The 10 Best Joker Stories of All Time, Ranked

He’s as insane as they come, and he’s always out to give Batman a bad day. Throughout Batman’s long history in comics, the Joker has been just as popular as the Dark Knight. He is the ultimate villain, one whose heart is to corrupt the incorruptible. Even when faced with the possibility of meeting his end at the hands of a crook or heroic vigilante, his joy in spreading violence and chaos never wanes.

There are many stories that highlight the level of depravity that the Joker indulges in, and they are mighty low. For this reason, his notoriety as a villain is probably more pronounced than most villains in pop culture history. With the recent release of the long-awaited sequel Joker: Folie à DeuxLet’s delve into the darkest and most dangerous stories surrounding the psychopathic Clown Prince of Crime.

10. Arkham Asylum: A serious house on serious earth

The ’80s were a pivotal decade for both the Caped Crusader and his No. 1 villain, the Joker. One of the best stories is Grant Morrison’s epic Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. The story popularized Arkham Asylum and its iconography in Batman’s world.

In this dark and twisted tale, Batman is forced to travel to Arkham to deal with the villains, who have all broken out of their lairs and are causing chaos thanks to the Clown Prince of Crime. He’s the leader of this mass hysteria, and it’s up to Batman to put a stop to it. This book became the real basis for that Batman: Arkham Asylum Video game released in 2009 and developed by Rocksteady Studios.

9. The Batman Adventures: Mad Love

This one-shot story was written by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, the creators behind it Batman: The Animated Seriesbased on a newly established character in the Batman mythos: Harley Quinn. The early ’90s animated film gave us one of the most beloved characters in DC history. And Crazy love gave us a little more insight into the relationship between Joker and his girlfriend Harley.

As you would expect from a maniacal murderer, he is quite unfriendly towards Harley, even though she tries to really win his heart. However, the Joker apparently only ever sees her as a lackey. It’s a twisted look into the Joker’s life outside of his daily villainous shenanigans. Ultimately, you’ll sympathize with Harley. And we all know that one day she will finally turn her back on her evil boyfriend and truly make a name for herself.

8. The Arkham video game trilogy

The above-mentioned Batman: Arkham games, developed by Rocksteady Studios, have cemented their popularity not only through addictive gameplay and fluid combat, but also due to the original stories behind the trilogy, which many have contributed to the creation over the course of the Years have been part of the Batman legacy including writer Paul Dini, the late Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker.

It’s difficult to really choose just one of these games since Joker’s story spans all three. We witness the Clown Prince of Crime wreak havoc on the asylum in the first entry, then attempt to take control of Arkham City and force Batman to cure him of a self-inflicted illness he contracted in the asylum , and eventually lives permanently in Batman’s noggin’ in the last game he always mocked him. The Joker’s influence on Gotham cannot be easily killed like his physical form, which is dramatically portrayed in this trilogy.

7. Batman: The Man Who Laughs

This unique story by Ed Brubaker is a reimagining of the first meeting between Batman and his famous nemesis. The comic follows the origin story of the Joker “Red Hood”, as shown in The deadly jokeand depicts the murderous villain doing what he does best: sowing discord through a bloody trail across Gotham.

There’s nothing scarier than Joker’s famous laughing poison, which causes his victims to die with a beaming smile on their face. After all, it is his calling card. There is no shortage of death and madness The man who laughswhich earns the story high marks in the Joker legacy.

6. Batman: White Knight

Have you ever wondered what Batman’s world would be like if the Joker suddenly stopped being crazy? What if the Joker became a normal civilian? What would he be like if he could still clearly remember his villainous life? Batman: White Knight, illustrated and written by Sean Murphy, is a popular modern look at the character. In this storyline, Batman aggressively pursues and beats the Joker, then forcibly medicates him. Medicine reverses the Joker’s madness while the public’s opinion of the Dark Knight declines after seeing how he treated the criminal.

