Liking a lot of the things im seeing with The New 52 but when it comes to the Joker cutting off his face... Yeah not sure how cutting his own face off makes The Joker more of a threat. He is crazy we get the idea. I mean self-mutilation doesn`t actually make a villain physically stronger or more devious. In fact if they botch the job they actually make themselves less of a threat.

For Instance:

RED SKULL: Haha Captain America. Do you dare face me now!

CAP: Oh jesus! What the hell have you done to yourself?!

RED SKULL: I`ve cut off my own arms! Mwahaha! You see! This shows how crazy and determined I am!!

CAP:…… Sort of? Maybe.. I guess?

RED SKULL: Admit it i am now unbeatable. Unbeatab-

Two minutes later a defeated and bruised Red Skull is shackled in a S.H.I.E.L.D Prison van.

RED SKULL: Did not think this thing through beyond that initial moment of shock. Ah well nevermind.

Well to be fair, if I have the right idea, the actual story intended to go with Joker cutting off his face we don't know and Snyder was just picking up the pieces so continuity wouldn't be messed up. I could be wrong though but I felt like Joker cutting off his face was initially just meant as shock value with no story and Snyder turned into something.

I didn't really get the point of this, I mean yes, we all know how crazy and determined Joker is, and you're right, that doesn't make him more of a threat, and as I read in the previous comment, this was something made by Tony Daniel, and as far as I know, he hasn't commented on what his initial purpose was, so Scott Snyder was the one that had to pick this all up, and I guess in terms with current Death of the Family story arc, it made sense, since what Snyder writes is pretty horrific, and Capullo does a great job with his art, and also, Snyder has said that there is indeed a point to The Joker cutting his face off, which hasn't been revealed just yet, so I guess we have to just wait for the next issues, and honestly, I wouldn't like him being like this in a permanent way because it just doesn't really feel like The Joker ... but oh well, who knows, as I said before, we just have to wait.

IIRC Doll Maker was actually the one to cut Joker's face off so not technically self mutilation. I also think he's going for revulsion rather than intimidation.

Frankly, I'm a big fan of Snyder's approach to the Joker. It's interesting and compliments the arc well. I like to think it plays with the idea of Bruce wearing his mask to hide his identity, then here is Joker running around in a mask made of his face, telling him that masks can't hide who you really are.

And crazy people do crazy things.