What do you think Batman would do if he were chasing the Joker to his hideout, and turned a corner to find the Joker's new gang:
Harley Quin
Punch & Jewelee
The Madmen
The Harlequin
a new version of The Joker's Daughter
The Prankster (sorry, the only decent Prankster page is in Spanish)
The Mime (a one-shot Max Allan Collins creation, but still available!)
The Royal Flush Gang
Double Down
Run for his life, that's what he'd do.
As mentioned in previous posts on "the Rungs of Villainy", "Dynastic Centerpieces", and "Johnsification", I think the DCU would be more fun if some of the minor characters floating around homelessly were connected to some of the more major characters. So, using that principle, I'm going to build some gangs around some of my favorite villains, starting with the Joker.
I think it's already obvious why the group of characters go naturally together and would be a threatening group and an interesting read. We might also get a real sense of the Joker as the criminal mastermind he used to be in the Golden Age, not the jibbering wack-job he's sometimes portrayed as. I happen to think that if he's written well, we can have our cake and eat it, too.
"But Harley Quin has grown and is out from under the Joker's thumb and she'd never blah blah bah!" Uh-huh. How's that working for her? One brief cancelled series later, her "new persona" has rendered her unusable. Just return her to her "classic" self, and bring her back to life, I say.
Nothing says wacky like Punch & Jewelee. Unmoored from their Charlton origins with Capt. Atom and Nightshade, these seldom-used characters are more daft and less effective than the Joker and Harley. Their perverted "rather TOO happy couple" would provide comic relief, taking the pressure off the Joker/Harley relationship, and letting the other gangmembers be as dark as needed.
The Madmen? These old Blue Beetle villains are too bizarre to be left bouncing around in the background! Visually stunning, but undermotivated, they'd be perfect as nameless underlings for the Joker.
The Harlequin, the Prankster, and the outre Double Down are underused, underappreciated villians of Green Lantern, Superman, and the Flash respectively. Some screentime as trusted lieutenants of Mr. J and their profiles will skyrocket, giving them enough oomph to be seen occasionally as independent operators. Plus, the smiling guy gets some super-powered help!
The Royal Flush Gang. Any version. D'uh!
The Joker's Daughter. A child of Bob "Wacky" Rozakis, the Joker's Daughter was so much fun people are STILL talking about her 30 years later. Give in, DC! Give us the Joker's Daughter, I don't care how you do it. Just put her in the original outfit; there are few comic book images more disturbing than a woman dressed as the Joker!
The Mime. Okay, she was AWFUL in her one appearance. All the more reason to dust her off, give her a new personality and stick her with Mr. Laughapalooza. To satisfy those who prefer a more independent Harley, she could be the Joker's silent squeeze.
I'd love it if the Red Hood could be brought into the mix. But somehow I can't see that happening with the current version...!
Harley Quin
Punch & Jewelee
The Madmen
The Harlequin
a new version of The Joker's Daughter
The Prankster (sorry, the only decent Prankster page is in Spanish)
The Mime (a one-shot Max Allan Collins creation, but still available!)
The Royal Flush Gang
Double Down
Run for his life, that's what he'd do.
As mentioned in previous posts on "the Rungs of Villainy", "Dynastic Centerpieces", and "Johnsification", I think the DCU would be more fun if some of the minor characters floating around homelessly were connected to some of the more major characters. So, using that principle, I'm going to build some gangs around some of my favorite villains, starting with the Joker.
I think it's already obvious why the group of characters go naturally together and would be a threatening group and an interesting read. We might also get a real sense of the Joker as the criminal mastermind he used to be in the Golden Age, not the jibbering wack-job he's sometimes portrayed as. I happen to think that if he's written well, we can have our cake and eat it, too.
"But Harley Quin has grown and is out from under the Joker's thumb and she'd never blah blah bah!" Uh-huh. How's that working for her? One brief cancelled series later, her "new persona" has rendered her unusable. Just return her to her "classic" self, and bring her back to life, I say.
Nothing says wacky like Punch & Jewelee. Unmoored from their Charlton origins with Capt. Atom and Nightshade, these seldom-used characters are more daft and less effective than the Joker and Harley. Their perverted "rather TOO happy couple" would provide comic relief, taking the pressure off the Joker/Harley relationship, and letting the other gangmembers be as dark as needed.
