Without any shadow of a doubt, Batman: The Killing Joke is the greatest Batman/Joker story ever told - and the definitive portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime. The 1988 graphic novel sees the iconic villain at his most ruthless and barbaric and is another origin story for the character (and one of the best of them), as he is depicted as a family man and failed stand-up comedian who, after aiding a gang of criminals on "one bad day", is thwarted by Batman before being disfigured, driven insane and becoming the character everyone knows and loves. In the story, he kidnapped Barbara Gordon, shoots and paralyses her, then kidnaps her father Jim and makes him look at her, naked, while he is trapped in a circus cage - The Joker's aim being to prove that even the most sane man can go crazy with the right push. The story is famous for seeing Joker's acts push Batman right to his moral limits, with Batman becoming all too aware that their feud would one day end with a death, and Joker's description of the situation as being reminiscent of a joke even raising a chuckle from the Dark Knight. Did you enjoy this article? Do you agree with the entries on this list? Which other Batman/Joker stories deserve a mention? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
