, Alex Saviuk and Dennis Jensen (with a cover by Saviuk and Giordano), dealing with "Madness In A Dark Dimension".

Superman comes home to Metropolis to face a storm...which has an extradimensional origin, and is targeting him!  The Phantom Stranger explains that it is an old foe of his (Maaldor the Darklord) who had faced Superman twice before (once with Power Girl, once with Madame Xanadu), and that Superman will need help to stop this evil being who can now command the power of an alternate dimension.  That power was driving Maaldor mad, so who crazier than the Joker to help?

Superman and Joker head into Maaldor's dimension thanks to Phantom Stranger's help, and as the stresses of this dimension work on Superman's sanity, Joker begins to steal Maaldor's infinite power to save the Man of Steel by weakening Maaldor.  Joker does, though he eventually tries using the power against Superman, at least until the duo return to their home dimension, where Joker finds he couldn't keep the power.

This tale is unique in it is the first time Superman faces Joker without Batman (or another full-time JLAer).

In case you are wondering, Superman and Joker first met way back in World's Finest Comics #88 (May-June, 1957), fighting with Batman and Luthor (who had a few more battles together).

Joker even teamed up with Bizarro as well for one issue!

Later, in a run of Superman comics in 2000, Superman and the whole DC Universe had to deal with a Joker with infinite powers, as ran through Superman #160/161, Adventures of Superman #582/583, Superman: The Man of Steel #104/105, Action Comics #769/770 and the one-shot Superman: Emperor Joker #1, all collected in a tradepaperback in 2007 and 2016. but it was the freewheeling Bronze Age days that helped inspire these tales!