Joker. The Birth, Life, and Legacy of Gotham City's Most Charismatic Villain

This book is the first in a new series "Great Villains. Stories of the Most Legendary Antagonists of World Culture," dedicated to iconic villains of modern times, and its first hero is the Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime.
Often, antagonists are the most captivating and memorable characters in history. That is why the biography of the Joker is accompanied by several dozen illustrations, the complex COLOR TRIM conveys the multifaceted nature of the character, and the foil on the cover adds brightness to the book, akin to the hero.

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be a comedian, and people laughed at me. Now none of them are laughing!" — Joker, "Joker" (2019)

How many philosophers will it take to unravel the mystery of the Joker's popularity? Almost two dozen — that's how many authors contributed to this book. Dark, chaotic, frightening, wild. Additionally charismatic, mesmerizing, free, and audacious: all these qualities describe him — the most unpredictable villain of Gotham City, the elusive and irrational Joker. The king of jokes and master of the absurd, he commits evil not out of personal gain or deep personal beliefs.

Traveling through the grim streets of Gotham City and even darker corners of the human mind, the authors, including leading philosophers, university professors from the USA and Europe, and big fans of Marvel comics (and, of course, films by Christopher Nolan and Todd Phillips), will delve deeper into the cult antagonist:

- What do the charismatic rogue tormenting Gotham City and the ancient Greek god Dionysus have in common?
- Why does the Joker in comics differ from the Joker in films, and what does this say about our society?
- Can laughter be a form of protest against the absurdity of this world?
- What drives Batman to an endless resistance against the forces of evil?
- Why would the image of the Joker appeal to Taoist philosophers, while Confucius would be horrified?

The Joker is not just a madman or a psycho; he is a jester, the keeper of his own secrets and unique philosophy, the essence of which can only be unraveled by Batman, two dozen philosophers, and every reader of the book "Joker. The Birth, Life, and Legacy of Gotham City's Most Charismatic Villain."