Welcome to the first ASK…THE QUESTION of 2023! I’m Alex Jaffe, and in case you’re a member of the DC Community, chances are you’ll already be conversant in my work beneath the sobriquet of HubCityQuestion. As at all times, it’s my endeavor to reply no matter questions you could have about the breadth, historical past and trivia of the DC Universe, irrespective of how granular or obscure. If you’d prefer to submit a query of your personal, you may cease by my digital workplace at any time to make your inquiries, every of which I’ll in time deal with to the better of my capacity. Let’s get some solutions!
Gentlemen, Let’s Broaden Our Minds
IYQbd asks:
When did the Joker begin writing large HA HA HAs on every part?
The Joker’s laughter as rendered in graffiti has develop into considered one of the character’s signature staples, from the film posters selling 2008’s The Dark Knight to the adornment of Robin’s costume in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. But when precisely did the Joker start expressing himself in vandalism?
1946’s Detective Comics #109 is the first time we see the Joker’s HA HA HAs expressed in writing. But it wouldn’t be honest to name that graffiti. In this occasion, they’re written on bricks that the Joker is laying to construct his personal home of jokes. That similar yr, in Detective Comics #114, the Joker vandalizes indicators all through the metropolis to seem to learn “HA HA HA,” however he does this by eradicating letters or lights in current indicators, fairly than spraying it on. It’s shut, however not fairly the similar gag.
1948’s Batman #46 is the first time Joker explicitly defaces a wall with the “HA HA HA,” as a part of an extended message. It’s not the large predominant letters we’re accustomed to although, the place the laughter is the thrust of the message.
The beneath cowl of 1949’s Detective Comics #149 has completely nothing to do with this query. I simply wished you to see it.
Maybe we should always again up a bit of. If not the “HA HA” message particularly, the place does the thought of Joker as an inventive vandal come from? Like lots of our pop cultural associations with Batman’s primary solid, I’d hint it again to an episode of the Sixties Batman tv present—particularly “Pop Goes the Joker,” a season two caper the place Joker and his gang unintentionally begin a pop artwork sensation once they break into an artwork gallery to deface the work. It’s a scene which might encourage the well-known artwork museum heist in 1989’s Batman movie, simply as the Penguin’s run for mayor in the ’60’s Batman TV present would offer the foundation for Batman Returns.
As it seems, the first occasion of the “HA HA HA” graffiti motif we’re conversant in right this moment wasn’t dedicated by the Joker in any respect. We see it for the first time in 1999, in the pilot episode of Batman Beyond, an obvious crime by the Jokerz gang of Neo Gotham marking their duty for the homicide of Terry’s father Warren. In reality, we might study that Warren’s precise killer was Derek Powers’ enforcer, Mr. Fixx, appearing on his employer’s orders. But regardless of these a number of layers of abstraction, the laughing graffiti has remained a staple of Joker’s repertoire ever since—even defacing the Batcave a yr later in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Surely, vandalism will probably be the cost that retains him in jail this time.
Prize Fighter
MiscellaneousSoup asks:
How many Pulitzers does Lois Lane have? Has a comic book ever proven her accepting one?
As far as we all know, Lois Lane has solely obtained one Pulitzer Prize, extensively thought of the highest recognition in the area of journalism, as established in 1967’s Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #80. However, we’re by no means informed precisely what story she received the Pulitzer for. To date, the first and solely textual supply for Lois’s Pulitzer is in the 2006 movie Superman Returns.
In the movie, Lois received her Pulitzer for an editorial piece entitled “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman.” The piece was written throughout Superman’s lengthy absence from Earth implied to have elapsed between the unique Christopher Reeve movies and the fashionable Brandon Routh-led follow-up, entreating the folks of Metropolis who had come to rely upon the Man of Steel to consider in themselves as soon as extra.
That’s to not say that no authority on Lois has ever weighed in on this challenge. In 2019, New York Times editor and comedian ebook information correspondent George Gene Gustines posed this very query to Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins, the artistic group of the up to date Lois Lane restricted sequence. Rucka and Perkins have been of two minds: Rucka believes that Lois received her Pulitzer for a narrative on Superman’s debut. Perkins, on the different hand, believes that Lois earned her Pulitzer earlier than Superman confirmed up, establishing her credibility as a reporter even earlier than she turned the best-known byline on the Superman beat. Personally, whereas I’ve all the love and respect in the world for Rucka, I like Mike’s principle greatest.
A Poor Synnar’s Hand
jetblackrlsh.82332 asks:
Back in the day it was established that Synnar created the DC Multiverse in Rann-Thanagar Holy War #6. But not too way back, it was established that Perpetua created the DC Multiverse. One of the large initiatives of Infinite Frontier was to ascertain that every part occurred. So did each Perpetua and Synnar create the DC Multiverse? And in that case, how? Are Perpetua and Synnar associated in any method, and can we ever get to see these two characters work together in the future?
