Jared Leto’s Joker is a Joker most fans are not happy about. This Picture went online Friday through David Ayer’s Twitter for the Joker’s 75th birthday. Now I’m going to talk about how I believe this picture Resembles some of the comic book incarnations of the Joker(as the comics allow different interpretations of the joker) and what my initial reaction to this photo is. weather or not i enjoy this interpretation of the character or not
Comic Book Resemblance
This photo comes from Grant Morrison’s run on batman specifically from Batman RIP( which I recommend) it’s a great story where Joker plays a great part in. When I saw Jared’s Leto’s Joker, Grant’s incarnation of the Joker is one the first ones the popped into my head. This Joker may not have the tattoos that Leto has but they defiantly share some similarities. mostly with the hair and body frame.
This photo which comes from Alan Moore’s book The Killing Joke(WHICH YOU NEED TO READ THIS!) which seems to be a direct inspiration for this photo. mainly with the possession of his hands in his hair and the craziness of his eyes. This incarnation of the Joker is probably the must popular incarnation, so we can only hope that this picture isn’t the only inspiration Leto and Ayer take from this comic.
Finally the Joker from Scott Snyder’s Batman run (which is my favourite incarnation of the Joker and Batman). this is again a similarity with Joker’s hairstyle’s and unnerving eyes. This run is probably the scariest and must unsettling version of the Joker which bring him to whole new level of crazy. Hopefully they bring that to screen and maybe Leto will be able to pull off that killer smile.
There is one thing that all three of these different incarnations of the Joker bring to the pages of comics. They are some of the most terrifying psychopathic jokers to hit Comics. And I believe that David Ayer has done his fair share of homework with this project( which you can see if you check out his twitter here) so if they are pulling from these comics then hopefully we will see a Joker we have never seen on-screen the psychopathic serial killer Joker(don’t get me wrong Heaths interpretation of the joker was magic but it wasn’t full on crazy which is something I will love to see) and if we get this we get a new different Joker because Joker is a Character that we don’t want to see the same thing again.
Initial Reaction
My first initial reaction to Jared’s Leto’s Joker is in the minority but I loved it and still do. I actually dig the Tattoos it made me think that yeah this guy is insane just by the haha’s and the smile tattoo it just screams Joker to me might not be what were use to but that doesn’t mean it wont be a Joker that we can love. remember its just a picture.
one the things that made me really happy about this picture is no face paint. YES bleached skin just like the comics I want a joker that fell into a vat of acid that made his skin white not face paint.
well those are my thoughts. Did you agree or disagree with me? are there other comics that you think they will pull from for Jared leto’s Joker? And what were you initial reaction to his Joker excited or worried? let me know in the comments.
All picture rights belong to DC Comics and Warner Brother studios.
Spencer The Nerd 
I think you hit the nail on the head. I wasn’t sure what I thought when I first saw it and I still don’t. But that has to do more with how I have always imagined the joker. Your three examples above show us a much different side of the joker that I think us more casual readers are not familiar with and probably is the contributing factor to why the reaction is so negative. Also, I think your point is bang on with the direction of where this joker (and batman) is headed. Lastly, I think most will prob be judging this joker not on it’s own merits when it comes out but their ideal joker or most likely on the Dark Knight joker of the previous Batman trilogy. I think we need to have a open mind and take it for what it is and not for what it isn’t. Just mytwo cents. Either way, it is clear we are getting a psychopath joker, for better or for worse.
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As a person who hasn’t read one Batman/Joker comic, I don’t know if my opinion counts for much, but I am SUPER pumped about Leto’s Joker. What I think the Joker to be (and apparently what the comics possibly portray him as) is completely insane, and then some more. This new picture of him creeps me out like nothing else, and is something that I would never want to run into on the street. Regardless, I’m pumped, and am looking forward to another stellar portrayal of the Joker!
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Thanks for your thoughts Cole!
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This is what I thought; terrible. The Joker should be look Santa or Darth Vader; someone you instantly know who they are. If they hadn’t told us this was the Joker we wouldn’t have known it; instead we would have thought, “Man! This guy at a rave is really addicted to drugs.”
On top of that we’re going to get Will Smith, one of the most mediocre actors of all time? When was the last time Smith made a good movie? Not a MEH or OK movie, but a good one? So we get the mediocre Smith and a drug addled party goer Joker? Sounds like a big pile of crap.
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I see your point of view but if you read the comic which it sounds like you do then you should know that the joker is a charcter who us up to interpretation and this is just a diffrent interpretation of the charcter and your making rash judgment that this movie will suck based on a picture remember that leto is an Academy award winning actor. Remember that this just a picture.
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