When it comes to unpredictable characters, there are few that fit the description more than the Joker. Joker has continually re-invented himself over the years to make sure no one can ever truly know who or what he is. Despite this being one of his major appeals, Superman pointed out with one insightful insult that this doesn’t make the Joker mysterious or dangerous — it makes him horribly boring and shallow.
The Joker has changed wildly over the years and no interpretation of him is the same as before. The Joker started off as a serial killer, became a harmless prankster for a while, then went back to being a serial killer, and, in the future, the Joker could be something else entirely. Despite him appearing in thousands of comics, dozens of movies, and a few animated shows, no one version of the Joker is exactly the same as the other.
While this idea has been explored in comics — and is also one of the reasons the Joker is such an enduring character — it seems that Superman isn’t impressed. With one brilliant insult Superman calls out not only the Joker but most of pop culture as well.
Superman Pinpoints the Joker’s Flaw
This absolute verbal beat down is featured in Adventures of Superman #14 by Max Landis, Jock, Lee Loughridge, and Wes Abbott. This story takes place early in both the Joker and Superman’s careers, and it details the first time Superman meets the Joker. The Joker is still trying to figure out this whole “supervillain” thing and decides to plant bombs all over Metropolis. Naturally, Superman doesn’t take kindly to this, and, after easily finding and returning the bombs, Superman immediately lays into the Joker with some pretty brutal insults. Superman points out that the Joker has no real identity: he tries to act unpredictable for the scare factor, but he doesn’t actually believe in anything of substance. Not only is Superman proven correct by the Joker’s character history, but Superman also just inadvertently pointed out why pop culture is so obsessed with the Joker in the first place.
The Joker is undoubtedly one of the most popular comic book villains, but when people are asked exactly who the Joker is, the answers given vary wildly. While Jack Nicholson and Jared Leto both played the Joker, their interpretations really have nothing to do with one another in either motivation or mannerisms (and only vaguely resembled one another in appearance). The Joker’s blank backstory and chaotic nature allow writers and artists to really put their stamps on the character and play with the idea of whom the Joker is. Tom King’s Joker, for example, is significantly different from Scott Snyder’s, just as both of their Jokers are entirely unlike when the Joker’s original comic-book appearances.
Superman Knows the Joker Is Shallow
This versatility allows the Joker to be whomever the creators need him to be, which makes him an eternally enduring character. But it also means the Joker has absolutely no real substance as a character. Characters like Ra’s al Ghul and Lex Luthor have hard-set beliefs and goals; the Joker doesn’t. The only consistent element of the Joker’s character is his sadism and obsession with Batman. As long as creators keep that in mind, then the Joker can be whomever they need him to be — and Superman knows it.
Check out Adventures of Superman #14, available now from DC Comics!
