Happy April Fools with the clowns of comics!

Bring on the clowns!

Of coarse everyone knows the clown prince of crime, but there are many other clown themed heroes and villains throughout comics history.

the Joker in Gotham Central

The Joker is a touchy subject because no one seems to understand this character. 

One person who understood him is Ed Brubaker in his 

Gotham Central. 

I think that Bill Finger nailed it when he first created the Joker but it seems that he has been misunderstood since. Ed Brubaker has managed to to capture the essence of Finger's Joker in his Gotham Central and made it his own.

The Joker's first appearance in Batman #1, 1940

The Joker has been Batman’s number one nemisis ever since his debut in Batman #1 spring of 1940, the dawn of the Golden Age of comics. 

One thing about the Joker that made him so eternal is that he came out fully developed. From the beginning he was a seditious killer with a theatrical flair. If anything they tamed his character down over the years.

Tomar and Asaf Hanuka's Joker In DC's Bizarro World!

Tomar and Asaf Hanuka's Joker from their Bizarro World submission.

Move over men of Marvel! Make way for The women of the DCU!

When I think of strong male characters, I think of Marvel, but when I think of strong female characters I think DCU. I know this is subjective as much has been made of the X-Women, but personally speaking, I love the women of the DCU!