Revealed: Wonder Woman Cosplay Inspires DC Legend’s Dream Story Pitch

A Plea for a Wacky Joker Return

The Joker’s signature wacky chaos is what we miss about the character. The unpredictable nature of his antics and the whimsical energy he brought to his crimes have been replaced with a reliance on gore and shock value. While I respect those who enjoy a death and destruction-focused Joker, this version of the character has pushed me to avoid any storylines or comics where he’s in the spotlight.

Close

The Problem with Edgy Joker: How It’s Ruining the Character’s Essence

To be blunt, I miss the Joker who was a jokester first and a killer second, someone whose wild energy made him thrilling, not just terrifying. Today’s Joker is all about shock value & killing–he used to be so much more.

Custom Image By Brian Colucci

DC Needs to Bring Back the Whimsical Joker: Why It’s Time for a Change

The Joker’s unpredictable, chaotic nature is the heart of who he is. By turning the Joker into a morally black character, DC has removed the element of surprise, and that’s the greatest disservice they could do to him. The Joker has become boring—a word that should never describe him.

Peak Joker Is Unpredictable, Wacky, and Unapologetically Funny

I miss the days of Joker trying to patent Smiling Fish, his infectious laughter and the joy he brought to his crimes. One of my all-time favorite Joker moments comes from Detective Comics #475 (1978), written by Steve Englehart and illustrated by Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin. In this issue, the Joker infects the fish in Gotham Harbor with his Joker toxin, then tries to file a “copyright” on the fish in order to earn a share of the profits from fish sales across America.

Another prime example of the Joker at his whimsical best appears in Batman: The Long Halloween #3 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. In this issue, the Joker channels his inner Grinch by stealing a family’s Christmas, tying them up, and swiping their presents. What makes this even better is that he doesn’t kill the family or leave them with lasting psychological trauma—he simply invades their home and makes off with their gifts.

Both of these moments show the Joker going on bizarre side quests just to entertain himself, being a nuisance more than a true terror. It’s this playful, nonsensical version of the character that I absolutely love.

A Deserving Villain: The Tragic Tale of Sorrow

Gotham has no shortage of truly despicable villains, many of whom have been given their due respect in the DC Universe. However, there’s one villain that rightfully deserves to have some kind of win. I know Hal Jordan is a great hero, and he keeps the universe safe, but even Hal he’d agree one foe got an incredibly raw deal.

The Misfortune of Nathan Broome: How He Became the Villainous Sorrow

Nathan Broome was introduced in Green Lantern #2 as Carol Ferris’ fiancé, who Carol had met while Hal was off-world. And yeah, I hate love triangles as much as anyone else, but unlike the Pauls of the world, I thought Nathan was actually a likable character. He wasn’t a jerk to Carol, and he actually tried to get along with Hal (the Green Lantern, of course, was trying to woo Carol the entire time).

Carol attempted to move past her relationship with Hal for good and opted for an impromptu Vegas wedding. Nathan went along with it, just happy to finally tie the knot. However, the couple’s marriage ceremony was interrupted by a Star Sapphire ring, which sought out Carol because Green Lantern was in trouble. Carol turned runaway bride and went out into space for Hal, leaving poor Nathan at the altar.

Sorrow’s Cycle of Sadness: The Emotional Energy That Consumes Him

Nathan was incredibly heartbroken after the wedding fell through, and thanks to the devastation to the Emotional Spectrum caused by Lord Premier Thaaros, Nathan’s sadness manifested as a new emotional energy. Nathan was now the villainous Sorrow, who was trapped in a never-ending cycle of sadness. Sorrow tried seeking revenge on Star Sapphire, who saw what had happened to Nate for the first time. Sorrow’s empathetic abilities allowed him to inflict powerful sadness on others.

Does Sorrow Deserve a Win? The Possibilities for This Tragic Villain

I had been wondering when someone was going to add an emotion like sadness to the Emotional Spectrum, but now I actually kind of regret it. Nathan wasn’t a bad person, just a guy who was in the wrong relationship at the wrong time. Now he’s consumed by the most painful feelings someone can experience and there is virtually no way of stopping it.

If I went through half of what Nathan did, I’d want to kick Green Lantern’s butt, too. The truth is, Hal and Carol both caused Nathan extreme emotional pain. We’ve only gotten to see Hal and Nathan fight once, and it was over before it began. But Sorrow is a large part of the current arc, which involves Starbreaker gathering resources to create a new Power Battery and capitalize on Sorrow’s power.

I’ve got no doubt that we’re going to be seeing more from Sorrow, but I hope his presence isn’t minimized in favor of Starbreaker. Sorrow has a deep connection to both Green Lantern and Star Sapphire and I really want to see their confrontation come to a head, hopefully with Sorrow getting some sort of victory.