The Madmen? These old Blue Beetle villains are too bizarre to be left bouncing around in the background! Visually stunning, but undermotivated, they'd be perfect as nameless underlings for the Joker.
The Harlequin, the Prankster, and the outre Double Down are underused, underappreciated villians of Green Lantern, Superman, and the Flash respectively. Some screentime as trusted lieutenants of Mr. J and their profiles will skyrocket, giving them enough oomph to be seen occasionally as independent operators. Plus, the smiling guy gets some super-powered help!
The Royal Flush Gang. Any version. D'uh!
The Joker's Daughter. A child of Bob "Wacky" Rozakis, the Joker's Daughter was so much fun people are STILL talking about her 30 years later. Give in, DC! Give us the Joker's Daughter, I don't care how you do it. Just put her in the original outfit; there are few comic book images more disturbing than a woman dressed as the Joker!
The Mime. Okay, she was AWFUL in her one appearance. All the more reason to dust her off, give her a new personality and stick her with Mr. Laughapalooza. To satisfy those who prefer a more independent Harley, she could be the Joker's silent squeeze.
I'd love it if the Red Hood could be brought into the mix. But somehow I can't see that happening with the current version...!
15 comments:
There's another Duela Dent (Joker's Daughter) site at http://members.aol.com/DuelaDent/
She also briefly appeared in a recent issue of Teen Titans.
The Muse, a post-crisis Blue Beetle villain.
Gaggy, the Joker's pet midget.
Ragdoll.
They could fight a carnival-themed hero team: The Barker, Elongated Man, Deadman (and his living brother), Joe Hercules, Double Dare, Madame Xanadu, and the Jester.
The Red Hood could be their recurring nemesis instead of Batman. That could be kinda cool.
Or, since El Hood Rojo is a killin' sort of vigilante, he could be the bad guy to the bad guys. They worry about Batman stopping their schemes, but they worry more about the Hood finding them and killing them.
How about uniting the cat-themed villains? Cat-Man, Catwoman, the Bronze Tiger, the Cheetah, um, some others. They could be a great squabbly group, what with the idea of "herding cats." Cat-Man, Catwoman, and the Bronze Tiger have all either partially or fully reformed at one point or another, and sometimes backslide into villainy. Put all them ethically dubious folks together in their cat suits, and you know what you got?
DRAMA!
That's the spirit, Thad!
When Devon and I originally discussed the Joker's gang, I'd included the Ragdoll, but I forgot...
But there is no Gaggy.
There never was a Gaggy.
I deny all knowledge of Gaggy.
David,
"(I don't know where that last one came from.)";
War Games, I believe.
It could be approached this way: one initial arc about the entire group, and from then on the Joker might appear with any combination of them.
Because occasionally people go to jail ... even in the DCU!
Harvey --
don't get ahead of me, I beg you!
But, yes, we are headed there.
I intend to follow the Classical Sequence of Batman Villains:
The Joker
The Penguin
Two-Face
The Riddler
The Catwoman
Don't forget Bud and Lou, even a madman needs pets. And maybe a little more Flash crossover with Trickster spending a stint with Joker's gang before heading back to the Rogues.
And definitly bring Duela in. Considering how much Joker broods over his dead wife and child he may actually trick himself into believeing she's really his daughter who somehow survived. I also want to see her arguing with Harley on occasion as they would both vie for Joker's affection, just in different ways.
And of course, don't forget Moe, Lar and Cur (and my additions of Rowan and Martin).
BWA-HAHAHAHAH!
That's hilarious!
"Can a single supervillain manage his successful homicidal career... AND a hacienda of half-witted hangers-on? It's enough to make you find your mind on--
JOKER's FULL HOUSE!"
Now that all Giffen's characters are dead, we have something new for him to write!
The Prankster bears a striking resemblance to James Sime.
I intend to follow the Classical Sequence of Batman Villains: The Joker, The Penguin, Two-Face, The Riddler,The Catwoman
It'll be interesting to see whom you come up with for Two-Face! Will you stick with the two/double/twin theme, or will any number do?
You'll see soon...!
For Penguin, surely you will be using Orca.
Surely.
Also, look at this. Directions to the Bat Cave.
Yea, when Devon and I originally discussed the Joker's gang, I'd included the Ragdoll, but I forgot...
Never heard of these guys before. They a comic book crew?
such a cool idea!! crocheting intimidates me, but if I ever learn, this will be the first item I make :)
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