All my friends are heathens take it slow

Arkham remix

Reading Arkham Asylum was a very interesting look at a very different very dark version of the beloved Joker. There have been so many versions of the Joker, from the original comic to the latest hollywood interpretation in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Not having really followed the comic books, my personal experience with the Joker is limited to the films starting which were almost comical until Heath Ledger. In Arkham Asylum, we see a very dark version of the Joker. He is interpreted by a crazed facade in a dark almost impressionistic sketch style. It truly looked very creepy especially because the brightest colors were the red of of his eyes and mouth and subtle blood splatter-like splotches and the green of his hair among the signature black of the batman and the overall darkness of the asylum. When looking at the Joker in other comics and movies, I personally did not really feel as creeped out as I did when looking at this version. Maybe it was because of the other imagery also in this comic, such as a sick lady with spiders coming out of her mouth. 

Another interesting aspect of the comic is the style itself. Dave McKean, also known for Sandman does a masterful job combining photographic elements with realistic illustrations and the crazy creepy cartoonish Joker. This juxtaposition makes the Joker even more scary and unnerving. The latest movie interpretation of the Joker also does a good job at making him super creepy in a new way. He actually seems crazy, not in a crazy evil way, but in a deranged illogical scary kind of way.

Overall, the Joker is a very interesting character that has been interpreted in many different ways and Arkham Asylum does an exceptional job embodying the creepiest side of him.