Joker's dozen: the best moments of Batman's nemesis
The real star of The Dark Knight is in no doubt: Heath Ledger. But what of the Joker's previous incarnations? Here are the 12 best to date
July 25, 2008 11:45 AM
What could be darker than The Dark Knight? A clown who's always laughing, mocking the Bat's need for a secret identity with his brazen always-on persona - no hiding in the shadows for him.
From the Batman's beginnings in the 40s to Christopher Nolan's latest all-conquering blockbuster, the Joker's been by his side - a technicolour yang to Batman's dark yin, his rictus smile permanently beaming up while Batman's grim chin pointed ever-downwards. He's survived the pulp beginnings, the daft 50s when the Comics Code Authority stepped in to sanitise everything, the goofy psychedelic madness of the 60s TV show, the return to unhinged mass murderer in the 70s, killing Robin, shooting Batgirl and Jack Nicholson's hammy turn in Tim Burton's film.
Now of course, we've got the late Heath Ledger's performance to add to this long list of incarnations. By choosing more obscure villains from the DC rogue's gallery like Scarecrow and Ra's Al Ghul, Batman Begins gave Christian Bale much more room to establish himself as Batman than Michael Keaton ever did - there wasn't really much left for him after Jack Nicholson had chewed his way through the entire set. By waiting until the end of Batman Begins to introduce the idea of the Joker, it felt like our new Darker Knight was ready to take on his arch nemesis once more.
Here's a quick guide to remind you of some of the Joker's greatest hits. Will Heath Ledger's "why so serious?" performance top them all?
The Killing Joke (1988)
Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's definitive reworking of the Joker placed him at the heart of the Batman universe, explicitly drawing out their weird symbiotic "you need me as much as I need you" relationship.
The Dark Knight Returns (1986)
Frank Miller's aging Joker watches Batman coming out of retirement and decides it's time to hit the comeback trail as only he can - by appearing as a guest on a talk show, and killing the audience.
Batman issue 1 (1940)
A year after first appearing in Detective Comics, Batman got his own comic - and the Monarch of Menace was there right at the start with him.
A Death In The Family (1988)
Perhaps the only thing crueller than the Clown Prince of Crime's brutal crowbar slaying of the second Robin, Jason Todd, was the fact that the comic's audience voted in a phone poll in favour of his death.
The Joker's Five Way Revenge (1973)
After disappearing from Gotham (and comics) for a few years, the Joker returned to take revenge on his ex-henchmen, and to restablish himself as Batman's greatest menace.
Mad Love (1994)
Former Arkham Asylum psychiatrist Dr Harleen Quinzel falls for the Joker, and transforms into Harley Quinn, the closest thing he's ever had to a supervillain girlfriend. Being the Joker's squeeze isn't exactly a recipe for living happily ever after though.
The Laughing Fish (1978)
In a comic plot later used in the animated series, the Joker invents a new version of his laughing serum that leaves Gotham's fish with his perma-grin on their faces -- and then tries to sue for copyright infringement.
Batman (1966)
To stand any chance of standing out amongst the camp crusaders, you had to pull off something pretty special. Cesar Romero managed it, slapping on the Joker's white face paint over his moustache and cackling his way through 20 biff, bang pow capers.
Batman (1989)
"Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" More Jack-er than Joker ultimately, Jack Nicholson pulled off the perfect crime - stealing the show with his OTT hamming.
Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
His on screen acting career might have started and ended with Luke Skywalker, but Mark Hamill's voiceover work as the Joker in the Batman cartoons brought the Harlequin of Hate to a new generation.
Batman: Dead End (2003)
It may only be eight minutes long, but this online fan favourite managed to distill the essence of the whole cape v clown showdown (before an Alien v Predator v Batman fight upstages the Joker).
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth (1989)
Grant Morrison and Dave McKean put the graphic into graphic novel with this delirious "lunatics take over the asylum" outing.
