John Carpenter To Co-Write New Joker Comic Book For DC

If you’ve been keeping up with the DC Universe at large lately, then you’ve heard about “Year of the Villain.” Long story short, this crossover event of sorts spilling out of the pages of Justice League began in a one-shot in early May, and sees Lex Luthor rounding up those he sees fit for his next big play. This initiative kicked into high gear this month, with cardstock variants signifying which titles are participating.

So, even if crossovers aren’t your thing, then you still may want to pick up the book we’re here to discuss today. The reason I say that is because legendary filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York) is set to re-team with writer Anthony Burch (Borderlands 2, League of Legends video games) for their first DC project together, that being The Joker: The Year of the Villain. Previously, they’d penned Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack for BOOM! Studios.

For more info, be sure to check out the synopsis provided, as well as some outwork found below:

Now a human-alien hybrid, Lex Luthor has made his appeal to the world, asking its citizens to embrace doom and give in once and for all to evil, humanity’s true nature. In exchange, he will grant them the tools to ascend to their ultimate selves. While some DC villains (and heroes) are willing to hear what “Apex Lex” has to offer, the Clown Prince of Crime isn’t going to wait around until Lex gets to him. This puts The Joker on a mission to get his swagger back in a world gone bad by out-badding everyone else, proving that the greatest evil is always the one that leaves them laughing.

You know, I have to hand it to Carpenter for not only taking the challenge of co-writing a story that takes place in DC canon proper, but also because it ties into a larger event. Normally, you’d expect for someone of his stature to put together an out of continuity tale for Black Label, but he’s going whole hog. Then again, an opportunity like this shouldn’t be passed up by anyone, as Carpenter said the following:

“The Joker is the greatest villain in comics. I’m proud to be reunited with Anthony on this project.”

The Joker: The Year of the Villain is a 40-page one-shot priced at $4.99 and arrives in comic shops on October 9th. Artwork will be provided by Philip Tan and Marc Deering.