DC reveals Jester, the heroic version of joker, is still alive
In Crime Syndicate #6, the heroic version of Joker is shown to still be alive. This comes after the Crime Syndicate obliterated the Legion of Justice, a team of heroes who are normally villains on Earth-0. The team was created with the intent of stopping the Crime Syndicate, however, it's been made they were never strong enough to even do any damage to Ultraman's supervillain team. Earth-3's only hope was Ultragirl, but even she failed, and after her death, the remaining members of the Legion of Justice scramble to make a move against an all-powerful Crime Syndicate.
Joker is one of DC's most iconic villains. His looks alone are engrained in pop culture so much that even non-comic book fans know him. However, unbeknownst to most people, Joker has an alternate version of himself that is actually good. Earth-3's Joker goes by the name of Jester. Like most of Earth-3's reversed characters, Jester is supposed to be the opposite of his counterpart Joker.
At the end of Crime Syndicate #6 - by Andy Schmidt, Kieran McKeown, Bryan Hitch, Dexter Vines, Steve Oliff, and Alex Sinclair - Jester is revealed to be alive after having been teased in the previous issue by Earth-3's Red Hood. During the Crime Syndicate and Legion of Justice's fight, Red Hood shouted "Mistah J. sends his regards" as she threw her Thor-like hammer towards Owlman.
This leads to a mini dispute that sets up Jester's return in this issue. Owlman is adamant that he killed Jester, but Red Hood argues against him, saying "You never saw a body." Now, with the Legion of Justice in shambles after Ultragirl's defeat, they turn to Red Hood's mysterious ally for assistance in taking down the Crime Syndicate.
Readers are given a first look at Jester as the remnants of the Legion of Justice approach him for help after he'd just been defeated by DC's Crime Syndicate. Earth-3's Joker sports a purple and green jester hat with a red shirt, yellow tie, purple waistcoat, and a green suit. The overall color scheme is the inverse of Joker's classic looks. The jester hat is a special addition just for Earth-3's Joker. Although he is supposedly a hero, or at least on the good side, Jester still looks very menacing. Readers could be forgiven if they thought he was the actual Joker given how similar they look.
It's exciting to see that Earth-3's Joker is alive and well. It's likely that DC will revisit the character at some point in the future. However, it won't be in Crime Syndicate as the miniseries has come to an end.But the series does open up the future potential for the Legion of Justice working with Jester as they try and take down the Crime Syndicate. Perhaps, a series from the perspective of the Legion of Justice could be an option. Crime Syndicate #6 is available in comic book stores and on digital platforms now.
