Terrifier’s iconic star, David Howard Thornton
, has traded in his well-known Art the Clown makeup to portray none other than the Clown Prince of Crime from the pages of DC Comics, but not in James Gunn’s DCU. Thornton stars as Batman’s most dangerous foe in the 2025 fan film, Jokers Wild (watch below), by writer, director, and producer Aaron W. Bennett. The title suggests that there might be multiple Jokers involved, but the movie is essentially a two-man show, which features the crowbar-wielding villain torturing the Dark Knight’s sidekick, Robin (Joel LeBlanc). However, Bats (Hunter G. Williams) does make a cameo at the end.
Jokers Wild is a beautifully shot flick — kudos to the movie’s cinematography and set design — which pays homage to the must-read comic book storyline, A Death in the Family (1988), written by Jim Starlin and drawn by Jim Aparo. The life-altering narrative originally appeared in Batman No. 426 through 429, and it is infamously known around the world for the Joker killing the second Boy Wonder, Jason Todd.
Jokers Wild takes many liberties, though, in its reimagining of the story. While the idea of Joker torturing and teasing his prisoner is an intriguing one, their interactions simply didn’t play out that way in the source material. Fearing that his biological mother, Sheila Haywood, is in danger, Robin decides to disobey Batman’s orders to not take on the Clown Prince of Crime alone. The Boy Wonders’ decision not to heed Bruce Wayne’s words would send ripples through the world of comic books.
The Terrifying Truth of ‘A Death in the Family’
More Terrifier sequels are on the horizon. However, while fans wait for David Howard Thornton to again suit up as the despicable and unkillable Art the Clown, they can watch the actor’s version of the Joker literally spill Robin’s guts in the new fan flick, Jokers Wild. The movie does stay true to the actual A Death in the Family theme, in that Jason Todd’s Boy Wonder is murdered by the Clown Prince of Crime — but that’s pretty much where the comparisons end.
When Jason shows up to protect his mother near the end of the double-sized issue, Batman No. 427, the Boy Wonder foolishly reveals his secret identity to his mom. Sheila immediately betrays her son, though, because she’s been embezzling funds, and hands him over to the Joker! The teenage Robin initially holds his own with Batman’s deadliest adversary, but he quickly loses the advantage when a pair of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson-sized henchmen easily whip the youngster.
With that terrifying grin of his flashing for all to see, Joker scoops up a crowbar and begins to beat and bludgeon the Boy Wonder until he is unconscious. Fearing that Batman will discover he was behind Robin’s heinous beating, the Clown Prince of Crime decides to cover his tracks by leaving the Bat’s partner and mother trapped in the warehouse with a time bomb set to explode!
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After the Joker departs, Robin regains consciousness and unties his mother. The boy’s face, much like in the new fan film, is bloodied and bruised. Aaron W. Bennett’s movie even pays homage to Jason Todd’s swollen right eye, which is right out of the must-read comic’s (No. 427) pages. However, when they reach the door, Sheila screams as she realizes the Joker has locked them inside. Batman returns too late and witnesses the explosion. He finds Sheila dying in the aftermath, who tells Bruce that Jason was a much better son than she ever deserved.
After Sheila dies, Batman discovers Jason’s body in the tattered remains of his Robin costume. “There’s no need to check for a pulse,” Bruce says, but he does anyway. “He’s already getting cold to the touch.” The Batman then picks up and cradles his fallen partner en route to leaving the scene of the crime.
Bennett’s Jokers Wild might not be a faithful representation of A Death in the Family, but it is still a fascinating and well-crafted fan film, which is definitely worth watching. However, for those who haven’t seen the Terrifier franchise yet, be sure to check out David Howard Thornton doing what he does best in the must-see Terrifier 3. The latest installment in the horror franchise is now available on digital through the usual VOD platforms.
Release Date
March 15, 2018
Runtime
86 Minutes
Stream
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