A talented cosplayer has brought the living nightmare known as the Batman Who Laughs to life in a terrifyingly realistic way. James Deely's take on the Darkest Knight of all has shown how nightmarish a Joker and Batman fusion really is.
The Batman Who Laughs hails from the dreaded Dark Multiverse popularized in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's epic story, Dark Nights: Metal. The villain is a part of a team known as the Dark Knights, a crew of horrific variants of Batman, each based on a specific fear of Bruce Wayne's. The leader of the team is the Batman Who Laughs, a Bruce who gave into his darkest impulse and killed the Joker. But upon his death, the Joker infected his archenemy with a toxin that turned Bruce into a cackling madman, yet retaining the keen tactical mind Batman is known for.
Of all the Dark Knights, few were as terrifying as the Batman Who Laughs, and nothing proves it like one cosplayer's exceptional recreation of the villain's visage. James Deely posted several pictures on Instagram of himself in his cosplay finest. The pictures show Deely dressed as the Batman Who Laughs as he appeared in DC's epic Dark Nights: Metal. Adorned in a leather armor with metallic buckles and chains, the artist expertly projects the Dark Knight's extremely unsettling authority. And if Deely's own photos weren't enough, Reddit user LeonVector posted a video on the social media site of the cosplayer at London Comic Con. The Batman Who Laughs becomes a living nightmare once he's moving, motioning to the camera with his blood-soaked claws.
I took a clip of a really cool Batman Who Laugh cosplay at London Comic Con (by @allornothingcosplay) from DCcomics
Deely's hard work has not gone unappreciated across social media. His other collections of Batman Who Laughs cosplay pics have racked up hundreds of votes each, not to mention the dozens of comments supporting the effort he's put into his cosplay. The post on Reddit also skyrocketed in popularity, gaining more than 2,000 upvotes. The Batman Who Laughs is a terrifying character, but Deely's costume says it all on just how creepy the corrupted Bruce Wayne really is.
When the DC Universe nearly came apart at the seams during Dark Nights: Metal, it was the Batman Who Laughs who received the lion's share of attention. And for good reason, as DC's most popular characters are arguably Batman and the Joker. But if there's one thing the comics have made clear, it's that the Batman Who Laughs is without a doubt the most terrifying Dark Knight of all. Deely's cosplay communicates that idea insanely well, not only through his attention to detail with his costume, but in the body language he plays up for the camera. Deely should take pride because with his cosplay he's managed to make the Batman Who Laughs that much more scary in person.
Sources: James Deely, LeonVector