'The Dark Knight' Update: Joker's New Look?

"Kind of like the way I dress, except without the homicidal maniac angle."

LOL! Thanks for the laugh. :-)

I'm sure the Jokemeister will be creepy as hell if Nolan has anything to do with it.

Vic

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It's the Joker, so for my money he still needs a clownish/jester angle to him, but I'm all for creepy too.

I'm hoping for a thrown together jester suit myself.

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If the Joker in The Dark Knight is anything like the Joker in Batman #663, I think a lot of people are going to be very, very happy.

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Scarring and disfigurement is Two-Face's story. I'd rather see the Joker as a showman.

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The Joker in Tim Burton's Batman, clown as homicidal artist is iconic. It's difficult to top that angle. He was crazy, and twisted but it was with a smoothness and a panache that is nearly impossible to emulate. I mean changing paintings, disfiguring supermodels and throwing a homicidal parade while dancing to Prince.
The Joker in Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animated Series is also iconic. They are similar in look but that's where the majority of the similarities end. Unlike Nicholson's masterful take, Mark Hamill's Joker was a prankster. He was a comedian that wanted more than anything to kill Batman but make him laugh first. The one thing they have in common is the pinstripe purple suit. Their look is pretty much the same.
As much as I love those two takes on the Joker, Christopher Nolan has earned my trust. I heard that Heath Ledger will be playing the Joker like a Droog from A Clockwork Orange. Now I hear his look will be sort of like a slapped together raggedy guy with a lot of scarring. This all seems to me to be taking the Joker down the path of being a nightmare. All things being said I am a big fan of both 90's Joker's but I'm ready for Nolan's "scary" Joker. Fear seems to be the prevalent theme he's going for in this Batman film series. I'd like to see that continue as it worked so well in Batman Begins. So scary raggedy Joker is fine with me I'm all good.

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I don't think a funny, clownish Joker fits the mood established by Batman Begins going into The Dark Knight movie. That kind of Joker belongs in Tim Burton's Batman and to Jack Nicholson who did it so well ... I don't think anything should be taken from that already immaculate performance. Sinister Joker would be a better Joker. Something darker. Evil. He can look clownish but not "happy" clownish more of a clownish that would give anyone nightmares.

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That picture is the perfect blend of the Joker's look with a more sinister, realistic appearance of someone who's been scarred by acid and become a monstrous "clown".

It's just creepy- I hope they get something like that because it'll scare the audience in the trailer's alone.

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In the comics of the last 30 the fact that the Joker looked like a clown didn't make him any less of a psychopath. In the comics his body count is easily in triple digits, if not quads. And they've even toned down the killing in more recent years. The clownish version is more a product of TV. Where the Adam West show was a comedy and the animated version had to severely curtail the violence to get through the network censors. I recall the producers of the animated series saying in a scene where Batman had a bloody lip, that they were over half of their allotment of blood they were allow to show for the entire season. So having a homicidal maniac wasn't going to fly.
And Timothy, the Joker wasn't "scarred by acid" He was affected by swimming through some unknown chemical soup that changed his skin and hair color. Harvey Dent was scarred by acid and became Two-face.

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I think a dark, sinister clown is exactly how the joker should be...maybe a darker and more stream-lined look ala Batman: The Animated Series. I agree with Brant in that serious scarring is Two Face's story...and I dont mind homicidal haphazard, but the Joker is supposed to be SLICK - thats part of what makes him scary. He's insane but very cool, cruel, and calculated in his mania....Rags are the Scarecrow's getup!!!

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I agree with what everyone says, though I think we are in for a great suprise. Even though it says he will be wearing something ragedy, the final look isn't really done, yet. And I'm guessing that the more he progresses throught the movie or maybe going into the Third movie we will see a more familiar yet still totally different Joker. Remember this is a young Joker. Like Batman he hasn't really fully progressed yet. Either way Heath Leadger is an Amazing actor and director Nolan really knows what he is doing. In Nolan I trust.

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This is what Nolan is going for I believe. Lots of scarring and mutilation:

http://www.sequart.com/members/graphics/18/bermejo_joker1.jpg

looks cool!!!

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the joker was more of the very intelligent serial killer madman. he had style and class. he liked nice clothes and cars. but just had odd tastes.
i think the "horror movie" joker might not work well.

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i think its easy for us to read a little to far into it. when they say ragedy, we think hobo/frayed. you got to look at it on the scale of what we know as "the joker" usually looking dapper in a well put together (but goofy colored) suit. so ragedy may not be so far opposite as we initially think. same with the scarring thing. of course theyre not gonna go as far as a melted kinda twoface look, but think ofas if corrective surgery from burns or maybe how severe acne scarring looks. someone just said "were all in for a surprise," and they are absolutely right. i really do trust in nolan to knock us on our asses. that artist Lee Berjemo's pics are really cool. theres another one he did with a very similar looking joker holding a dead guys mouth open as if hes smiling floating around. i think it is amazing. its in black and white. but anyways, in that pic he has a costume similar to the pics we have seen on the net from chitown and rumored of ledger in a black trench. very cool and sinister/creepy!!! ill try to find it and post back.

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