Just as there have been numerous Batmans (Batmen?) over the years, allowing fans to argue over which is their favorite, there have been nearly as many Jokers. While most fans argue over whether Heath Ledger or Jack Nicholson was best, while waiting to see how Jared Leto turns out, there’s one Joker who has been going strong since nearly the beginning of Batman’s film career. Mark Hamill is back to voice the animated Joker one more time, and this time he’s even more twisted than before.
Mark Hamill, Kevin Konroy, Tara Strong and Ray Wise:The Voices Of Batman - The Killing JokePosted by Its Mark Hamill on Sunday, April 3, 2016
Beginning in 1993, when Batman: The Animated Series went on the air, Mark Hamill began a run voicing the Joker that has lasted to this day. While the majority of his performances have been for more general audiences, making his character a bit more humorous, and a bit less psychotic, it’s looking like Batman: The Killing Joke is going to take Hamill’s Joker to a much darker place. Mark Hamill himself calls this Joker "nasty" and "vile" in this promo, which is fitting given the source material. If by some strange chance you’re not familiar with the plotline of The Killing Joke comic story we won’t spoil it for you here. Needless to say, as Ray Wise intimates, the story takes the characters through quite a lot, and very little of it is good.
Of course a good Joker needs a good Batman to be his foil and so Kevin Conroy, who has voiced Batman opposite Mark Hamill in most of the same places, is also returning to the role. In addition to their work on the animated series and the The Killing Joke, the two also worked together on the series of Batman video games that culminated in last year’s Batman: Arkham Knight.
Mark Hamill’s Joker probably rarely enters the conversation when it comes to the comparison of those who have played the role before. Still, Hamill has infused the character with probably the most humorous insanity that we’ve ever seen, making the character more purely entertaining than most versions of the clown prince of crime.
Are you excited for Batman: The Killing Joke even more since it has the classic Batman voices attached? While hearing these voices again is always great, this looks to be adding a new level of darkness to them. Will you be picking up this new animated feature when it comes out later this year?
