Brian Azzarello’s Joker
is a disturbing tale of the DC Comics super-villain, but the story wouldn’t
be as terrifying if it weren’t for comic book artist Lee Bermejo’s haunting
illustrations. His artwork, known for its rugged detail, is evident throughout
the graphic novel, a style that fits perfectly with the eerie noir theme of the
story. The Joker’s opening scene of him strutting out of Arkham Asylum is an
image that lures viewers in with its misty red background, almost as if he was
being released from the gates of hell.
For comic book fans, they know that Arkham is basically hell
on earth but for first time viewers, the Joker’s towering walk from the gates
of the asylum might have them wondering how this clearly demented and scary
character was able to get himself kicked out of “hell” and back into the real
world. Bermejo’s artistic style plays the main role in shaping the viewer’s
reaction to the image. Apart from the nightmarish background of Arkham Asylum
looming in the distance, the detail of the Joker’s facial expression may just
be the best part of Bermejo’s illustration.
The Joker’s smile, despite being halfway shielded by the
shadows, is just as red as the mist. He’s clearly smiling, smirking, maybe even
snickering at the situation. Just like his name, he’s amused, but the shadows
overcasting his face show the sinister extent of his expression. Shadows cover
most of his body, making his dark clothes even darker and his white painted
face nearly unrecognizable. If it weren’t for his cruel red smile and clown
green hair, one might mistake him for a scary man you might want to avoid. But
the hair and smile tell you that you do want
to avoid him at all costs.
The fact that he’s looking down makes him all the more
mysterious and haunting. But his body language does the job of showing viewers
just how haunting he truly is. Bermejo’s choice to make him slightly clench his
fists and walk with a hunched stride gives the impression that he’s creeping
his way from Arkham and sulking towards the audience. He appears tall and
demanding, the image of someone viewed as a terrifying character.
Bermejo used dark, minimal colors to create this
illustration that enhance the creepy and hellish world that the image lives in.
Green, white, red and yellow are the “lightest” colors in the image, but
they’re intertwined with the darker colors, making the image as a whole appear
wicked and menacing. The Joker’s shadow isn’t the only looming figure in the
illustration; Arkham’s tall and foreboding architecture greatly mimic the
Joker’s body language and facial expression. Shadows cast off of the gargoyles
of Arkham’s gates, making them look like winged demons ready to pounce instead
of solid, unmoving dragons.
Bermejo does an excellent job of making Arkham appear to be an area located in hell; the windows of the asylum either reflect black or the red aura that looks like fire. The idea of Arkham being hell on earth appears to be the basis of Bermejo’s illustration, and one can even say that the Joker is the devil himself, leaving his home to wreck havoc on earth. This image is an effective opening shot of an iconic villain. The cartoonish and silly Joker we know from our favorite Batman T.V. show is replaced with a terrifying and gruesome version that reminds viewers of how dangerous he really is.
Bermejo introduces viewers to his image of the Joker by using his gritty and dark style and applying it to a character that is just as demented as his artwork. There’s no doubt that that image of the Joker lurking out of Arkham was meant to scare viewers—from the mist clouding Arkham’s building to the blood red smile on the Joker’s lips, this is an image that came right out of a nightmare.
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