The Joker has always been a favorite of Batman’s rogue’s gallery for his unhinged charisma, but a new short film from The Hallivis Brothers deftly shows the darker side to the character.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The new film, called The Laughing Man, takes its origin from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run on Batman Death of the Family, which features the return of the Joker to Gotham after a long absence. When Joker escapes from Arkham before his hiatus, he has a fellow inmate cut off his face, and subsequently hangs it on the wall when he leaves. After he comes back to Gotham, the first thing on the docket is getting it back.
In The Laughing Man, we do see that process play out, but in a different sequence of events. In this take, The Joker actually does it to himself, and it’s pretty grotesque. The film definitely has its own take on the Joker and his mannerisms, and overall the short is well worth a watch, but just remember this is strictly in NSFW territory.
Death of the Family centered around Joker’s quest to remove Batman’s weakness, which he surmised was the other heroes and allies that Batman relies on to wage his war against crime in Gotham City. Joker not only attacks heroes like Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Damian Wayne but also Alfred and the Gotham Police Force.
The Hallivis Brothers have crafted an interesting look at The Joker, and a fitting homage to Death of the Family. You can find more of their work here.
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