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DC's 80th Anniversary Celebration
The Joker: 80 Years of the Clown Prince of Crime
DC celebrates the 80-year history of Batman's greatest foe, The Joker!
This new hardcover includes The Joker's most memorable appearances, from his 1940 debut in the pages of Batman #1 (1940) to recent classics from top creators including Scott Snyder, Tony S. Daniel, Paul Dini, and more! Discover the stories that shaped the villain into one of pop culture's most indelible, twisted icons.
Collects stories from Batman #1, #159, #251, #321, #429, #614, Detective Comics #168, #475, #476, #826, Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman Adventures: Mad Love, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #50, Gotham Central #15, Detective Comics #1 (2011) and Batman #17 (2013).
This new hardcover includes The Joker's most memorable appearances, from his 1940 debut in the pages of Batman #1 (1940) to recent classics from top creators including Scott Snyder, Tony S. Daniel, Paul Dini, and more! Discover the stories that shaped the villain into one of pop culture's most indelible, twisted icons.
Collects stories from Batman #1, #159, #251, #321, #429, #614, Detective Comics #168, #475, #476, #826, Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman Adventures: Mad Love, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #50, Gotham Central #15, Detective Comics #1 (2011) and Batman #17 (2013).
448 pages, Hardcover
Published May 19, 2020
25 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 3, 2020
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
The Joker. There isn’t much more that needs to be said before your mind pulls all the threads and connects all the dots to bring you to dread Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime. Unlike any villain to have ever been drawn and brought to life, this agent of chaos is by far the most despicable and troubling soul to wander the streets as he continuously presents Batman with nightmares to deal with. It is odd to be celebrating such a character’s existence when everything he does is unethical and morally unacceptable. He is after all the reincarnation of evil and the face of anarchy. However, such a character remains beloved not for what he does but what he represents, for what he brings to the table in the discussions on good and evil. Despite the nightmarish vision of various writers and artists of this character, he remains the unequivocally quintessential ingredient to a world in search of balance. You simply don’t have one without the other.
What is The Joker: 80 Years of the Clown Prince of Crime about? This beautiful hardcover deluxe edition celebrates the 80 years of stories featuring the world’s greatest comic book villain known as the Joker. Collecting over 400 pages of sinister plotting by Batman’s archenemy, this graphic novel presents a myriad of iterations of the Jester of Genocide from critically-acclaimed writers and artists ever since his first appearance in Batman #1. With a stark exploration of the character’s evolution within popular culture, the comic book industry, and in our own understanding of the villain’s raison d’être, this volume also features reflections by comics legends such as Dan DiDio, Steve Englehart, Paul Dini, Jeph Loeb, and Scott Snyder, as well as commentaries by true crime journalist Billy Jensen and the unmatched voice actor Mark Hamill.
It is in itself difficult to truly summarize the Joker’s history within one sturdy volume. Similar to Batman, his legacy has been within the hands of countless writers who have all offered a unique take on the character. But how is that possible? Shouldn’t such a personage be the same from one story to another? Not necessarily. He is a character that never has the same modus operandi whenever he’s out of Arkham Asylum and wreaking havoc on Gotham, a character that enjoys being the center of attention as he unveils to the world the joys of killing through gags, gimmicks, and deception, a character that toys with life with no regards to the consequences. It is in the beauty of this incongruity that resides in the character’s essence. Throughout the past 80 years, the Joker has seen various transformations, only to get darker and grimmer, like a blade being sharpened to its peak perfection, and it is throughout these versions of the Joker that his unknown origins, his meticulousness in disrupting order, and his iconic and memorable laugh that we understand that he’s a character born and bred in darkness, one that you simply won’t understand as he serves up his killing jokes.
