10 Shocking Times The Joker Died
2. Who Killed The Joker? - Batman: Damned
Batman: Damned is the sequel to the 2008 one-shot comic, Joker. It begins with Batman being injured and disoriented after his battle with the Joker in the conclusion of the previous story. Demonologist John Constantine locates Bats, and alerts him that the news has reported the Joker's death.
Because the story revolves around supernatural elements and has paranormal characters such as Zatanna, Etrigan, and Deadman, it's hard for Batman (as well as the reader) to decipher what is going on, or if the Joker is truly dead.
Ever the detective, Batman reasoned that the only way to know for sure if Gotham's greatest villain had truly perished was to examine the body. As he analysed the corpse at the mortuary, the Spirit of Vengeance, The Spectre, appeared and revealed the truth.
During his battle with the Joker, Batman deduced that his own injuries were fatal, and so hurled his nemesis off the bridge to prevent the clown from continuing to hurt people without the Dark Knight to stop him.
Although Batman had ample time to pull the Joker up from the edge, he refused, allowing the Clown Prince of Crime to plummet to his demise. After Batman acknowledged the sin he committed, the Spectre took his spirit to the afterlife.