Batman: A Death In The Family saw The Joker at his absolute brutal worst (or best, depending on how you look at it), as he escapes from Arkham Asylum, goes on a destructive rampage and attempts to sell a nuclear weapon to Middle Eastern terrorists, which brings him into contact with Jason Todd - the second Robin - who dies at the hands of the Clown Prince of Crime. Having beaten him to a pulp with a crowbar (which The Joker crudely and casually describes is "a bit messy"), he then leaves a bomb to go off in a warehouse that would have killed Todd's mother had he not jumped on it to save her, dying in the process. Bizarrely, The Joker gains a position in the Iranian government (seriously - he dresses in Arab clothing and everything!) and gains diplomatic immunity. Superman makes an appearance and The Joker seemingly meets his demise in the end - only for his body to be nowhere to be found and the situation between he and Batman being typically unresolved at the story's climax.