The Joker then goes by his legal name Jack Napier and is released from prison because there is little evidence of his crimes. Jack eventually runs for city council, an election which he wins. He secretly sets about making a plan against the city. But in the meantime, he sets up a task force within the Gotham City Police Department to take down Batman. It’s a gripping story that, at the end of the day, earns its place in the Joker legacy.

5. Batman (1989)

The famous Tim Burton-directed film put the dark and brooding version of the Caped Crusader on the map. Gone were the days of Adam West’s campy superhero glee. And for the same reason, the goofy Cesar Romero version of the Clown Prince of Crime is gone. This Joker is far more nervous, as he electrocutes a former gangster associate until he becomes a crusty skeleton in his comfy chair at the discussion table. This is something you won’t see in the 1960s Batman serial. Jack Nicholson’s interpretation of the Joker relied heavily on the murderous aspect of the character.

Nicholson’s version of the criminal also established a Joker who commands and ultimately conducts business like a gangster, much like he did before the accident, before his skin (and mind) were altered by chemicals. You can’t go wrong with this Batman if you’re looking for a solid Joker narrative.

4. Batman: Three Jokers

Written by DC writer Geoff Johns, this miniseries was released in 2020. And as the title suggests, the story is about three jokers. That’s right. Batman receives a terrible revelation that the Joker is not one, but three people operating under the same name. However, each Joker has a slightly different theme, similar to the very different interpretations of the character over the years. Although they are all just as crazy as ever, one is considered “the criminal,” the second is “the clown,” and the third is “the comedian.”

The criminal is calculating and methodical. He is believed to be leading the trio. The clown represents the campy depictions of the character. He is excessively silly and prone to physical jokes and violent pranks. The third lives up to his designation as a comedian by putting humor at the center of his personality.

Honestly, all three of these traits make up the monstrous villain we’ve always known. For this reason Three jokersrevealing that the character is actually based on three people makes for fascinating reading.

3. Batman: A Death in the Family

Imagine a Joker story where he actually won. His plans ended not only in success, but also in a clear defeat against Team Batman. That’s the charm behind the story A death in the family. Now available in a collected edition, this 1988 series subverted fan expectations by chronicling the death of Jason Todd’s Robin at the hands of the Joker.

In reality, the fans chose this outcome. DC held a vote where fans could make their choice on the outcome of the story: Jason’s death or Batman’s success in rescuing his partner. Readers were probably shocked to learn that they all actually wanted to experience something other than the average superhero story: tragedy.

The Joker’s murder of Jason Todd was pretty horrific. Since then, comics have become even darker and more graphic. But A death in the family The depiction of a child’s brutal death certainly caused a stir.

2. The Dark Knight (2008)

It’s almost impossible not to think of director Christopher Nolan’s (OppenheimerDunkirk) The Dark Knight in connection with the Joker. The late actor Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the villain. The Dark Knight focused on the mystery behind the Joker and depicted an anarchist who thrives on violence and chaos.

Ledger’s Joker proved to be the ultimate villain for Christian Bale’s Batman. He was a villain that the vigilantes could neither intimidate nor force into submission. Instead, he learned a little too late that the Joker’s goal was to further corruption in Gotham as a whole by pushing its most respected leaders, namely District Attorney Harvey Dent, to the dark side. The Dark Knight will always have a permanent place in the history of the Joker as a character.

1. Batman: The Deadly Joke

Author Alan Moore Batman: The Deadly Joke is perhaps the definitive Joker story. It’s scary and potentially triggering for some. Joker’s depravity knows no bounds as he inflicts emotional and physical scars on Barbara Gordon after invading her home and then proceeds to torture her father, Commissioner James Gordon, to kill him through physical outrage and the details of his interactions with her Breaking Barbara mentally earlier that night.

The Joker pushes Batman to the edge, hoping that the hero will do what he swore he would never do: kill. In retrospect, the book is still as frightening as ever. However, it does cement the Joker as the most despicable villain in the Batman mythos, and perhaps DC Comics as a whole.