'Halloween' Creator John Carpenter Working On DC 'Joker' Comic: Plot, Illustrators, Release Date

DC Comics recently announced that John Carpenter, the man behind "Halloween," will have a hand in the direction of "The Joker: Year of the Villain." Carpenter's involvement will come in the form of a 40-page one-shot comic about the outlaw.

Working with "Borderlands 2" writer Anthony Burch as a co-writer, the horror director will be working to bring DC Comics into a darker direction, according to EW.

"The Joker is the greatest villain in comics," Carpenter said in a press release regarding the upcoming project, adding, "I'm proud to be reunited with Anthony on this project." The two previously worked together on Boom! Studio's "Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack" miniseries.

The art for the comic will come from Philip Tan and Marc Deering, which Carpenter recently gave a preview of on his Instagram.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the "Year of the Villain" concept focuses on Lex Luther trying to convince a number of supervillains to "fully embrace evil in exchange for the ability to achieve their wildest dreams."

However, it is rumored that The Joker doesn't want to wait for Luther's arrival, so he will take matters into his own hands. Per EW, this means he is "determined to prove he's still the greatest villain of them all. In a world gone bad, he's going to get his swagger back by 'out-badding' everyone else."

"I'm excited beyond words to be writing for Gotham's greatest villain. I hope the Joker's exploits make you laugh, shudder, and grow nauseous all at once," Burch said in the aforementioned press release.

"The Joker: Year of the Villain" will debut in comic book stores and online retailers on Oct. 9, which is five days after Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" film debuts.