Is Jared Leto Inspired By The New 52's Joker?

While Suicide Squad set reports suggested that Jared Leto was going for a rather disturbed take on the Joker, no one really knew where he was getting his twisted inspiration from.

But finally, we can pinpoint one four-colored muse for Leto's interpretation on the Joker—and it's a pretty surprising choice. Recent paparazzi photos revealed that his background image of Jared Leto's cell phone is the cover to Detective Comics Vol.2 #1, by Tony Daniel. Launched in 2011, the issue marked The Joker's first appearance in DC Comics' rebooted universe, then-called "The New 52". The story is also infamous for its final scene, in which the Joker hires a man to literally carve his face off. It's about as gross as you would imagine, and certainly one of the Clown Prince of Crime's more twisted deeds. However, it's certainly not held to the same esteem as iconic Joker tales like The Killing Joke, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth , and The Clown At Midnight.

You can see the full cover, and the event in question, below. We suspect that face-carvings will only be the tip of the iceberg for Leto's Joker.

What do you think of Leto channeling The New 52's Joker? Let us know in the comments!

Leto will get all kinds of weird on August 6, 2016, when Suicide Squad hits theaters