I wouldn't say "comically bad" becuase there is nothing bad about it. it's what it was, and it's funny and good for completely different reasons than ledger's joker. this argument needs to be put to rest.
Jack Nicholson received a percentage of the gross on the film, and due to its massive box-office took home around $60 million. As of 2003 it is still the single-movie record for actor's salary.
The Joker: [fuming] Batman... Batman... Can somebody tell me what kind of a world we live in, where a man dressed up as a *bat* gets all of my press? This town needs an enema!