Bring on the Bad Guys: The Joker

Real name: (see comments)
A.K.A.: Jack Napier, Joseph Kurr, Jack White, the Red Hood, Oberon Sexton
First Appearance: Batman I#1 (Spring 1940)
Abilities:  Chemical genius, thief
Weapons: Acid, guns, gags
Quotes: "If the police expect to play with the Joker, they had better expect to be dealt from the bottom of the deck!"
Worst Act: Too damn many to mention
Created by: Bill Finger (writer) and Bob Kane (artist-credited), Jerry Robinson(pencils/inks)



At this point, what can one say about the Joker that hasn't already been said? He's been everything from playful to homicidal, a clown prince of crime to a mountebank of mayhem. He's been terrorizing the good people of Gotham for 77 years and it's doubtful he's going away anytime soon.

In the 40's, the Joker was a killer, racking up a decent body count with his first appearance but mellowing out slightly throughout the decade. The 50's and 60's saw him more goofy and less homicidal. Cesar Romero's portrayal was spot on, but most of the character's manic ticks went to Gorshin's Riddler.

The 70's saw a return to form with the story "the Joker's Five-Way Revenge", but it would be Alan Moore that would cement the character's characterization for better or worse. 

I suppose that's my biggest gripe with the character. Since the 80's nearly all the stories have been the same; the Joker shows up, kills the equivalent of small city, Batman argues that while he really wants to kill the clown he won't, (sometimes a supporting character dies), Joker goes to Arkham, wash rinse and repeat. There have been some exceptions, but when you can predict how a character is going to act exactly it takes the fun out of the story. Plus writers have been building him up so much you honestly wonder why anyone would live in a city where the chief cause of death is clown.

With the old stories there was usually something at the end (the Joker falling off a cliff, being in a burning building, etc.) with an explanation in the next story showing how the Joker survived. Now they just put him in Arkham. Next time he's out and there's nothing.

Writers back when the Comic Code was put into place were warned that reoccurring villains made the hero look ineffective. In the Joker's case I'd say they were right. Sure, Batman stops him, but he'll break out again/kill four digit plus number of people. When the straw man characters/violent parodies make a better argument than your hero, you have some problems.

There is something about the character though. His origin or lack thereof actually does work. Who cares what his backstory is? His present is what the character focus on, but then that ties into his current problems.

Bring on the Bad Guys: Boss Zucco

Real name: Tony Zucco
A.K.A.: Tony "Fats" Zucco
First Appearance: Detective Comics I#38(April1940)
Abilities: Threatening circuses
Weapons: Acid, guns
Quotes: "I'm the boss of this town, see!"
Worst Act: Murdering a pair of trapeze artists
Created by: Bill Finger (writer) and Bob Kane (artist-credited), Jerry Robinson(pencils/inks)

Now here's a character that has been overshadowed by a certain red and green supporting character.

Boss Zucco was introduced as a fairly typical (a la Edward G. Robinson) mobster. When extorting money from Haley's Circus fails, he arranges for a certain accident to happen to the Flying Grayson act. The accident is witnessed by Bruce Wayne, who takes an interest in the surviving Grayson.

Robin has certainly made an impact on the Bat-mythos, so as such Zucco will always be around in some fashion. Notably whenever they retell Dick Grayson's origin there is usually an appearance, most recently Dark Victory and the new 52.

Bring on the Bad Guys: Count Grutt

Real name: Elias Turg
A.K.A.: Count Grutt
First Appearance: Detective Comics I#37(March 1940)
Abilities: Spy
Weapons: Knives
Quotes: "Yes! But You'll never live to tell anyone about it!"
Worst Act: Leading a spy ring
Created by: Bill Finger (writer) and Bob Kane (artist-credited), Jerry Robinson(pencils/inks)

After Hugo Strange, surely the follow up villain would prove to be a challenge, right?

Not really, no. Honestly the villain really does show up until the end. Until then, Batman has more trouble from a guy named Joey. Joey is being tortured by a gang of thugs when the Batman intervenes...and is knocked out for his help.

Turns out the gang leader Turg is actually passing himself off as the Count Grutt and they are in the ploy of a foreign power. Grutt tries to kill the Batman, but only succeeds in stabbing himself in the neck.

The next issue would feature the debut of someone a bit better received than the Count.

