Brush up on the Joker’s long history with this video

For as long as Batman has been around, the Joker has been right there with him. And Batman’s been around a long time: since 1939, to be exact. In that time, the Clown Prince of Crime has gone through a LOT of incarnations, from goofy trouble-maker…

…to grimdark agent of chaos…

…to whatever Joaquin Phoenix will make of him in Todd Phillips’ Joker, which comes out this weekend:

How is it that these are all the same character? Before you head off to see the new film, settle back and brush up on the guy’s many-faced history with this thorough new video from The Take:

Fun fact: Cesar Romero, who played the Joker in the 1960s Adam West series, refused to shave off his mustache for the part, so it’s still visible under all the white pancake makeup. Freeze a frame or two from that video if you don’t believe me.

Anyway, it’s pretty clear that the Joker, like Batman, is whatever the audience needs him to be at the time. Phoenix’s Joker has already gotten a lot of buzz, but the movie has also stirred up controversy among groups fearful that it could inspire violence. The whole thing is threatening to become one of those situations where the controversy around the film drowns out discussion of the film itself, thanks in part to bone-headed comments from Phillips. I still think it looks pretty good, though, so hopefully this doesn’t blow up too badly between now and Friday.

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