The Joker is one of the most recognizable villains in fiction, and DC has played with his looks many times over the years. From the bizarre, muscular, gaunt look from Grant Morrison’s work, to the iconic purple suit and green tie, few designs are as terrifying as his look in in the New 52, when he removed his own face. Now, now a skilled cosplayer has brought this frightening visage to life.
Cosplayer foggyknight14 with bryantcoxphotography have perfectly encapsulated the terrifying look of the New 52‘s Joker. In their cosplay, Batman is battling the Joker in a burning factory. The Joker is still wearing that sadistic smile of his, even as Batman beats him, but now the Joker is quite literally wearing the smile.
It’s a fantastic look at what the final battle between the New 52 Joker and Batman could have looked like if Joker had stayed with this horrifying design.
The Joker and Batman have been fighting for decades and neither one has really been able to get through to the other. During the New 52, Joker cuts off his own face in order to prove that he is exactly who he says he is. His twisted reasoning is that everyone in life wears masks to hide who they truly are, but if Joker removes his “mask,” he’s still the same person he’s always been. It’s a truly twisted attempt at making a point, but it drives home just how sadistic and insane the Joker is, that he’d willingly put himself through having his own face removed just to prove a point to Batman.
Cosplaying the Joker is usually a tricky affair due to his pale white skin and neon green hair, but the New 52 Joker is an even harder thing to cosplay. Not only would a cosplayer have to nail the pale white skin on the neck and hands, as well as the neon green hair, but they would also need a functional mask made of Joker’s face. Then, depending on how deep they want to go, they’d need makeup under that mask as well. That’s why taking on the daunting aspect of cosplaying New 52 Joker can be such a big ask, but it pays off, as foggyknight14 shows.
There are tons of terrifying villains in Batman’s rogues’ gallery, from Scarecrow to Killer Croc, and while the Joker isn’t typically seen as a scary character, his New 52 redesign was pure horror. It’s an element of horror that this Joker cosplay captures so perfectly as it looks like it practically leaped off the pages of the book. While Batman and Joker will likely be battling one another for decades more, let’s hope that Joker never returns to his terrifying New 52 design.
Source: foggyknight14 and bryantcoxphotography via Instagram