Warning: contains a preview of The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #3!To get into the holiday season, the Joker has found himself a festive Christmas disguise. One of the variant covers for The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #3 features the Clown Prince of Crime dressed up as Santa Claus. Despite the festive nature of the winter season, this is pure nightmare fuel, as befits the Jester of Genocide.
The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing features the titular villain after the events of The Joker, as he seemingly terrorizes the nation. He is up to new, violent antics, which comes as no surprise… except to the Joker, who awakens after being shot in the head to find a new Clown Prince of Crime embarking on ambitious crimes while claiming to be the original. The series follows the latter Joker as he attempts to solve the mystery of his doppelganger, with even the reader not knowing for sure which is the real version. The series began in October and the third issue has just released. One of the covers for the latest issue has a fun twist on the Joker that is perfect for its December release time.
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Drawn by Lee Bermejo, The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #3’s variant cover places Joker in the role of jolly Saint Nick, as a crying little boy dressed as Robin with a Batman action figure sits on his lap. The image brings to mind Joker’s darkest moment – beating and killing the second Robin, Jason Todd, who was later resurrected as Red Hood. Joker is indiscriminate in the death and devastation he causes, making any image of him alongside children deeply creepy. The issue has the creative team of Matthew Rosenberg, Francesco Francavilla, Carmine Di Giandomenico, and Arif Prianto.
The Joker is Prepared For Any Season
This variant feature blends the best and worst of the Joker, while also bringing back the villain’s festive holiday spirit. Gotham’s top villain has always had a fondness for outrageous disguises, and this one certainly fits the bill. The cover also includes a decorated Christmas tree and a poor child who has the misfortune of being dressed as Robin with the sidekick’s ultimate nemesis. This isn’t the first time the Joker has been in the Christmas spirit, as many fans will likely remember the Batman: The Animated Series episode “Christmas with the Joker” which originally aired in 1992. That episode featured Joker kidnaping Gotham’s local law enforcement amidst a slew of holiday-themed crimes for Batman and Robin to thwart. The episode is a classic for the Christmas season, making this variant cover an extra special treat.
The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #3 will feature Jason Todd hunting the titular villain as he goes on his cross-country crime spree, but the vengeful former Robin has yet to learn that there’s a second Joker who may be the one who actually attacked him. For once, Joker is on the back-foot against DC’s vigilantes and his own pretender, but whatever’s happening inside the comic, Bermejo’s haunting cover makes it clear that no-one should want to tangle with the Clown Prince of Crime – even at Christmas.
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The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #3 is available now from DC Comics.
