TOP 10 JOKER COMICS (Besides The Killing Joke)!

If there's one character that truly needs no introduction (but will get one anyway), it's the Clown Prince of Crime himself. Not only is he widely regarded as one of the greatest comic book villains of all time, he's often credited as one of the best villains in all of fiction. All of this praise is entirely deserved, as the Joker not only has left a massive impact on film, television and even video games, but he also happens to have some of the best comic stories of any villain in the medium, let alone Batman villains. As such, I'm here to count down what I consider to be the ten very best outings featuring the Jester of Genocide. This was a really difficult list to comprise because as stated earlier, the Joker has so many great stories under his belt that it was challenging narrowing it down to only ten. But narrow it down I did!

Before we begin, yes, The Killing Joke by Alan Moore & Brian Boland is the greatest Joker story of all time; you know it and I know it. 

Due to its widespread, almost mainstream popularity, I've decided to leave it off my list since it's too obvious a pick for the top spot. With that cleared up, let's begin!

10.) Slayride

by Paul Dini & Don Kramer

During the Christmas season, the Joker manages to capture Robin (Tim Drake) during a battle with unrelated drug dealers. Binding and gagging the Boy Wonder, the Harlequin of Hate places him into the passenger seat of his car and proceeds to go on a drive-by killing spree. Robin is forced to watch in helpless horror as his crazy captive takes one innocent life after another. 

Kicking this list off, we have a simple one-shot issue that manages to perfectly encapsulate the essence of the Joker's character: an evil, murderous maniac who somehow also happens to be incredibly funny and entertaining. The Joker mowing down random people in the street (and even a fast-food drive-through) is horrific, but we can't help but laugh at his nonchalant, twisted sense of humor. Calling the police to report a hit-and-run right before he does it, only to change the address after committing another hit-and-run immediately after is some darkly humorous material that fits the character to a T. 

Slayride also manages to be really suspenseful as it's unclear how Robin will manage to escape his bonds and stop the Joker's killing spree when he's shown to be completely helpless. This story really gets you to root for the Boy Wonder more than most while putting his training to the test. Batman himself doesn't appear throughout most of the issue, which only raises the stakes. 

09.) Going Sane

by J.M. DeMatteis & Joe Staton 

After finally seemingly killing Batman in their latest encounter, the Ace of Knaves does the only thing homicidal psychopath can possibly do without his arch-nemesis: he goes sane. No really, the Joker gets skin grafts, represses memories of his true identity, changes his name to Joseph Kerr (get it?) and settles down to a quiet life in suburbia. He even falls in love with his neighbor, Rebecca Brown, and the two begin a serious romance!

However, this newfound happiness and peace is short-lived when Batman returns, alive and well, to bring his missing foe to justice. 

Here we have what is easily one of the most unique and unusual Joker stories ever written. The Joker is typically portrayed as a pure evil maniac with no real redeeming qualities (which is why we love him), but Going Sane actually depicts him as a tragic figure who came close to having a normal, happy life, only to have it sabotaged by his own personal demons and obsessions. His relationship with Rebecca is both wholesome and depressing, since you know it isn't going to end well. The Joker has never been more sympathetic than he is here, making this a must-read for fans. 

08.) Endgame

by Greg Rucka, Devin Grayson, Dale Eaglesham & Damion Scott

Acting as the conclusion to the epic No Man's Land saga, Endgame finally sees Gotham City being rebuilt by the government after it was destroyed by a massive earthquake one year ago. After 365 days of lawlessness, chaos and constant fighting among the villains and citizens (which I guess isn't much different from any other day in Gotham), the city is finally returning to some semblance of order. However, this is where the Joker takes the opportunity to emerge and enact one of his most sinister schemes yet: to kidnap and kill every newborn from the past year, proving once and for all that order, civility and hope are truly dead in Gotham City.

Now we go from the Joker's most sympathetic portrayal in Going Sane to arguably his most despicable in Endgame. His scheme to murder infants in mass is horrific, which greatly elevates the stakes and tension in this story. The highlight has to be when the Clown Prince raids the camp of the vigilante Huntress and Billy Petit, a former cop slowly driven insane by the No Man's Land. Here the Joker really shows off his depraved genius as he manipulates Petit into gunning down his own people. 