Bring on the Bad Guys: Professor Hugo Strange

Real name: Hugo Strange
A.K.A.: Dr. Victor Absonus
First Appearance: Detective Comics I#36(February1940)
Abilities: Mad scientist
Weapons: Fear powder, Monster Men, etc.
Quotes: "You cowardly fool!"
Worst Act: See the aforementioned fear powder and Monster Men
Created by: Bill Finger (writer) and Bob Kane (artist-credited), Sheldon Moldoff (pencils/inks)


Now here we have the first of the Golden Age foes to make a comeback. Hugo Strange was the star of a trilogy of stories, each of them featuring the good doctor unleashing a mad threat upon the citizens of Gotham (fog, Monster Men, and fear powder; the last one a bit before the Scarecrow too).

At the end of several stories Strange fell seemingly to his death, but he always returned until the last one (#46).

That would be it for the doctor until he was brought back in the 1970's. Surviving his fall, he still practices mad science until he discovers Batman's secret identity. He tries to auction it off, but corrupt politician Rupert Thorne tries to beat it out of him. Strange seemingly dies, but then his ghost begins to haunt Thorne...or does he?

The Earth-2 line had a slightly different take, explaining that Strange was left hopelessly mangled from his fall in #46 and now wants revenge on Batman and everything he holds dear.

From there Strange's biggest storyline would be the Post-Crisis Doug Moench penned yarn "Prey" which featured a slightly different take. Instead of a traditional mad scientist, Moench made Strange a mad psychiatrist with a fixation on Batman. Like in the 1970's stories Strange figures out Bruce Wayne's secret, although subsequent stories would go back to the well, with Strange figuring out the secret and Batman tricking him at the last minute, sometimes with Strange apparently dying.

He's made his comeback in the new 52 and DC Rebirth, so it doesn't appear that he's going anyway anytime soon, at least until he gets near the edge of any tall structures.

Bring on the Bad Guys: Sheldon Lennox

Real name: Sheldon Lennox
A.K.A.: Sin Fang
First Appearance: Detective Comics I#35 (January 1940)
Abilities: Leader of the Cult of Kila
Weapons: House of torture
Quotes: "You...Alive!"
Worst Act: Faking his death and leading a murder cult
Created by: Bill Finger (writer) and Bob Kane (artist-credited), Sheldon Moldoff (pencils/inks)

Here we have a slightly different type of villain. When the story starts we are introduced to Mr. Weldon, a businessman. He's in the grip of terror, but mostly for the man Sheldon Lennox. Lennox sold him a ruby idol of the Hindu deity Kila (not a real deity, but I suppose Finger could be excused given the state of reference materials in 1940). The cult that worshipped the idol wants it back. They've threatened to kill Lennox and then Weldon unless he gives it back. When the police rush to Lennox's house, they find the cult in retreat, the grisly proof of their visit evident.

After that, Batman investigates a fence ring run by the enigmatic Sin Fang, who has stolen the idol. But why does Sin Fang want the statue so badly?

The story is pretty good, although the racial aspect of Lennox's disguise has not aged well.  

Bring on the Bad Guys: The Duc D'Orterre

Real name: The Duc D'Orterre
A.K.A.: None
First Appearance: Detective Comics I#34 (December 1939)
Abilities: Leader of the Apache gang
Weapons: Wheel of Chance and his torture garden
Quotes: "I will open the ceiling gate and let him into my flower garden."
Worst Act: Burning away a guy's face is pretty rotten
Created by: Gardner Fox (writer) and Bob Kane (artist-credited), Sheldon Moldoff (pencils/inks)

Batman goes international in this one, fighting a leader of the infamous Apache gang of Paris. The real gang was more or less forgotten by the 1930's, but the visual of the stripped shirt and slim daggers made a large cultural impact.

The Duc was a pretty rotten fellow. Obsessing over Karel Marie, he kidnapped her brother Charles and burned off his face. The Duc also had some neat torture devices, benefitting his evil nobleman status. He died at the end of his story and so far no one seems to be arguing for his come back.

Bring on the Bad Guys: Carl Kruger

Real name: Carl Kruger
A.K.A.: None
First Appearance: Detective Comics I#33 (November 1939)
Abilities: Leader of the Scarlet Horde
Weapons: Fully armed airships
Quotes: "Master of the world, another Napoleon..."
Worst Act: Bombing Gotham City from the air
Created by: Gardner Fox/Bill Finger (writer) and Bob Kane (artist-credited), Sheldon Moldoff (letters)

Probably the most notable things from issue 33 is the first proper telling of Batman's origin, but as to the story itself Kruger is a mad man obsessed with Napoleon. He also has airships and bombs Gotham to rubble.

He has a neat visual certainly, and his schemes are certainly big scale. No blackmail here, no, he's going for wide scale destruction. The Batman, and his Bat-gyro, make short work of him and by the end of the tale he's stone dead.