With the commentaries by various individuals allowing us to get insights on the character’s history and the impact that the Joker had on them, this volume is also a visual treat for those wishing to speed through his transformation across 80 years. It is near impossible to not recognize the character—whether it's his costume displaying his purple and green fixation, his maniacal smile and almost mythological laugh, or his unparalleled mannerism filled with clever puns and cynicism—the Joker remains an awe-inspiring character design that dares to fuse ridicule with insanity. Every single one of his appearances today is marked with capitulation as he brings fear in all before the show even begins. His action denotes an incredible lack of remorse and it's through his demeanor that you know you’re facing a monster hidden among humans. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, his character always has a new joke for you hidden in his sleeves.
The Joker: 80 Years of the Clown Prince of Crime is a stunning and splendid commemorative collection of stories featuring an iota of the Harlequin of Hate’s most iconic moments in his terrifying saga.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
June 8, 2021
I don't mind anthology books, but when you bill it as a milestone it should have some heft, and spend a few bucks for a good essay.
June 11, 2021
There’s one thing I learn about Joker and story writing: the character evolve like a human with a long-living life while many other writers contribute to evolve the character by giving Joker a life for each episode each year/era. I’ve gotten to know Joker in depth as if he’s a person. I’ve known how every small little detail is always being captured and evolved into new comics over the years. Joker has been my favourite villain of all time so this collection is good enough for me to get to know him more especially from the old and vintage comics. There, we learn his old tricks,his criminal tactics, his relationship with the batman over the years that made him the significant enemy of Batman(i.e. instead of soulmates or BFF,they’re enemies for life…. EFL?).
I guess I’m not so into golden/silver age comics because the dialogues are so cheesy and lame. Though I cannot deny the artwork is the reason for aesthetics.
I guess I’m not so into golden/silver age comics because the dialogues are so cheesy and lame. Though I cannot deny the artwork is the reason for aesthetics.
April 3, 2022
Absolute genius work from beginning to end.
“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man to lunacy. That’s how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.” -The Joker
“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man to lunacy. That’s how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.” -The Joker
June 21, 2020
3,5/5. A classic recollection, some sort of Best Of, of the Joker appearance through the year, we also get some additional information on the characters and the history behind it between the comic. Very classic, but for the collector or the old school Joker fan, this is worth having a look!
June 9, 2020
The Joker is arguably the greatest comic book villain of all time. He started out as a serial killer who killed to steal jewels (or was he a jewel thief who had no remorse about killing to acquire loot?). But due to changing public sentiments towards crime in comics, he was relegated to a silly jokester (à la Cesar Romero) for three decades until Steve Englehart and others in the mid 1970s turned him back into a psychopathic killer (à la Heath Ledger) as an agent of chaos, the yang to Batman's yin of order. This anthology chronicles this evolution, presenting key stories from each era. Frankly, some of the more recent stories are hard to take, especially when read back to back like this, because Joker is such an amoral force of nature. One of Joker's strengths as a villain is that his origin is clouded in mystery, an origin that is unnecessary (which is why I refrain from watching the recent Joker film) to appreciate his anarchic malevolence. The Joker seems to bring out the best in the writers and artists working on his stories, continually one-upping each other until there seems to be no more left to tell, until there is. Happy 80th Birthday, Joker!
May 24, 2022
Muy buen recopilatorio de historias del Joker. Incluye algunos números destacados; como su primera aparición en el nº1 de Batman, La Quíntuple Venganza del Joker, La Marca del Joker, Imágenes, Amor Loco y Masacre sobre ruedas. También incluye fragmentos (por desgracia incompletos) de obras como Blancos Fáciles, Silencio, La Broma Asesina, Una Muerte en la Familia y Muerte de la Familia. Un tomo bastante interesante que sirve perfectamente para conocer al personaje. Lástima que algunas historias estén incompletas, pero de haber puesto los cómics íntegros con todos sus números el tomo tendría el triple de tamaño y precio.
June 12, 2020
A recommended read, even if the selected issues from the post-Crisis era tend to be part of longer stories. My favorite stories were the two-part Laughing Fish classic by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin and the "origin" story that revealed the Joker's past history as the Red Hood.