Top that off with a crushing climax that results in the death of a longtime supporting character (whom I won't spoil here) and you have one of Mr. J's best stories. 

07.) Devil's Advocate

by Chuck Dixon & Graham Nolan

After his latest brush with Batman and Robin, the Joker is captured and placed on trial for murder; more specifically, for poisoning stamps with his Joker Venom. But this time, instead of being found not guilty due to insanity and sent to Arkham Asylum, the Harlequin of Hate is found guilty and sentenced to death! At last, Gotham City will finally be rid of its biggest menace. However, there's a twist: this time, Mr. J is actually innocent of the crimes he's been convicted of!

The Joker being sentenced to death for a series of murders he actually didn't commit is already a great premise, but what really makes Devil's Advocate awesome is the Clown Prince's characterization. At first, he's outraged at the court's verdict, not because he's been given the death penalty, but because he's been given credit for a crime as "pedestrian" and "amateurish" as poisoning stamps. However, Joker's attitude soon changes when he realizes how much attention and media coverage his execution is getting. Now, instead of fighting the charges, Joker fights to have his execution carried out as quickly as possible!

This is a core trait of the Joker's character that should never be overlooked: a vain lunatic who couldn't care less about his life as long as he's in the proverbial spotlight. After all, he's a "performer", constantly putting on a "show" for the people of Gotham. The scenes with him in prison are darkly hilarious as none of the guards or prisoners (especially Tommy Mangles) are ready for Joker's particular brand of chaos and insanity. Devil's Advocate easily contains one of the best portrayals in the character's history and deserves to be regarded as a classic. 

06.) Mad Love

by Paul Dini & Bruce Timm

After their latest failed caper against Commissioner Gordon, a frustrated Joker takes his anger out on his favorite punching bag, Harley Quinn, kicking the lovesick lady out of their hideout. This causes Harley to reminisce on how she first met the Ace of Knaves back when she was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum and how she fell under his persuasive spell.

While I'm not much of a Harley Quinn fan personally (especially the modern version; I can't stand her), Mad Love manages to be a thoroughly engrossing examination of the nature of abusive relationships. This doesn't only include the physical violence that comes from them, but also the manipulation and constant gaslighting as well. Harley is truly pitiable here as we see her fall hopelessly in love with someone who views her as nothing more than a convenient tool and will mistreat her at every turn to keep her under this thumb. Try as she might, Harley will never win the affections of a man to whom love is impossible.

Aside from the excellent origin, what makes Mad Love great is the climax. In order to win the love of her "puddin'", Harley concocts a scheme to rid him of Batman once and for all. But without giving too much away, this effort earns her everything but appreciation from the Clown Prince. This leads to a heartbreaking outcome for Harley, as well as one of the best battles between Batman and Joker on top of a speeding train. 

05.) The Man Who Laughs

by Ed Brubaker & Doug Mahnke 

Batman is put to the test like never before when a new criminal appears on the scene calling himself the Joker (who else?). The Joker begins targeting and killing Gotham City's elite, as well as unleashing unbridled madness onto its streets. Has the Dark Knight finally met his match?

My simple synopsis really doesn't do this story or its excellence justice. There have been many retellings of Batman's first encounter with the Jester of Genocide, but for my money, The Man Who Laughs is the best of the lot. Here, the Joker comes onto the scene like the force of nature that he is, outwitting Batman and the police at every turn as the body count, chaos and stakes continually rise. Batman's vulnerability is expertly conveyed as he's never faced anyone like the Joker at this point in his career and is almost unsure of how to proceed. 

04.) The Laughing Fish

by Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers 

For his latest scheme, the Joker poisons Gotham City's harbor with his Joker Venom, but oddly enough, it only effects the fish, giving each of the sea creatures his ghastly grin. Now that the fish all bare his visage, the Clown Prince decides to cash in by making a copyright on all of Gotham's fish. However, since fish are a natural resource, copyrighting them is impossible. Not pleased by this, the Joker begins targeting and killing Gotham's copyright bureaucrats and employees one by one and it's up to Batman to stop him.

The synopsis alone should tell you how absurd this story is, but that's exactly what makes it a classic. The Laughing Fish perfectly captures the Joker's funny side, as well as his sinister side. His scheme is complete nonsense here and can't possibly succeed, but he knows that. The Joker doesn't actually care about copyrighting fish, it's all just an excuse to murder innocents, cause chaos and of course, "play" with Batman. That is how you write the character.

