Joker Heads to Japan in New 'Machibura JOKER' Morning Manga

The Clown Prince of Crime is swapping Gotham's shadows for Japan's everyday streets. Kodansha revealed in the latest issue of its Morning magazine that artist Masa Ichikawa will launch Machibura JOKER, an official manga starring DC Comics' Joker, with the first chapter set for the July 2 issue.

According to the announcement, the villain has grown fed up with successive price hikes in the United States and is heading to Japan in search of a fresh base of operations. Before diving into any new schemes, he plans to start by wandering around and taking in the country.

This marks the fourth collaboration between DC and Kodansha's Morning lineup, following earlier titles that dropped Batman and Superman into Japanese settings. Ichikawa, previously known for high-energy action series like A-bout!, will draw the story under DC's character supervision.

The debut arrives at a time when crossovers between Western icons and Japanese magazines continue to draw attention for their offbeat culture clashes. Readers can pick up Morning issue 31 next week to see where the Joker's stroll leads.