Mark this one off your “2018” list at long last, this punked up take on Hollywood’s favorite Bat-villain has arrived, and he’s anything but short on style.
When it comes to Joker figures, it never feels like we’re running short or anything. But you can almost universally count on them A) Selling well, and B) going for some money when they’re gone. I wisely got the initial Joker from Mezco before the prices got to the triple digits, but because I did, I slept on the vastly superior MezEx one. Like I’ve said before, I have my moments. Anyway, at the time, I figured 2 out of 3 wasn’t bad, and most of the Joker features and accessories would be covered by these two standard releases.
I was… mostly right.
But before we get into what makes this version not only a worthy Joker variant, maybe even my favorite, let’s go through what hasn’t changed- the base body.
There’s no hiding it, probably why they did it in the first place, but this guy has the same base body as the others, and that means single jointed elbows. Now is that a deal-breaker on this, or any of the other Joker figures? Well, no, not really. For one thing, the proportions on this body work really well for more “regular” clothes characters- if you want to call Joker that- and with his bare arms, it makes sense aesthetically. That being said, this is the only body in Mezco’s arsenal that I think needs an upgrade or replacement. So, it works, but it’s showing it’s shortcomings, fair enough?
But that’s really all that this version has in common with the predecessor, outside the name. Forgoing the usual almost dapper suit, this Joker is workboots, fingerless gloves, studded belts and suspenders- I had a friend call him “Hot Topic Joker” until I reminded him that Hot Topic mostly sells undersize teeshirts and Pop! Vinyls these days. There is definitely an angsty, maybe a little try-hard angle to his look, but I’ll be damned if I don’t like it for a character like the Joker. And with the whitewall haircut, he feels pretty committed to it. Reminds me a lot of Sean Murphy’s design for White Knight, actually- a book full of designs that sound maybe a little odd until you see them in action. The color choices are no doubt why this works though; lots of right purples and orange with just a little black and silver to accent them. And speaking of the vest, I knew from past experience that they’re sewn very lighty closed, so I opened his up, and I have to be honest, I like him better in just the silk-ish purple shirt. Just food for thought.
For accessories, you get a second more calm Joker head, the hands asssortment, a pair of curved blades that store on the belt, a sick little skull cane, the teddy-bomb, and the ever-sexy MP5 in “Joker camo” with a firing effect. It’s a fine loadout, with plenty of stuff to properly accessorize for some great poses. If I were going to be greedy, I would have loved a punk-themed overcoat and maybe that bruised head from the MezEx, though.
So this Joker begs the question: If the Mezco comic Batmen are part of a trilogy, does that mean Joker here gets one too? This Clown Prince Joker is definitely a departure from the more standard version, and looking at the headsculpts, you could easily sell me on this being an “Ascending Clown” version. I’m not sure if that’s where the Mez boys and girls are headed, but I’ll put it this way: I don’t think I realized I needed an old man Joker figure until literally this paragraph. I’m in!
But even without a third (fourth) version of the ol’ grinning gargoyle, this version is well worth the investment. There is plenty of style and presence here to make up for a little less articulation than you might prefer. Recommended!
