In this special episode of The Batman Universe Podcast, Scott is joined by Lou Tambone, editor of The Man Who Laughs: Exploring the Clown Prince of Crime. Co-edited by Rich Handley, this anthology of essays from Lou and Rich digs deep into unique themes and elements of everyone’s favorite arch-villainous Ace of Knaves across 80 years of history. It’s both a fantastic read, juggling between thought-provoking research and fun observations, and an illuminating conversation as Scott and Lou break down what makes the Joker so iconic.

Whether you’re a Joker aficionado or a casual fan, The Man Who Laughs: Exploring the Clown Prince of Crime offers up a compelling collection of views that leave readers with interesting angles and ideas to ponder. It certainly left Scott with much to contemplate, which he doesn’t shy away from discussing in the episode.

From the book:

DC Comics’ Joker has been a goofy trickster, a giggling lunatic, a psychopathic killer, a methodical mastermind, a failed comedian, and an unstoppable force. It all depends on the writer and artist telling the story. He’s the Clown Prince of Crime, the Man Who Laughs, an agent of chaos. He has no special abilities or superpowers, but also no moral code or grip on reality. The Joker is charismatic, terrifying, unpredict-able, and downright hilarious. The only method to this criminal’s madness is that there is no method. This anthology offers more than twenty perspectives on the yin to Batman’s yang, written by respected comic creators, historians, and industry insiders. So step right into the mouth of madness.

 

The joke’s on us, and we’d like to let you in on it.

 

With new material from Bob Rozakis, Steve Engelhart, Tom K. Mason, Michael Jan Friedman, Bobby Nash, Jim Beard, Brian Cronin, Duy Tano, Alan J. Porter, Valentina Rossi, Jo Duffy, Lou Tambone, Robert Greenberger, Rich Handley, Paul Cornish, Joseph F. Berenato, Kaz B. Towner, LaMarrison Forte, Keith R.A. DeCandido, John Trumbull, Glenn Hauman, and Paul Kupperberg!

 

To purchase The Man Who Laughs: Exploring the Clown Prince of Crime, buy it on Amazon or Crazy 8 Press. Read our review of the anthology here. 

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