| "The Man Behind The Red Hood!" | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Publication date | February 1951 |
| Genre | |
| Main character(s) | Batman, Robin, Red Hood (Joker) |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Bill Finger |
| Artist(s) | Lew Sayre Schwartz, George Roussos |
| Penciller(s) | Lew Sayre Schwartz, Win Mortimer |
| Inker(s) | George Roussos |
| Editor(s) | Jack Schiff |
"The Man Behind The Red Hood!" is a comic book story arc in the Batman and Detective Comics series. It features Batman and a few University students trying to crack a decade-old case. It features the earliest origin story for the Joker.
Plot summary[]
Batman and Robin have been asked by Dean Chalmers, head of Gotham University, to volunteer as teachers for his criminology class. Batman agrees.
Over the course of a month, Batman teaches the students many things and decides that they are ready for a real case—that of "The Red Hood." Batman gives the students clues about the mysterious burglar's crimes and encounters with Batman.
The students discover that the Red Hood decided to steal one million dollars from the Monarch Playing Card Company, but was thought to have been killed after jumping into a basin of the company's chemicals following a confrontation with Batman.
The Red Hood hears of the re-opening of the case and attacks the school. Finally, when Batman unmasks him, The Red Hood turns out to be the school gardener. Batman questions him and finds out that the school gardener had captured the real Red Hood and left him locked inside a tool shed. He decided to commit crimes and frame the Red Hood.
Batman, Robin and the students discover that the "Red Hood" is in fact their old nemesis, the Joker. The Joker explains that years ago, he was a lab worker who decided to steal from the Monarch Playing Card Company. After being thwarted by Batman, however, he jumped into the chemical waste to escape. He survived, but was left with his trademark green hair, chalk white skin, and red lips. Driven insane by the accident, he dedicated his life to getting revenge on Batman.[1]
Reprints[]
In addition to having been printed in Detective Comics 168, "The Man Behind The Red Hood!" has been reprinted in:
- Batman#213
- Batman Archives Vol.8 (ISBN 9781401233761)
- Batman In The Fifties (ISBN 9781563898105)
- Batman With Robin the Boy Wonder From the 30's to the 70's (ISBN 9780517190326)
- The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told (ISBN 9780446391252)
- Limited Collector's Edition C-39
Cultural impact[]
This story is extremely notable for being the first ever media of introducing the origin of The Joker, Batman's greatest enemy. The Joker's origin from this comic has been used in various Batman-related media, including the 1989 film. The story would be updated in later storylines, including The Killing Joke and Zero Year.[2] It was chosen as one of the comic books to represent "Batman In The Fifties," "Batman From The '30s To The '70s," and as one of "The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told".
References[]
- ↑ Booker, M. Keith (October 28, 2014). Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. ABC-CLIO. p. 197. ISBN 0313397511.
- ↑ Reinhart, Mark (July 18, 2013). The Batman Filmography, 2d ed.. McFarland. p. 52. ISBN 1476606323.
External links[]
- Joker at the DC Comics wikia
| Batman publications and storylines | |
|---|---|
| Current series | Batgirl • Batman • Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight • Batman: The Dark Knight • Batman and Robin • Batman Beyond Unlimited • Batman Incorporated • Batwing • Batwoman • Birds of Prey • Catwoman • Detective Comics • Nightwing • Red Hood and the Outlaws |
| Former ongoing series | Azrael • Batman: Gotham Knights • Batman: Shadow of the Bat • Batman: Streets of Gotham • The Batman Adventures • The Batman Chronicles • Batman Confidential • Batman Family • The Brave and the Bold • Gotham Central • Gotham City Sirens • Red Robin • Robin • Superman/Batman • World's Finest Comics |
| Completed limited series | Anarky • Batgirl: Year One • Batman: Battle for the Cowl • Batman: Cacophony • Batman: The Cult • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns • Batman: Dark Victory • Batman: Gates of Gotham • Batman: GCPD • Batman: Gotham County Line • Batman: The Long Halloween • Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne • Batman: Turning Points • Batman: The Widening Gyre • Batman: Year 100 • Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity • Batman and the Mad Monk • Batman and the Monster Men • Batman Black and White • The Dark Knight Strikes Again • First Wave • Gotham Underground • Robin: Year One • Superman & Batman: Generations • Trinity • The Untold Legend of the Batman |
| One-shots | Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth • The 12 Cent Adventure • Castle of the Bat • Dark Knight Dynasty • Digital Justice • Batman: Earth One • Holy Terror • In Darkest Knight • The Killing Joke • Knight Gallery • The Man Who Laughs • Nine Lives • Noël • Son of the Demon • Two Faces • Batman/Houdini: The Devil's Workshop • The Batman Adventures: Mad Love • Batman & Dracula: Red Rain • Gotham by Gaslight • Joker |
| Storylines | "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" • "The Man Behind the Red Hood!" • "Joker's Millions" • "Year One" • "Year Two" • "A Death in the Family" • "Year Three" • "The Man Who Falls" • "Anarky in Gotham City" • "Gothic" • "The Return of the Joker" • "Prey" • "The Last Arkham" • "Knightfall" • "Leatherwing" • "Contagion" • "Legacy" • "Cataclysm" • "The Berlin Batman" • "No Man's Land" • "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" • "Hush" • "Broken City" • "As the Crow Flies" • "War Games" • "Under the Hood" • "War Crimes" • "Face the Face" • "Batman & Son" • "Dark Moon Rising" • "The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul" • "Batman R.I.P." • "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" • "Batwoman: Elegy" • "Bruce Wayne: The Road Home" • "Night of the Owls" • "Death of the Family" |
| Intercompany crossovers | Batman/Aliens • Batman/Hellboy/Starman • Batman/Daredevil: King of New York • Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham • Batman & Spider-Man: New Age Dawning • Batman/Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-woman • Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles • Batman/The Spirit • Batman versus Predator • Daredevil/Batman: Eye for an Eye • Spawn/Batman • Batman-Spawn: War Devil • Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator • Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds • Joker/Mask |
| Incomplete or planned | All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder |
| Related topics | Batman: Anarky | Batman: Child of Dreams | Batman: Haunted Knight | The Batman Chronicles | Batman Legends |