03.) Endgame

by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo

(Yes, there are two Joker stories in my top ten that are both coincidentally named Endgame). 

Feeling insulted after his previous encounter with Batman, the Joker no longer considers the Caped Crusader his "friend" and decides to go full scorched earth. He poisons the Justice League with his latest toxin that forces them all to attack Batman, then proceeds to turn that poison all of Gotham City, turning its inhabitants into mindless psychotics out for blood. On top of that, the Jester of Genocide reveals that he knows Batman's secret identity and plans to send him up in flames, along with his whole family and the city he's sworn to protect! Can even Batman stop the Joker this time?

This might just be the single most epic, high stakes Joker story of all time. The Harlequin of Hate has always viewed his endless battle against the Dark Knight as a "game" between "friends", but what happens when he no longer considers Batman his friend? Endgame shows just how dangerous the Joker truly is (as if that wasn't already clear) when he's no longer "playing", as he plunges Gotham into an utter hellscape worse than anything he's planned before. The Clown Prince truly feels like an almost supernatural force of nature here (which is actually a clever plot point in the story), as it becomes increasingly uncertain if Batman is actually going to win this time. 

However, what truly makes Endgame spectacular is the climax. This story somehow manages to deliver the single most intense, brutal battle between Batman and Joker that has ever been put to page (or ever). When the Joker is through playing around, he really can give Batman the fight of his life. No hyperbole, if Endgame truly was the final Batman/Joker tale, it would've been entirely believable and even earned (but that was obviously never going to happen). 

02.) A Death in the Family

by Jim Starlin & Jim Aparo 

Upon discovering that his birth mother is still alive, Robin (Jason Todd) sets out on a quest around the globe to find her. At the same time, the Joker has escaped from Arkham Asylum, with his latest scheme bringing him to the country of Ethiopia. As luck would have it, Robin's quest also brings him to Ethiopia, where the Boy Wonder gets far more than he bargained for when he discovers his birth mother has some connection to the Grim Jester's latest plot.

I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say that this is the story where Jason Todd, the controversial second Robin, meets his grisly end at the hands of the Joker. The sequence where the Clown Prince beats the Boy Wonder within an inch of his life with a crowbar has become immortalized in Batman cannon and rightfully so. It's an absolutely brutal, unrelenting scene that shows just how far out of his depth Jason is, despite his noble intentions. It's all the more harrowing when you remember that the readers themselves voted for this to happen!

However, I think what follows is equally as compelling with Batman angrier than ever before and ready to end his hated nemesis once and for all. Unfortunately for the Caped Crusader, he's unable to lay hands on the Ace of Knaves due to the latter gaining diplomatic immunity (long story)! Some people find this turn of events to be too unbelievable, but I think it adds a fantastic layer of tension to an already tense tale. This tension reaches a boiling point in the climax when Batman and Joker have their final (for now) confrontation at the United Nations building. 

01.) Death of the Family

by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo

Finally returning from a mysterious and prolonged absence, a now-faceless Joker (another long story) sets his sights on his latest targets: the entire Bat-Family! Believing that Batman's overreliance on partners has made him soft, weak and worst of all, boring, the Grim Jester decides it's time to rid the world of them once and for all and get back to basics with his "pal". With Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, Red Robin, Red Hood and even Alfred Pennyworth now firmly in the Grim Jester's crosshairs, the Caped Crusader must track down his nemesis before he ends every last one of them.

I don't think there's ever been a story that perfectly epitomizes why the Joker is Batman's greatest villain than Death of the Family. The Clown Prince of Crime has never been more terrifying than he is here, not just because of his literal face mask, but because of his intimate knowledge of the Bat-Family, how they operate and how to hurt them. The Joker outwits all of them at every turn, even claiming to know all of their true identities. 

This is all top-notch material, but what truly makes this story is the Batman/Joker dynamic. The Joker, in an incredibly sick manner, has always thought of Batman as his best friend and only real companion in life. Death of the Family plays up this twisted, one-sided "friendship" to excellent effect, really showcasing how much the Harlequin of Hate values the Dark Knight in his own psychotic way.