Joker

We've been keeping a close eye on the updated character designs and new looks for all the DC heroes that are coming as part of its summer DC Rebirth initiative, and we may have just been given a first look at one of the publisher's most iconic supervillains' new design. Last night, upcoming Batgirl artist Rafael Albuquerque posted his Fried Pie Comics exclusive variant of Tom King and David Finch's Batman #1 on Instagram, which featured The Dark Knight posing back-to-back with a new take on a familiar face.

Given that I was a tiny child in the mid-'80s, it probably won't surprise anyone to learn that I was obsessed with the Super Powers action figure line. They were my favorite toys --- especially the Robin figure that had Karate Chop Action --- and whenever I see them at conventions, I'm always seriously tempted to try to put together a set and recreate the hero-versus-villain brawls that always spilled out into my childhood living room.

Though Medicom is far from the first company to show off a Knightmare Batman from this year's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, it can count itself among very few to have a Joker action figure based on the upcoming Suicide Squad feature. Outside of Mattel's Toy Fair preview, there hasn't been much information on any Suicide Squad figures, but the MAFEX Joker looks to be miles ahead of anything else we've seen so far in the 6" form for DC's next movie.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our years on the Internet, it’s that there’s no aspect of comics that can’t be broken down and quantified in a single definitive list, preferably in amounts of five or ten. And since there’s no more definitive authority than ComicsAlliance, we’re taking it upon ourselves to compile Top Five lists of everything you could ever want to know about comics. This week the bats are out of the belfry as we look at five of Batman’s greatest team-ups!

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.

Today is, of course, April Fool's Day, which means that there's a pretty good chance that you're going to be spending a good amount of time dodging "pranks" that are really just lies masquerading as good-natured shenanigans. If that's the case, and you're looking for something to read while you try to dodge all the mischief in the air, then I have some good news. Comixology is celebrating the day with a big sale featuring that most Aprilest of Fools, the Joker.

If you watched the DC Comics panel at last weekend's WonderCon in Los Angeles, then you saw the reveals of all the titles and most of the creative teams for the company's upcoming "Rebirth" event. Mixed in with those, though, was one more announcement about DC's upcoming plans: When Justice League #50 hits shelves next month as the climax to "The Darkseid War," Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok are planning to give the Joker a "real identity" that will presumably go beyond just being Gotham City's most notoriously murderous clown. It's a bold move, especially since it's happening in the company's flagship team book rather than in a solo Batman title. In the days since the panel, the news has got a whole lot of people --- myself included --- talking about the possibilities of what we're going to see in April. If the Joker's not just the Joker, then who is he?

Welcome to The Issue, where we look at some of the strangest, most interesting and most distinctive single issue comic stories ever to grace the medium. You know the ones; silent issues, sideways issues, backwards issues... and issues that make you ask questions like 'When does a comic book stop being a comic book?' Batman #663 is 22 pages of words and pictures --- the former courtesy of Grant Morrison, just a few issues into his landmark run on the title, the latter by digital artist John Van Fleet --- but the two elements are mixed into something that's closer to an illustrated storybook. Look at any given page, and you'll be faced with as many words as an average issue of traditional comics, interspersed with Van Fleet's posed CG characters resembling a gritty reimagining of '90s animated series ReBoot.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice already has a pretty stacked deck when it comes to characters, with both superheroes bringing their own roster of supporting players to the table in addition to a couple of big villains — maybe more. According to Zack Snyder, there were almost two more villains to contend with in his superhero epic; specifically, a couple of major Batman baddies. And even though these characters never made it into the script, the film still wound up having to leave a few others on the cutting room floor.

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.