Legendary filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York, The Thing) is no stranger to comics, having previously worked with Anthony Burch (Borderlands 2) on BOOM! Studios' Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack series. The two will now team up with artists Philip Tan (Uncanny X-Men, Iron Man) and Marc Deering (Black Order, Doctor Aphra) on The Joker: Year of the Villain for DC Comics.
Part of DC's Year of the Villain the comic will be a one-shot following the titular Clown Prince of Crime as he embarks on a nefarious quest to prove how bad he can be in a world changed for the worse by "Apex Lex," a version of Lex Luthor empowered by Perpetua. You can see the cover and read the plot summary for the issue 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.
“The Joker is the greatest villain in comics,” Carpenter said in the press release. “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."
DC's Year Of The Villain #1 kicked off with a 32-page one-shot, which is available digitally for free, in May. It leads into some of the biggest story arcs that make up Year of the Villain, with comics by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Brian Michael Bendis, Joshua Williamson, David Marquez, Alex Maleev and many, many more.
The Joker: Year of the Villain #1 goes on sale October 9. The 40-page one-shot comic will retail for $4.99.