John Carpenter is co-writing a Joker comic book

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

The Todd Phillips / Joaquin Phoenix film JOKER looks like an intriguing take on the DC Comics villain, but another project just surpassed that one to become the most interesting Joker story of the year as far as I'm concerned.

DC has announced that legendary filmmaker John Carpenter is teaming up with Anthony Burch, writer of the Borderlands 2 video game, to write a 40-page one-shot Joker comic book titled The Joker: Year of the Villain #1. It's scheduled to reach stores on October 2nd, the perfect time to release a Joker story co-written by the director who brought us HALLOWEEN.

The book will feature art by Philip Tan and Marc Deering, and the image in this article is a preview of Tan's artwork.  

The "Year of the Villain" is an event that follows 

Lex Luthor, now reborn as a human-alien hybrid, offering various DC villains (and even some heroes) heightened abilities and/or tools if they'll join his Legion of Doom. 

In this Joker one-shot, we'll see that 

the Joker, being Joker, isn't waiting by the phone for Lex. 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.

Carpenter and Burch previously collaborated on the BOOM! Studios comic book Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack.  

Carpenter had this to say about working on the Joker book: 

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

Burch added: 

I'm excited beyond words to be writing for Gotham's greatest villain. I hope the Joker's exploits make you laugh, shudder, and grow nauseous all at once."

The October 2 release of The Joker: Year of the Villain #1 will come just two days before the JOKER movie reaches theatres.