Joker

FOX’s Gotham has never exactly been the paragon of patience, waiting all of 15 episodes before introducing a proto-Joker to its young Bruce Wayne. The same holds true of Season 3, as even death won’t keep Cameron Monaghan’s “Jerome” from confirming a return appearance.

The DC Icons series has been an interesting experiment from DC Collectibles. Following the lengthy run of New 52 figures, shaking things up by putting out characters from the vast DC Comics catalog from all different eras has proven to be quite an exercise. Though the figures in the Icons line are just out of scale with most of its contemporaries, that doesn't diminish the quality of the figures... even if it does make them look just out of place on display with other toys. We got a look at the latest additions --- John Stewart, the Joker, and Firestorm --- just in time for their release this month. All three candidates are strong additions, and give us versions of these characters that have been sorely lacking representation on the toy front.

For the most part, Hot Toys doesn't stray off the path when it comes to its sixth-scale action figures. With the company's figures coming at such a premium, fans appreciate the attention to detail and screen accuracy Hot Toys offers. That's why, when something like this new Joker figure comes along, it's a bit of a surprise. Based on Batman's appearance in Suicide Squad and the Joker's latest cinematic incarnation, the Joker (Batman Imposter) figure is definitely a unique interpretation of the Dark Knight and his most famous of foils. It's also something that will haunt my dreams for weeks.

Somehow, Good Smile found a way to make Jared Leto's Suicide Squad Joker even more of a creep than he was on screen. I'm not even sure how that's possible considering all the ridiculous things we know about Leto and his Joker, but they did it. This is the kind of thing that happens when you try to chibi-fy deranged sociopaths though. They come out of the wash looking even weirder for wear. While the Harley Quinn doesn't fare quite as poorly in her transition to Nendoroid form, it's still a little bit weird having a cutesy girl that looks like a cherubish child in hot pants and a belly shirt. Some things that works for more realistic action figures just don't make the leap as clearly for the Nendoroid form. That doesn't mean Good Smile won't try though.

Mattel's DC Multiverse line was once merely home to 4" figures from the Batman: Arkham video games, with a few select film characters thrown in for good measure. After the disappearance of the DC Universe Classics, and its replacement DC Club Infinite Earths, it was nearly impossible to find 6" DC Comics figures outside of your local comic shop. With the arrival of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the success of the CW television universe, the DC Multiverse line soon had a foundation for a new 6" figure line. There have been a few waves of 6" Multiverse figures in 2016, with Mattel mixing things up with comic and Hollywood versions of familiar characters to keep things fresh. Of the latest lines to arrive this summer, Suicide Squad is entirely based on the film incarnations. It's also one of the largest, most diverse waves to arrive since the new Multiverse launched. It's also still very inconsistent.

Mileage may vary on whether Gotham does an effective job of setting up Batman’s beginnings, though most grew to embrace the bizarre proto-Joker of Cameron Monaghan’s Jerome. It may take until Season 4 before we finally see the character again, but producers at least explain how that Season 2 finale cameo came about.

By all accounts, a lot of stuff got cut out of Suicide Squad. If you believe the recent press reports, there were two totally different versions of the film competing for release: A darker take from director David Ayer, and a jokier movie edited in consultation with the company that made the film’s popular, upbeat trailers.

In honor of Suicide Squad's release, we've gathered some great fan art of the Suicide Squad characters in their recent incarnations, tattoos and all. No surprise, there's a lot of Harley Quinn (she's a beloved character with an amazing look in the new movie), but you'll see plenty of the other team members as well. This is the gallery you want to look at when you're feeling bad. This is the best Suicide Squad fan art.

There’s no question that FOX’s Gotham works best with its weirder tendencies, but Season 3 has at least some questionable choices to tackle. Out of TCA, Gotham bosses explain the decision to age up Claire Foley’s li’l Poison Ivy into a young seductress, as well previewing proto-Suicide Squad members like Killer Croc, and a Joker cult in Season 4.

Jared Leto is the second name on the poster for Suicide Squad. The only actor billed above him is Will Smith; Leto is listed ahead of actors like Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis, who, unlike the Joker, are all actual members of the Suicide Squad. Despite Leto’s billing, though, and despite the large amount of publicity surrounding his unusual version of the character (not to mention his unusual preparations to play the role, which included sending disgusting “gifts” to his colleagues), Leto has very little screen time in the final film.