No connection between Synnar the Demiurge or Perpetua of Scott Snyder’s Justice League has ever been explicitly established in textual content. In truth, no one’s even talked about Synnar, who was initially an enemy of Jemm, Son of Saturn in the Eighties, in any respect, since the 2008 miniseries by Jim Starlin which introduced collectively a few of the extra obscure cosmic characters from DC historical past. Still, there are a selection of the way we are able to clarify this discrepancy. In Justice League and its conclusory Dark Nights: Death Metal occasion, we study that Perpetua has been expressing her affect in the DC Universe by way of its best villains all this time, from the Anti-Monitor to Darkseid and past. One could interpret Synnar’s actions as yet one more expression of Perpetua’s will—and even solid Perpetua as the lord Synnar speaks of in Holy War as granting him the energy to dream all of creation into existence.
There’s one other clarification in a distinction inside the penalties of Dark Nights: Death Metal and the subsequent Infinite Frontier, which I concern typically goes ignored. It’s not essentially that every part which has ever taken place in a DC comedian ebook is now concurrently, canonically true, however that our principal gamers have been awoken to the concepts inside them. They can bear in mind every model of their full historical past, even with out it being true to the present expression of actuality. So, simply because Adam Strange or Hawkman would possibly be capable to recall a universe the place Synnar was behind its creation doesn’t essentially imply that he had any function in the creation of the universe because it exists now.
There’s a a lot easier clarification than all of this, although, and one I feel makes the most sense. When studying this challenge of Holy War, you must think about the place the data is coming from. Synnar is a monomaniacal despot who believes himself to be the final energy in the universe. Of course HE’S going to inform you that he’s chargeable for making all of creation. He would possibly even consider it himself. But Maxie Zeus isn’t the ruler of Mt. Olympus both. As a basic rule of recommendation, I’d say to not consider every part a super-villain tells you.
Our Better Angels
Wrightline1.42741 asks:
My question includes the Spectre and maybe my understanding (or misunderstanding) of his nature. Whenever God’s creations (the Earth, and all upon it) are threatened with whole destruction by forces past the talents of mortal males to take care of, why is the Spectre solely often concerned? Does he not actually symbolize God’s presence on our little blue/inexperienced marble in house? And in that case, ought to he not act to take away such threats? Or is planetary destruction outdoors the scope of his “jurisdiction”?
Wrightline, what you’ve come across right here is the central battle of most Spectre tales themselves. Police detective Jim Corrigan, chosen after his homicide to develop into an instrument of God as the human host of the Spectre, typically needs he might make use of his powers in service of defending humanity. But the Spectre, for all his divine energy, isn’t fairly like different superheroes. He doesn’t get a say wherein instances he does or doesn’t get to intervene.
In many religions which embody the idea of angels, every angel is claimed to have one particular function from which they could not deviate, as that function defines their very existence. So too is the case with Aztar, the angel who offers his human host with the energy of the Spectre. Like all angels with specified capabilities, the Spectre will not be an instrument of God’s will in whole, however particularly an instrument of divine vengeance. The Spectre will not be approved to behave to forestall calamity, as that might each be an imposition on free will and outdoors his job description—he’s solely capable of deliver retribution for an injustice already executed. And whereas there have been instances the place Corrigan has been allowed to pursue instances of his personal autonomy, his divine powers in these situations are tremendously lowered. Suffice to say that whereas beneath the appropriate circumstances, the Spectre is considered one of the strongest beings in the DC Universe, he’s at the similar time powerless to make use of these talents in a method which defies his perform.
That presents an fascinating philosophical quandary by itself: what kind of god would grant the world a determine of vengeance, however not safety? Does God exist to create and guarantee his guidelines are adopted, however with no capability for mercy? Before you reply that, let me ask you this: how do you suppose Earth ended up with so many superheroes, all granted highly effective talents by way of astronomical coincidence, in the first place?
Pronunciation Station
KookieSuperApe asks:
What is the correct pronunciation of Chemo? Key-mo or Khem-mo (or one thing else)?
As tempting as it’s to say “Key-mo” as the phrase is utilized in the context of “chemotherapy,” each adaptation of the character thus far which makes use of the identify aloud—Batman: The Brave and the Bold, the DC Nation Metal Men shorts, and Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants—pronounces it “Khem-mo.”
That’s all the house we’ve this month, however maintain checking in for extra solutions to your entire burning questions on the solid of 1000’s which makes up our favourite fictional world. I’ll at all times be listening, so long as you ASK… THE QUESTION.
Alex Jaffe is the writer of our month-to-month “Ask the Question” column and writes about TV, motion pictures, comics and superhero historical past for DC.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlexJaffe and discover him in the DC Community as HubCityQuestion.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed on this column are solely these of Alex Jaffe and don’t essentially mirror these of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros.
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