The fine folks at DC Comics are no fools: They’ve brought grease-painted madman the Joker back to Gotham in a gritty new graphic novel by comics star Brian Azzarello. And if the Joker of Joker seems uncannily reminiscent of a certain box-office-conquering star turn by a certain sadly departed actor, well, that’s just good business, isn’t it? Luckily, Joker is a pretty exciting and surprising work all its own, taking the chaotic ethos of The Dark Knight’s charismatic villain and bringing it to an even nastier place. (Heath Ledger played a rough piece of work, but he never skinned a guy alive.)