A missed opportunity that should have been included was the "imaginary" story written by Alfred, where Batman II and Robin II fight Joker, Jr. Yes, it's a supremely silly story, but its the idea that not only Batman and Robin passed on their names to a new generation but the Joker did too that makes it worthy.
A missed opportunity that should have been included was the "imaginary" story written by Alfred, where Batman II and Robin II fight Joker, Jr. Yes, it's a supremely silly story, but its the idea that not only Batman and Robin passed on their names to a new generation but the Joker did too that makes it worthy.
May 28, 2025
Love how often fish come up, lol. He looked so pimpish back in the day with that extra coat and long brim round hat. I miss when comics had dropcaps in the colored circles. Jokers bday invitations and cake candles, freaking involved in the Iran contra scandal in muzzie garb, I can’t. Hilarious in ways played so serious.
In Hush, Bat wants to kill Joker finally for all the MCs J killed. Beautiful pen art. Some Xmas issues. There’s the prelude to the janitor jumpsuit series of his face getting skinned. Could’ve been given even better context emotionally and physically.
In Hush, Bat wants to kill Joker finally for all the MCs J killed. Beautiful pen art. Some Xmas issues. There’s the prelude to the janitor jumpsuit series of his face getting skinned. Could’ve been given even better context emotionally and physically.
September 29, 2021
A good overview of Batman’s most famous foe, and how he’s evolved over the years. I enjoyed the essays (particularly Mark Hamill’s!), but to be honest my favorite story from the bunch is Harley Quinn’s ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. (The Christmas Eve one with Robin was quite good as well.) I don’t know if I’d buy it, but I enjoyed taking it from the library.
February 6, 2025
I mainly got this book for my wife, who loves The Joker as a character (but not in that weird way Tik Tok sometimes does.) This collection is really good. The story that stuck out to me the most is one I can't find collected anywhere else, where The Joker pushes Batman in a way Batman never thought was possible, but that fit very well with his character.
June 20, 2020
A worthwhile juant through the history of an icon
November 12, 2020
I read most of the stories before. What makes this anthology stand out is the articles that provide glimpses of the history of the character from various aspects.
November 30, 2022
Loved it
Once again the joker never disappoints, I totally enjoyed the old comics as well as the new ones and all the other tidbits of information in this comic
Once again the joker never disappoints, I totally enjoyed the old comics as well as the new ones and all the other tidbits of information in this comic
October 31, 2024
A well-curated collection with great guest articles to boot!
November 28, 2024
Nothing like a comprehensive history of The Clown Prince of Crime. If you are a Batman fan...I highly recommend this
September 22, 2021
A very good introduction to someone new to the character Joker. Ties in many very good classic made throughout the 20th century (The first Joker comic, Mad love, Excerpt of The in Death in the Family, Joker Five point Revenge, etc) as well as some good 21st Century ones as well ( Slayride, excerpt of The death of the family, etc). Good value for money for the amount of comics you get.
January 19, 2025
This is a comprehensive celebration of one of comic book history's most iconic villains. This collection spans eight decades of the Joker's evolution, showcasing key stories, artwork, and moments from his rich history. From his sinister debut in Batman #1 to his modern portrayals, the book highlights the character's transformation and enduring impact on pop culture. The hardcover edition is beautifully presented, with vibrant artwork and insightful commentary.
A must-have for Joker fans and collectors, this book offers a deep dive into the mind of Gotham’s most chaotic criminal mastermind.
Overall: 4/5
A must-have for Joker fans and collectors, this book offers a deep dive into the mind of Gotham’s most chaotic criminal mastermind.
Overall: 4/5
August 13, 2020
One of the best compilations DC has put out in years. I would say only 1 or 2 stories I would've replaced. The rest were either all-time classic stories or very, very good. The Joker has a rich library of stories to feature and they did a great job on the selection.
May 14, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews