Joker

'Gotham' gets 'The Last Laugh' on all of us, with an episode at once both a series' height, and a frustrating low. No joke, our full review of this week's latest!

Seven years ago, Christopher Nolan tapped Heath Ledger to play arguably the most iconic comic book villain in his sequel to Batman Begins. As the Joker in The Dark Knight, Ledger made a lasting impression on the fanbase that's often remembered as one of, if not the, most memorable performance in a comic book film. At least part of that reverence comes from the fact that it was Ledger's final film role, but it's also due to the fact that his Joker was so different, strange and captivating. Since that film's release, Joker action figures have constantly been in the rotation from various companies, including Hot Toys, NECA, and recently, Medicom. The Japanese manufacturer has been slowly releasing figures based on the final two films in the past year or so, including a Batman, Catwoman and a purple-suited Joker. Next, Medicom's MAFEX line will introduce the Joker from his brief time as a bank robber in the earliest moments of The Dark Knight.

When action figures and vinyl collectibles based on your favorite DC heroes aren't enough, you can always turn down the more prestigious statue road. Sure, they're a bit pricier than a six-inch figure, but they bring a certain air of respectability to your collection. Anyone can buy an action figure. It takes a refined eye to know which statues will make a collection pop even more. Probably. I just usually buy the ones that look the coolest. Today, we're debuting a few cool pieces from DC Collectibles upcoming slate of statues, courtesy of DC Comics. We've got the first look at three upcoming statues from DC Collectibles' Cover Girls, Icons and Super-Villains lines, featuring designs from Jim Lee and Stanley Lau. We've also got a bit more detail on the upcoming Wonder Woman: The Art of War by Bruce Timm statue.

Gotham split itself right down the middle between serious drama and campy Schumacher homage, and now with Barbara and a proto-Joker front and center for Season 2, which one would you imagine leads the charge by our first clip? Are you ready to visit Arkham and kick off the “Rise of the Villains?”

The great thing about the Batman 1966 licensing boom that we've been in for the past year or so has been the variety of collectibles commemorating the fan-favorite series. For a long time, we just didn't have much to work with when it came to the Adam West/Burt Ward era, but now we've got action figures, banks, miniature cars, statues, comics and all kinds of other random stuff. While we've seen Funko's Batman 1966 Pop figures and Dorbz on shelves already, the creatives at Vinyl Sugar will introduce Vinyl Idolz based on the Bat-family this fall. The Batman '66 wave was teased earlier in the year, but didn't have any prototypes or release date mentioned at the time. The Vinyl Idolz line has already offered such pop culture icons like the characters from Seinfeld, Ghostbusters and Hot Fuzz in its strange-yet-appealing Family Guy meets Aardman Animation style, and the campiness of Batman '66 helps the characters fit right in without missing a beat.

Gotham star Ben McKenzie recently promised the second season to improve upon muddled reception of the first, but the latest trailer seems to be clowning around. There’s more Joker camp than ever in a new “Rise of the Villains” spot, and we even get a taste of (sigh) Barbara’s arc to boot.

Many of comics’ most popular characters have been around for decades, and in the case of the big names from the publisher now known as DC Comics, some have been around for a sizable chunk of a century. As these characters passed through the different historical eras known in comics as the Golden Age (the late 1930s through the early 1950s), the Silver Age (the mid 1950s through the late 1960s), the Bronze Age (the early 1970s through the mid 1980s) and on into modern times, they have experienced considerable changes in tone and portrayal that reflect the zeitgeist of the time. With this feature we’ll help you navigate the very best stories of DC Comics’ most significant characters decade by decade. This week, we’re taking a look at the best Joker comics.

If you’re not particularly a fan of Jared Leto’s Joker aesthetic in Suicide Squad, then the latest Joker-centric news may put a smile on that face (sorry): Zach Galifianakis is in talks to join Will Arnett’s Batman and Michael Cera’s Robin in the LEGO Batman movie as the voice of the iconic clown prince. Cue laughter.

Batman’s iconic animated series has influenced The Dark Knight’s legacy and vocal talent for decades, but did you know that Tim Curry almost voiced The Joker before Mark Hamill? Or that the animated adaptation created Harley Quinn altogether? You are vengeance, and you are the night, you will enjoy our 18th episode of ‘You Think You Know TV?,’ which flies through Gotham City on leather wings for Batman: The Animated Series!

Although cosplay has been present for decades within the comics, anime, and sci-fi/fantasy fandoms, social media has played an integral role in the thriving communities of costuming that exist, such as Cosplay.com and the Superhero Costuming Forum. Over the years, the cosplay community has evolved into a creative outlet for many fans to establish and showcase some impressive feats of homemade disguise, craftsmanship, and sartorial superheroics at conventions. In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent. The comics, sci-fi, gaming and fantasy communities’ talents for homemade disguises, craftsmanship, and sartorial superheroics are definitely on display this weekend at Boston Comic Con, and we were there to check out the show as well as capture some of the stellar cosplay on display. Photos by Betty Felon & Lauren Moran.